Turkey Zucchini Burgers are a delicious variation on a classic burger. Made with shredded zucchini, ground turkey, and spices topped with a bun and your favorite burger toppings. These juicy turkey burgers will be your new favorite!

A table set with burgers, chips and burger toppings.

Zucchini turkey burgers are so much fun to make and exciting to eat because they’re so different than the normal everyday burger. They’re a great way to get in an extra helping of vegetables for yourself and especially the kids. Often turkey burgers turn out dry, but thanks to the moisture of the zucchini these are the juiciest turkey burgers I’ve ever had! My family agrees that this is the best turkey burger recipe we’ve ever tried and after the first time making it it became a staple in our house!

Even better not only are they delicious juicy burgers but they come together super quick!

This recipe makes 4 burgers and takes about 30 minutes to prep and cook them. That means you can get dinner on the table in half an hour, and let’s be honest, that’s awesome! Dinner can be such a hectic time on busy weeknights and anything you can do to cut down on the craziness, the better. You can throw these on the outdoor grill or cook them in a skillet or grill pan on the stove so they are great summer burgers any time of year!

That’s where this turkey burger recipe comes in handy! It’s a breeze to make them with just 7 ingredients plus regular burger toppings, like sliced red onion, pickles, sauces, bacon, tomatoes, lettuce, and potato or whole wheat bread for the buns.

These burgers are one of our favorite recipes for using zucchini during the summer! Of course we love zucchini bread, muffins, even brownies, but these healthy zucchini turkey burgers are great alternative to baked goods for a perfect way to use up the bounty from your garden (or your neighbor’s if they are sharing!)

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a turkey zucchini burger on a bun. The bun is open and topped with tomato and pickle slices

Ingredients

1 1⁄2 Cups Shredded Zucchini (about 2 small zucchini)

1 pound lean Ground Turkey

1 Egg

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Onion Powder

1 tsp Ground Cumin

1⁄2 tsp salt

Here’s How to Make These Turkey Burgers

Press shredded zucchini in between paper towels and squeeze firmly to remove excess moisture. If the paper towel gets saturated move the zucchini to another one and squeeze more so that most of the moisture is removed.

In a large mixing bowl mix turkey, egg, zucchini, and spices. Knead together to mix well.

Divide mixture into 4 burgers, and flatten to about 4-5 inches in diameter.

Cook over medium high heat on the grill or in a large skillet. Cook for about 6 minutes on each side or until internal temperature reaches 170.

If you are cooking in a skillet heat 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil before adding the burger patties to the pan.

Serve with buns and your favorite burger toppings

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Tips for success/variations:

Try to use small or medium zucchini. Large zucchini tend to have much more moisture and a ton of seeds. Smaller ones are easier to grate and aren’t so watery. If you only have a large zucchini scoop out the seeds before shredding. Smaller zucchini also tend to have thinner skin so there is no need to peel them, if your larger zucchini has thick skin you may want to peel it before grating.

A common mistake is having zucchini that is too wet! The grated zucchini is pretty moist and needs to be dried as much as possible before combining it to make turkey burger patties. Otherwise, they won’t stick together as well and they’ll crumble and fall apart when cooking them.

You can make the burgers on a grill, in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat, or in an oven on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Make sure to spray the surface with cooking spray or use a little olive oil to grease the pan so they don’t stick while cooking.

They’re great served with Yukon or sweet potato fries, onion rings, a green salad, a fruit salad, grilled asparagus, or roasted broccoli.

Another great way to serve these is with a salad! Instead of putting them on burger buns put them on a nice bed of leafy greens, add in some extra veggies (just add your salad favorites!) and drizzle on a little dressing. It is a great summer salad!

You can also substitute the ground turkey with ground chicken! So if you prefer chicken to turkey you can swap out a ground chicken with no problem!

You can use fresh garlic if you prefer it over garlic powder. One garlic clove is roughly the equivalent of 1 tsp garlic powder but depending on the size you may need more.

A turkey zucchini burger on a wooden plate topped with lettuce and cheese. Behind it is a plate of burger toppings, a mason jar full of water and a bowl of chips

How to store:

Keep the grilled turkey patties in an air-tight container and in the fridge for up to 3 days.

You can also freeze them by wrapping each one in plastic wrap and then placing them all into a freezer bag. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Make sure to label them with what it is and the date before freezing, so you remember what they are when you pull them back out later.

To serve them, thaw in the fridge if they’re frozen, then use the microwave, air fryer, or skillet to heat them back up.

The raw burgers also freeze beautifully if you want to make them while you have fresh zucchini to eat later. Just be sure to wrap them well so that they are air tight. It is best to thaw them before cooking.

A turkey zucchini burger on a wooden platter topped with lettuce

FAQs:

How do you keep turkey burgers from falling apart?

It’s important to make sure they’re not too much moisture in the zucchini and that they’re packed together tightly. The egg in turkey burgers recipes also helps bind them so they don’t fall apart.

Is a turkey burger healthy?

Yes! They are healthy as long as you pay attention to what you top them with. You can make them even healthier by wrapping them in a lettuce leaf instead of using buns.

What goes good on a turkey burger?

Tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, sauce, cheese, pickled or fresh jalapeños, sliced red or white onions, and so many others.