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Learn how to make the best homemade turkey burgers in your pressure cooker in 30 minutes or less. With ground turkey and a handful of seasonings, you'll make these juicy Instant Pot Turkey Burgers loaded with flavor. Adult and kid-approved!
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Check out my Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Sliders and my Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Wings for more dinner ideas!
There's nothing quite like a hot, juicy burger fresh off the grill sandwiched between a soft bun with all the fixings -but what if you could achieve that same scrumptious flavor and texture without heading outdoors? That's where your Instant Pot pressure cooker comes in.
Making turkey burgers in an Instant Pot is a lifesaver on busy weeknights. With this method, you'll have dinner on the table in no time -a nutritious dinner at that! Ground turkey is an excellent source of lean protein, vitamins B-6 and 12, and is typically lower in saturated fat than ground beef.
Cooking burgers in the Instant Pot locks in all of the flavor and juices, making burger patties that practically melt in your mouth. Ready to cook fresh turkey burgers in your Instant Pot? Let's do it.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- No grilling - Make restaurant-quality burgers from the comfort of your kitchen.
- Effortless - The ingredients are simple and the method is quick and easy.
- Perfect for busy weeknights - Build a burger toppings bar and have everyone assemble their own burger.
- Make-ahead - You can freeze your burgers raw and cook them in the Instant Pot later.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ground Turkey: A good burger needs fat. That said, use ground turkey meat that is no more than 10% lean. If you’re not a fan of ground turkey, you can use beef instead.
- Salt: Brings out the natural flavors and balances the seasonings.
- Spices: I used equal parts pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and parsley. Feel free to use your favorite spices and seasoning blends.
Step-By-Step Instructions
These step-by-step instructions show you how to make turkey burgers from scratch in a pressure cooker.
Step 1: Make burgers.
Form the ground turkey into 4 burger patties using about a ½ cup (8 ounces) of ground turkey per burger. Thin them out, so they're slightly wider than your buns.
Step 2: Season burgers.
In a small bowl, stir the dried herbs and spices together. Then, use the blend to generously season both sides of each patty. Wrap each turkey burger securely in foil.
Step 3: Pressure cook burgers.
Insert the trivet into your Instant Pot. Add a cup of water and place the foil-wrapped burgers on the trivet. Close the lid and seal the pressure valve. Set your Instant Pot to pressure cook on high for 15 minutes. When the timer goes off, manually release the pressure.
Step 4: Unwrap burgers and serve.
Remove your burgers and carefully unwrap them. Serve on a toasted burger bun with your favorite fixings. Enjoy!
NOTE: You can print the FULL recipe with all ingredients & detailed instructions below!
Expert Tips
- Double the seasoning - Make extra turkey burger seasoning to have on hand. It's delicious on grilled chicken, beef burgers, roasted vegetables, and so much more.
- Make an indent - Using your thumb, make a small indent in the center of each patty, so they won't shrink as much while they're cooking.
- Cooking time - The Instant Pot needs to build pressure before cooking. It can take between 5 and 15 minutes. Once it reaches pressure, the Instant Pot will beep, and the timer will begin counting down. Consider that extra time when planning your meal.
- Check for doneness - Unlike beef burgers, turkey burgers must be cooked to temperature. The internal temperate should reach at least 165F.
- Browning the burgers - To achieve a light crust on the surface of the burgers, you can place them under your oven broiler for 2 to 3 minutes at the end.
- Cooking frozen turkey burgers - Follow the same exact instructions but with frozen turkey burger patties. Add at least 5 minutes to the cooking time to ensure they are getting cooked all the way through.
Variations
- Meat options - Ground turkey is interchangeable with ground chicken and ground pork. You can also use ground beef, but you'll need to adjust the cook times to cook your patty to temperature.
- Sliders - This recipe yields four half-pound turkey burgers, but feel free to patty them into smaller quarter-pound burgers or 2-ounce slider patties.
- Add finely diced onion - Mix ¼ cup of finely diced sweet Vidalia onion into the ground meat mixture.
- Cheeseburgers - Once the burgers are finished, carefully unwrap them just enough to place a slice of cheese on top. Loosely re-wrap so the residual heat melts the cheese. Another option is melting the cheese over the burgers under the broiler at the end.
- "Juicy Lucy" - Make a juicy lucy! Patty the meat into thin 4 ounce patties. Then, enclose a slice of cheese in between two. Wrap in foil and cook.
Turkey Burger Toppings
Everything that goes with beef burgers tastes fantastic with turkey burgers. Start with a buttery brioche bun or a toasted kaiser roll, and then build an epic burger. Don't forget the fries! Check out some of my favorite ways to top turkey burgers below:
- Classic (lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard)
- Mushrooms & Onion (sauteed)
- Cali-style (lettuce, fresh salsa, and avocado)
- Crispy Bacon & Fried Egg
Storing & Freezing
Storing: Wrap the cooked turkey burgers in foil, place them in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Freezing: Shape turkey burgers into patties. Place the uncooked patties in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Freeze, transfer the patties to a resealable freezer bag, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw the burgers for a few hours in the fridge before cooking.
Recipe FAQ‘s
Turkey burgers and beef are both fantastic sources of protein and good fats. However, turkey is lower in saturated fat than beef and typically has fewer calories.
Sure! You may need to add additional cooking time to your Instant Pot to ensure the burgers are cooked all the way through (a 4-ounce frozen burger will take about 12 minutes, and an 8-ounce frozen burger will take about 20).
You can also find my FREE Instant Pot cheat sheets here.
More Instant Pot Recipes
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Instant Pot Turkey Burgers
Learn how to make the best homemade turkey burgers in your pressure cooker in 30 minutes or less. With ground turkey and a handful of seasonings, you'll make these juicy Instant Pot turkey burgers loaded with flavor. Adult and kid-approved!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground turkey meat
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon parsley, chopped or dried
- 4 hamburger buns
Instructions
- Form the ground turkey into 4 burger patties using about a ½ cup (8 ounces) of ground turkey per burger. Thin them out, so they're slightly wider than your buns.
- In a small bowl, stir the dried herbs and spices together. Then, use the blend to generously season both sides of each patty. Wrap each turkey burger securely in foil.
- Insert the trivet into your Instant Pot. Add a cup of water and place the foil-wrapped burgers on the trivet. Close the lid and seal the pressure valve. Set your Instant Pot to pressure cook on high for 15 minutes. When the timer goes off, manually release the pressure.
- Remove your burgers and carefully unwrap them. Serve on a toasted burger bun with your favorite fixings. Enjoy!
Notes
- The Instant Pot needs to come to pressure before the cooking time starts, similar to an oven that needs to preheat. The cooking time doesn't actually start until pressure builds, which can take anywhere from 5-15 minutes, sometimes longer depending on how full the pot is and how much liquid there is inside. Once it reaches pressure the Instant Pot will beep, and the cook time will begin to count down. Please, make sure to consider that extra time when planning your meal.
- Using your thumb, make a small indent in the center of each patty, so they won’t shrink as much while they’re cooking.
- Unlike beef burgers, turkey burgers must be cooked to temperature. The internal temperate should reach at least 165F.
- To achieve a light crust on the surface of the burgers, you can place them under your oven broiler for 2 to 3 minutes at the end.
- Cooking frozen turkey burgers: Follow the same exact instructions but with frozen turkey burger patties. Add at least 5 minutes to the cooking time to ensure they are getting cooked all the way through.
- Storing: Wrap the cooked turkey burgers in foil, place them in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezing: Shape turkey burgers into patties. Place the uncooked patties in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Freeze, transfer the patties to a resealable freezer bag, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw the burgers for a few hours in the fridge before cooking.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Amount Per Serving: Calories: 254Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 381mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 25g
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Michelle
Such a great way to make burgers on the fly! It's so tidy, and everything cleans up quickly!
Catherine
I'm always so impressed with the things you can make in an instant pot! I would never have thought of burgers but these look so good! A perfect weeknight meal!
Leslie
We have been without a grill for months! Throwing this Turkey burger recipe in the instant pot is a game changer!! Thank you!
Jessica
I love turkey burgers, but don't always make them. I can't wait to make it in the Instant Pot next time, because this recipe looks perfect!
Denay DeGuzman
I used this delicious recipe to make little sliders using Hawaiian rolls. It was a huge hit with family and friends! I look forward to making this again and again.
Ruth Parkinson
what else can i wrap my burgers in i don't like alumin foil food absorbs alum from foil not good for dementia
Erika
You can wrap them in parchment paper.
Amanda Noonan
I have an 8 quart instant pot. Would
I need to add more water?
Erika
Hi Amanda! For 8-quart Instant Pot, you need to add at least 2 cups of water or other liquid.