Easy Teriyaki Turkey Burgers and Homemade BBQ Sauce

These Teriyaki Turkey Burgers are the best turkey burgers. They’re easy to prepare and offer a unique taste. You’ll love how much flavor the turkey burger seasoning gives this recipe. Serve them on a tender brioche bun with the homemade Teriyaki BBQ Sauce, some greens, a grilled pineapple slice and onions.

Learn how to make this recipe along with the homemade bbq sauce for these turkey burgers. Plus, I’ve included meal prep ideas and freezing instructions!

Making these Teriyaki Turkey Burgers

When I mentioned that I had a craving for grilling and the desire for burgers the other day in my Homemade Whole Wheat Brioche Hamburger Buns post, these are the burgers I was talking about – Teriyaki Turkey Burgers and some Homemade Teriyaki BBQ Sauce.

I’m kind of sad to be writing about this delicious warm, weather grilled meal today because the weather has been kind of nasty all week. Windy, cloudy, and cool. Not cold enough to feel like winter but cool enough that I feel like shouting to the sun, “Hello? Where have you gone?”

I’ve not been a regular user of ground turkey in the past, but when I saw a package at Costco a month or so ago I thought that it might be a nice change to give it a try.

Homemade Turkey Burgers

These turkey burgers turned out so moist and flavorful, but you could certainly use ground beef or ground chicken in the ground turkey mixture if that’s what you prefer. But I think I’ll be using ground turkey more often than I used to!

I’ve never made my own barbecue sauce before, and not that I had anything against it. We just don’t really use barbecue sauce very often. This time I new I wanted a more specific flavor to my BBQ sauce and set out to try for a tangy teriyaki flavor to add to these yummy grilled burgers.

I found that it is really quite simple to make homemade barbecue sauce, and I’m glad to have yet another recipe for a Homemade Pantry Staple in my arsenal. Homemade barbecue sauce goes great alongside homemade turkey burgers and Homemade Whole Wheat Brioche Hamburger Buns.

Summer Grilling Season

With school winding down for the summer next week, I am longing for the weather to be more predictably pleasant so I can spend more time outside grilling and making our favorite BBQ dinners.

Although it feels somewhat strange that school only has a few days left until “summer” is here, because it doesn’t really feel like summer heat yet, and I’m grateful for that.

Last year our summer was so hot so early and really unenjoyable. We hardly spent any time in our backyard, and that made me sad. I love spring and summertime grilling, the smell of the food cooking outdoors and the sounds of the kids playing (when they’re playing nicely) outside.

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Tools Needed to Make Turkey Burgers

Here’s a list of helpful tools I have in my kitchen that I use when preparing these flavorful turkey burgers:

• Sauté Pan – to sauté the onion.
• Wooden Spoon – to use when sautéing the onion and stirring the ground turkey with the seasonings.
• Large Mixing Bowl – to combine the ingredients to make the turkey burger patties.
• Saucepan – to prepare the bbq sauce.
• Measuring Cups – to measure the ingredients in the bbq sauce.
• Measuring Spoons – to measure the ingredients in the turkey burgers and bbq sauce.
• Whisk – to combine the ingredients in the bbq sauce.
• Immersion Blender – optional, if you’d like to puree the bbq sauce.
• Outdoor Grill – I prefer grilling my turkey burgers on our gas grill.
• Cast Iron Skillet or Grill Pan – if you don’t have a charcoal grill or gas grill, you can cook the burgers indoor.
• Instant Read Thermometer – a meat thermometer is the easiest way to check the doneness when making these turkey burgers

What’s in Teriyaki Turkey Burgers?

Here’s a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need to prepare these ground turkey burgers and the honey teriyaki bbq sauce that goes with them:

For the Turkey Burgers

• Ground Turkey
• Olive Oil
• Soy Sauce
• Black Pepper
• Ground Ginger
• Apricot Preserves

For the Honey Teriyaki BBQ Sauce

• Oil
• Onion
• Garlic
• Fresh Ginger
• Black Pepper
• Soy Sauce
• Tomato Paste
• Honey
• Pineapple Juice
• Water
• Cornstarch
• Sesame Seeds

Turkey Burger Toppings

These are my favorite burger toppings to serve with these teriyaki burgers:

• Hamburger Buns or Homemade Brioche Buns
• Honey Teriyaki BBQ Sauce
• Mixed Greens or Lettuce
• Grilled Fresh Pineapple Rings
• Yellow or Red Onions Slices

For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.

How to Make these Juicy Turkey Burgers

This recipe might look like it has a long ingredient list, but it is actually really simple to prepare. Here’s a quick overview of the best way to make these turkey burgers:

Making the Patties:

1. First, you’ll sauté the diced onion. Then, combine the onion with the remaining seasonings for the turkey burgers in a large bowl. Next, stir until combined.
2. Then, combine ground turkey, working with your hands to evenly distribute the ingredients.
3. After that, form the patties and set them aside until you’re ready to grill them.

Making the Homemade BBQ Sauce

1. Making the BBQ sauce is simple! First, sauté the onion in a saucepan. Then, add the garlic and ginger, and sauté some more.
2. Next, stir in the pepper, soy sauce, tomato paste, and honey. Whisk well. Then, combine the pineapple juice, water, and cornstarch. Pour this mixture into the BBQ sauce, whisking to combine.
3. Then, bring mixture to a boil, and simmer until thick. If you like a smooth sauce, you can purée it using an immersion blender until it is smooth. Stir in the sesame seeds.

Serving this Teriyaki Turkey Burgers Recipe

To serve the burgers, I like to grill up slices of pineapple while grilling the burgers. Then, layer greens, the burgers, homemade bbq sauce, and sliced onions on a bun.

If you prefer a gluten-free option, serve the burger patties with the toppings inside lettuce leaves for lettuce wraps or use your favorite gluten-free bun.

For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.

Time Saving Tips When Making Turkey Burgers

The turkey burger patties can be assembled earlier in the day stored in the refrigerator until you are ready to grill them. Or, for more advance times you can freezer the burger patties.

The Honey Teriyaki BBQ Sauce can easily be made a day or two in advance and stored in an airtight container, such as a jar, in the refrigerator. For longer preparation times, I recommend freezing the BBQ sauce. Make sure you leave room for expansion in whatever container you use.

If you don’t have time to make the homemade teriyaki bbq sauce for these turkey burgers (or don’t want to), just use your favorite store bought teriyaki bbq sauce in place. If you can’t find teriyaki bbq sauce, then an Asian honey bbq sauce would probably be the next best option.

How to Freeze Turkey Burgers

Freezing these homemade Teriyaki Turkey Burgers couldn’t be simpler and is a great way to meal prep for busy weeks when you need an easy dinner! Here’s a quick overview of the process:

1. Prepare the turkey burger mixture and form each burger patty.
2. Place patties on a parchment paper lined baking sheet in a single layer.
3. Transfer the baking sheet to the freezer and flash freeze the burger patties until they’re firm.
4. Meanwhile, date and label a freezer bag (or airtight containers).
5. After the patties have frozen, transfer them to the prepared bag.
6. Seal, removing as much air as possible before transferring to the freezer.

What to Serve with this Turkey Burgers Recipe

Wondering what to serve alongside these tasty Turkey Burgers? Here are a few recipe suggestions:

Strawberry Lemonade and Watermelon Lemonade are some of my favorite drinks to serve with burgers during the summertime. Grilling out means you need a nice, refreshing, cold beverage!

These Garlic Sweet Potato Fries are the perfect side to these easy teriyaki turkey burgers. These delicious oven baked sweet potato fries don’t take much time at all to prepare. They’re flavorful and crispy!

If you’d rather not turn the oven on, try these Smokey Grilled Sweet Potato Fries or Foil Grilled Sweet Potatoes. Both recipes have tons of flavor!

Grilled Vegetables are a great option to serve with these burgers and one of our favorite easy side dishes to serve in the summer.

Coleslaw always tastes great with a BBQ dinner. Try this recipe for Jalapeño Coleslaw. Typical BBQ Coleslaw gets a makeover with the addition of jalapeño for just a bit of heat for your tastebuds!

We often make an easy salad with mixed greens, lettuce, cucumber, shredded carrot, and tomato for a basic side salad. Check out these 3 Simple Salad Dressing Recipes to go along with your salad.

If salad isn’t your thing, try this easy recipe for Roasted Broccoli for a vegetable side dish to go with these grilled turkey burgers.

Try this Easy Turkey Burger Recipe at Home!

Next time you’re looking for a recipe for homemade turkey burgers, give these Teriyaki Turkey Burgers a try! Did you think it was the best turkey burger recipe? Leave a comment below and give it a review for others to see what you thought of this great recipe.

On Instagram? Share your photo and tag me with @goodlifeeats and #goodlifeeatsrecipes. I’d love to see your photo of these delicious turkey burgers!

More Burger Recipes to Try

These Stuffed Gouda Burgers with horseradish aioli and caramelized onions are the perfect burger to transition dinnertime from warmer weather favorites to hearty, fall family meals.

This Sweet Potato Veggie Burger recipe is quick and easy with a little taste of the Southwest. They make a perfect, healthy dinner for grilling season!

For a simple veggie burger that is loaded with Latin flavors, try these Black Bean Quinoa Burgers. They are a cinch to whip up and are naturally gluten-free!

Blue Cheese Burgers are a unique burger idea and one of my favorite recipes! The burgers require just a handful of ingredients and are easy to make.

Juicy, high quality beef seasoned with a Tex-Mex flair, fresh roasted salsa verde guacamole, and the traditional fajita-style bell pepper and onion mixture makes this Fajita Burger taste just like the real deal.

Spruced up grilled turkey burgers are packed with creamy goat cheese and topped with bacon in this Goat Cheese Stuffed Turkey Burger recipe.

Don’t see what you’re looking for here? You can always head over to check out the recipe index to look for more recipes.

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Have you ever made turkey burgers?

Teriyaki Turkey Burgers and Homemade BBQ Sauce

Yield: makes 6 burgers and enough BBQ sauce for serving, plus extra.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

These turkey burgers turned out so moist and flavorful, but you could certainly use ground beef too if that’s what you prefer. But I think I’ll be using ground turkey more often than I used to!

Print

Ingredients

For the Turkey Burgers

• 1 1/2 lb. ground turkey
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 1/2 of a small onion, finely diced
• 3 - 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 cup apricot preserves
• 2 teaspoons sugar

For the Honey Teriyaki BBQ Sauce

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/3 cup diced onion
• 2 clove garlic, minced
• 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated on a microplane
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 4 ounces tomato paste
• 5 tablespoons honey
• 1/3 cup tablespoons pineapple juice
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1-3 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 - 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Instructions

For the Turkey Burgers

1. Heat the oil in a small saute pan. Saute the diced onion until tender, about 3-5 minutes, over medium heat. Remove from heat. In a medium bowl, combine the onion, soy sauce, pepper, ginger, and apricot preserves. Add the ground turkey, working with your hands to evenly distribute the ingredients.
2. Divide into six 1/4 lb. patties. Set aside until ready to grill.
3. Grill over medium-high heat, 3-5 minutes per side - or until cooked through. At the same time, grill sliced fresh pineapple and onion slices.
4. Serve on Homemade Whole Wheat Brioche Hamburger Buns with grilled pineapple, grilled onion, fresh spinach or lettuce and Teriyaki BBQ Sauce.

For the Honey Teriyaki BBQ Sauce

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute for 3-5 minutes, until tender. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for an additional minute, until fragrant.
2. Stir in the pepper, soy sauce, tomato paste, and honey. Whisk until well mixed. Combine the pineapple juice and water. Whisk in the cornstarch. Pour this mixture into the BBQ sauce, whisking to combine.
3. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Then, puree the mixture in a food processor until smooth. Stir in sesame seeds if desired and serve. Keeps in the refrigerator for about a week.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Wooden Spoon
• 
  Weber Q1200 Grill
• 
  Mixing Bowls
• 
  Whisk
• 
  Food Processor
• 
  Microplane Zester

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 490Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 120mgSodium: 1867mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 2gSugar: 26gProtein: 33g

GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.

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