Why This Recipe Works

Ground turkey is full of moisture—more so than ground beef—but since you have to cook it to 160 degrees, it's virtually impossible to keep the juices in the meat unless you give it some help. For juicy turkey burgers, we started by adding baking soda and gelatin to help keep the meat moist as it cooked. A few tablespoons of panko bread crumbs broke up the texture to keep the meat from binding together too firmly. Gently tossing the ingredients together and lightly shaping the patties also helped create a texture that was pleasantly coarse, loose, and tender. A bit of melted butter added richness while soy sauce and Parmesan contributed savoriness. We also devised an unusual cooking method: Starting the patties in a cold skillet meant the exteriors could slowly start to brown while the interiors had time to reach the 160-degree serving temperature. Covering the skillet enveloped the burgers in steam so they cooked evenly from top to bottom.

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Before You Begin

When mixing and shaping the patties, do not overwork the meat, or the burgers may become dense. A pair of fish spatulas works well for flipping the burgers. Serve with your favorite burger toppings and Pickled Avocado, if desired.

Instructions

Place oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet and set aside. Combine water and baking soda in small bowl. Place turkey in large bowl. Using your hands, break up meat into rough ½-inch pieces. Drizzle baking soda mixture evenly over turkey, followed by soy sauce and melted butter. Evenly sprinkle panko, Parmesan, gelatin, pepper, and salt over turkey mixture. Using your hands, gently toss to combine.

Divide meat into 4 lightly packed portions, about 4 ounces each. Gently flatten 1 portion into patty about ½ inch thick and about 4 inches in diameter. Transfer patty directly to prepared skillet and repeat with remaining portions.

Heat skillet over medium heat. When patties start to sizzle, cover skillet and cook until patties are well-browned on bottom, about 2½ minutes (if patties are not browned after 2½ minutes, increase heat). Carefully flip patties, cover, and continue to cook until second side is well browned and burgers register 160 degrees, 2½ to 3 minutes longer. If using cheese, place 1 slice on each burger about 1 minute before burgers finish cooking. Transfer burgers to plate and let rest for 5 minutes, then transfer to buns and serve.