These crispy-edged turkey smash burgers with caramelized onions are incredibly easy to make on your Blackstone (or any griddle). They're nestled inside toasted buns and topped with melted Cheddar cheese, sweet red onion, and a spicy mayo. It's a burger recipe you're going to want to keep taped to your fridge.
If you're unfamiliar with turkey smash burgers, they're simply a ball of seasoned ground turkey that's placed on a griddle and firmly smashed to create a patty with irregular edges and plenty of surface area to crisp up. Like the juicy beef patty in Blackstone patty melts and Blackstone smash burgers with onions, they're loved for the crisp crust that develops and locks in flavor to create a juicy, tender burger.
Smash burger recipes are ideal for making on a Blackstone griddle, or other large surface area griddle, but if you've only got a small electric griddle or a cast-iron pan, follow the directions in the FAQ below. The process will take a little longer, but you'll still be rewarded with an amazing smashed turkey burger.
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Why This Recipe is Perfect for Blackstone Griddles
- The large surface area of the griddle allows you to cook everything at once, so you've got a meal in just 30 minutes.
- Using a griddle with two (or more) burners gives you great temperature control and allows you to cook the onions over low heat while searing the burgers over high.
- Clean up is easy!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Ground turkey--Ground turkey is pretty lean, and since these turkey burgers are made without egg, look for ground turkey that contains some dark meat. This will give your burgers a little fat and keep them juicy.
- Worcestershire sauce--This adds flavor and umami to the burgers. In a pinch, you can swap in soy sauce.
- Red onion--I love the flavor of red onions, but white or yellow onions will work here, too.
- Cheese--Cheddar is classic, but if you've got another favorite, go ahead and use it. Provolone would work well, as would Monterey or Pepper Jack.
- Buns--I've tried this turkey smash burger recipe with several different types of buns, depending on what was available. My favorite version was made with brioche buns, but any good-quality burger bun will work.
How to Make Turkey Smash Burgers
1. Combine the mayonnaise and Sriracha sauce in a small bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Mix the ground turkey, Worcestershire sauce, and ¼ teaspoon of salt and pepper in a large bowl. Gently shape the mixture into 4 balls.
3. Warm 1 tablespoon oil on one side of your griddle over medium-low heat. Add the sliced onions and cover, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Heat the other side of the griddle to medium high. Using a large spatula or burger press firmly on the balls to create thin patties, about ⅜ inch thick. Cook, flipping once until golden brown and cooked through.
5. Top the burgers with cheese and let it melt. Place the buns cut side down on the griddle and toast them while the cheese is melting. Assemble the burgers.
FAQs
Definitely. If you have a small griddle or cast iron skillet, cook the onions first over medium-low heat, until soft and caramelized, then transfer them to a bowl and keep warm.
Increase the heat to medium-high and add the burgers, smashing them to create a thin patty. Cook, flipping once, until golden and cooked through. Add the cheese and let it melt. Transfer the burgers to a plate.
Toast the buns on the hot griddle or skillet, if desired, then assemble your burgers with spicy mayo, burger patties, and caramelized onions.
As you mix and shape your burgers, the heat from your hands causes the fat in the mixture to soften and become sticky. To avoid having the meat stick to your hands and prevent overworked tough burgers, try to handle the meat gently and just cup your hands around the meat as you shape it into balls. To further prevent a sticky mess, you can rub your hands with an ice cube or dip them in cold water before shaping, or coat your hands with oil or cooking spray.
There are burger press tools on the market specifically made for smashing burgers, and these are ideal because they allow you to apply pressure evenly over the surface of the patty. They are available online or at bbq or kitchen retailers.
You can also use a large metal spatula, and press down firmly in the center of the spatula as you smash the burgers. Don't use spatulas that have holes or openings in the middle though as the burger will push up through the openings and stick to the spatula.
Serve your favorite burger sides, like potato chips, fries, raw vegetables and dip, or marinated vegetable salad.
Tips and Troubleshooting
- You can prepare the spicy mayo and shape the turkey burgers up to 8 hours before serving. Keep them covered and stored in the refrigerator until you're ready to cook.
- Be sure that your griddle surface is well seasoned to prevent the burgers from sticking. If you're unsure, add a little oil or cooking spray to the griddle surface before cooking.
- Covering the onions for the first part of cooking allows them to soften more quickly. If you need to leave them uncovered, add an extra 5 minutes of cooking time.
- The turkey burger mixture can be sticky. If you're concerned about them sticking when you smash the patty, spray the bottom of your smasher with cooking spray.
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Recipe
Turkey Smash Burgers with Caramelized Onions
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 medium red onion sliced
- Table salt
- 1 pound (454 g) ground turkey
- 1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 slices Cheddar cheese
- 4 burger buns
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise and Sriracha. Refrigerate until you're ready to serve.
- Heat one side of your Blackstone griddle to medium-low. Add the oil and onion and season with salt. Cover the griddle and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, 10 to 15 minutes.
- While the onions are cooking, combine the turkey, Worcestershire sauce, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Mix well and divide the mixture into 4 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, taking care not to pack the meat too tightly.
- Heat the other side of the griddle to medium-high. Place each burger ball on the griddle and use a burger press or large spatula to firmly press down on each burger until they're "smashed" to about ⅜-inch thick.
- Cook, flipping once, until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side.
- Top each patty with cheese.
- While the cheese is melting, push the onions off to one side (they should be soft and golden at this point), and place the buns, cut side down on the griddle. Let them toast for 1 to 2 minutes.
- To assemble, spread about 1 ½ teaspoons of Sriracha mayo on the top half of each bun. Place a burger patty on the bottom half of each bun, top with onions, and the top bun. Devour.
Notes
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- Get ahead--You can prepare the spicy mayo and shape the turkey burgers up to 8 hours before serving. Keep them covered and stored in the refrigerator until you're ready to cook.
- Season your griddle--Be sure that your griddle surface is well seasoned to prevent the burgers from sticking. If you're unsure, add a little oil or cooking spray to the griddle surface before cooking.
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- Cover the onions--Covering the onions for the first part of cooking allows them to soften more quickly. If you need to leave them uncovered, add an extra 5 minutes of cooking time.
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- Spray your smasher--The turkey burger mixture can be sticky. If you're concerned about them sticking when you smash the patty, spray the bottom of your smasher with cooking spray.
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