If you need a clever way to add extra veggies into your weeknight dinner without alerting those picky eaters, then this easy turkey burger sliders recipe is a must-try!
A HEALTHY GROUND TURKEY SLIDERS RECIPE WITH SHREDDED ZUCCHINI
If you struggle to get your kids to eat their veggies, the next best thing is to hide it in something else. And all kids love burgers!
Zucchini can be bitter and not particularly palatable to younger taste buds, yet it’s jam-packed with nutrients. So adding zucchini into a simple turkey burger pattie is a no-brainer. Fussy eaters aside, lean turkey and shredded zucchini is a healthy and nutritious option for all the family, beating takeout hands down.
Zucchini also adds moisture to the turkey meat, which is prone to drying out when cooking due to it’s low fat content.
So enjoy this simple turkey burger slider recipe for your next burger night with the family and customize it with your favorite toppings.
Mini turkey burger sliders also make a delicious and crowd-pleasing appetizer. Get ready for the best best turkey burger sliders recipe around!
GROUND TURKEY BURGER SLIDERS INGREDIENTS & SUBSTITUTIONS
- Ground turkey – Regular or extra lean ground turkey can be used. Ground chicken is another good lean meat option. This easy slider recipe is also delicious with ground beef.
- Shredded zucchini – Use the small holes on a box grater to shred your zucchini. Sub with shredded carrot, patty pan or yellow summer squash if you want to pack veg in but don’t have zucchini to hand. Shredded apple also works well, adding sweetness as well as moisture.
- Seasoning – I use garlic salt and ground black pepper to season the turkey burger patties. You can also experiment with onion, garlic or chili powder, Italian seasoning, paprika, or cayenne pepper for some heat.
- Bread crumbs – I tend to use Panko breadcrumbs as that’s one of my pantry staples (for these baked Panko chicken nuggets) but feel free to use other varieties or make your own breadcrumbs from scratch. You can also use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- Parsley – Freshly chopped or sub with dried parsley flakes.
- Mayonnaise – Use store-bought or homemade mayonnaise. Sour cream or thick yogurt could be used instead if you don’t enjoy mayonnaise. I don’t recommend using Miracle Whip as a substitute as this is overly sweet and may throw off the balance of flavors.
- Shredded cheddar cheese – Always use freshly shredded cheese for best results.
- Slices of cheddar cheese – Cut each slice into 4 mini squares.
- Oil – You can use olive oil, vegetable oil, avocado oil, or Canola oil for the pan.
- Butter – For browning the slider buns.
- Buns – Sweet soft rolls like Hawaiian buns or brioche rolls are quite popular for slider recipes, but any mini roll will do.
HOW TO MAKE THESE GROUND TURKEY SLIDERS
This easy recipe is simple enough for little hands to get stuck in. They’ll love mixing up the ground turkey and assembling their own turkey patties with their favorite toppings on mini burger buns.
To make the turkey burger patties:
You can cook the turkey burgers and brown the buns at the same time by using two pans. Alternatively, brown the buns while the turkey burgers are resting (my preferred option).
Remove excess liquid from the grated zucchini by pressing it between two sheets of paper towel. The excess liquid can cause the turkey patties to fall apart.
Add the ground turkey to a large mixing bowl and add the zucchini and shredded cheese and combine.
Then add the breadcrumbs, seasoning, parsley and mayo to the bowl and mix well.
Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat while forming the raw patties.
To create the turkey patties, wet your hands with water and then scoop out about 3 tablespoons of the ground turkey mix. Roll the mixture between your hands into a ball and then flatten into a patty shape, pressing around the sides to form a circle. Place onto a plate and set aside.
Repeat this process, until all the turkey mixture has been used.
Add a little oil (about 1 teaspoon) to the pan. Once the oil is hot add 4-5 patties to the pan, making sure that the pan is not overcrowded.
Cook for 3-4 minutes on one side, flip, add a slice of cheese, and cook for another 3 minutes.
Remove the cooked patties from the pan to rest on a plate and repeat this process until all the turkey patties have been cooked.
Heating the buns and assembling the ground turkey sliders:
Either in a separate pan or after the turkey burgers are cooked:
Add butter (about 1 teaspoon) to the pan and melt. Add the slider buns with the inside of the bun facing down on the pan. Allow the buns to brown and remove. Repeat this for all of the buns.
Assemble your healthy turkey burgers starting with the slider bun and Thousand Island sauce or ketchup. Then add your turkey patty, crispy lettuce, sliced tomato, red onion or other toppings. Finish with the other half of the slider bun.
Want more easy and delicious meal ideas?
Try these:
TIPS FOR MAKING THESE MINI TURKEY BURGERS
- Don’t overcook the patties – turkey burgers tend to dry out quickly as turkey is such a lean meat.
- If you aren’t sure whether your turkey patty is cooked properly, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest section. The turkey should register an internal temperature of 165 degrees F for it to be safe to eat, which is the same as chicken.
- Make sure to press as much excess liquid out of the shredded zucchini as possible before mixing with the ground turkey to avoid the pattie falling apart when cooking.
- Use wet hands to roll the raw ground turkey mixture. This will help prevent the ground meat sticking to your hands.
- If you want to make regular-sized burgers instead of slider size, make the patties a little larger to fit a regular burger bun. You may need to increase the cooking time in the cast iron skillet to ensure that the patties are cooked through.
- Make these turkey slider burgers gluten-free by using gluten-free breadcrumbs and gluten-free slider buns.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THESE MINI TURKEY BURGER SLIDERS
Top these simple turkey burger sliders with additional ingredients, such as crumbled feta cheese, extra cheese slices, caramelized onions, and barbecue sauce.
They can be enjoyed as a tasty party appetizer, or as a main course when served with sweet potato fries, a green salad, onion rings or mixed vegetables.
For low carb turkey burger sliders, load the turkey patties on lettuce leaves instead of rolls.
Try these kid favorites next:
- Italian Cheese Calzones- So Yummy!
- Easy Leftover Chicken Tacos With Mango Salsa
- Delicious Crispy Baked Chicken Nuggets
STORING GROUND TURKEY BURGERS
Fridge
If you want to recreate these juicy turkey burgers another day from leftovers, store burgers and toppings in separate containers in the fridge. You don’t want to store the assembled slider buns as the moist toppings will make the buns soggy.
The burgers will last 3-4 days in an airtight container in the fridge, while the toppings may only last 1-2 days, depending on which you choose.
Freezer
You can also freeze these turkey patties for up to 3 months. Wrap each individual patty in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place them in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag. When ready to enjoy, thaw the frozen patties in the fridge overnight and reheat as below. Serve them on fresh buns with fresh toppings.
Reheat
Reheating leftover turkey patties is very easy! Heat a frying pan with a little oil and add the patties. Reheat them for a few minutes on each side, being careful not to dry them out.
You can also reheat the patties for 2 minutes in an air fryer or for 5-10 minutes in the oven. Cover them with foil to prevent the lean turkey meat from drying out.
Here are some simple sweet treats for after:
- Cheats Sourdough Bread Blueberry French Toast Muffins
- Easy Strawberry Cheesecake Cups (No-Bake Recipe)
- Healthy & Delicious Chocolate Chia Pudding
Delicious Turkey Burger Sliders With Hidden Veg
Ingredients
Turkey Burger Slider Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1/2 cup shredded zucchini
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons bread crumbs fresh or dried
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley fresh or dried
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 slices cheddar cheese each slice cut into 4 mini squares
- 1 tablespoon olive vegetable, or canola oil for the pan
- 1-2 tablespoons butter for browning the slider buns
Slider Fillings
- Thousand Island, ketchup or other favorite sauce
- lettuce & tomato
- sliced red onion or cucumber
Instructions
Turkey Burger Slider Recipe
- Grate the zucchini, and drain the excess liquid and absorb with a paper towel.
- Add the ground turkey to a large mixing bowl, then add the shredded zucchini, garlic salt, pepper, bread crumbs, parsley, mayonnaise, and shredded cheddar cheese.
- Mix with a spatula until well combined.
- Start heating a large pan with medium heat while forming the patties. If you have two pans, start heating the other for the buns.
- Wet your hands with a little water, take about 3 tablespoons of the ground turkey mix and roll in a ball. Then press it and shape it into a patty with your hands. Place the patties onto a large plate, and repeat with the rest of the turkey mixture.
- Add 1 teaspoon oil to the pan, and when the oil is hot add around half the turkey patties to the pan. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Wait 3-4 minutes, and flip them, add a slice of cheese to each and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
- Remove from the pan, and place on a large clean plate to rest. Repeat this step to finish cooking the turkey patties.
- Add the butter to the other large pan or to the turkey burger pan once done. Once the butter has melted, add the slider buns with the inside of the bun facing down. Repeat until the slider buns are all browned.
- Fill your browned slider buns with Thousand Island dressing or ketchup, a turkey patty, lettuce, tomato, red onion and any other toppings you fancy.
Notes
- Don’t overcook the patties – turkey burgers tend to dry out quickly as turkey is such a lean meat.
- If you aren’t sure whether your turkey patty is cooked properly, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest section. The turkey should register an internal temperature of 165 degrees F for it to be safe to eat, which is the same as chicken.
- Make sure to press as much excess liquid out of the shredded zucchini as possible before mixing it with the ground turkey to avoid the pattie falling apart when cooking.
- Use wet hands to roll the raw ground turkey mixture. This will help prevent the ground meat from sticking to your hands.
- Add any of your favorite ingredients to build your slider burger, like grilled mushrooms, grilled onions, pickles, mayo or mustard. Get creative!
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