Most turkey burger recipes use 93% lean ground turkey – or even 85/15 because the extra fat helps keep the burgers juicy. But if you’re trying to lose weight, you might want to think about using 99% lean ground turkey. The problem is that burgers made with ultra-lean turkey are usually dry, bland, and disappointing.
That’s exactly why I created this 99% lean turkey burger recipe. With the right ingredients and a simple moisture-boosting trick, you can make a low-fat, low-calorie turkey burger that’s still moist, juicy, and packed with flavor.
The first time I made these burgers, I brought one over to my training partner for a taste test and another to a friend who normally avoids “healthy” recipes. They were both blown away. My training partner said, “No way… these taste too good to be diet food.” My other friend had the same reaction: “No way is this a healthy burger!”
That’s when I knew this recipe was a keeper. I eventually nicknamed them T.N.T. Burgers, which stands for Tasty Nutritious Turkey. They’re one of the signature Tom Venuto Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle recipes here at Burn the Fat Blog because they prove something a lot of people don’t think is possible:
A 99% lean turkey burger can actually be juicy.
Choosing the Right Ground Turkey (Lean-to-Fat Percentages Explained)
Start with a pound (16 oz / 454 g) of ground turkey. One thing a lot of people don’t realize is that ground turkey comes in several different lean-to-fat ratios, similar to ground beef.
The leanest option is 99% lean ground turkey, which is usually made entirely from turkey breast. This is the best choice if you’re trying to keep calories low and protein high. It’s widely available in most supermarkets and it’s the version I recommend for this recipe.
The most commonly used variety is 93% lean ground turkey, which contains a mix of white and dark meat. It’s still fairly lean and works fine in many recipes, but it does contain a little more fat and calories than the ultra-lean 99% version.
You’ll also sometimes see 90/10 or 92/8 blends, and on the higher-fat side there’s 85% lean ground turkey. Now, 85% might sound lean, but it really isn’t that lean when you think about it in terms of calories. Ground meat is labeled by fat percentage by weight, not by calories, so once you do the math, 85% lean actually delivers a lot more fat and calories than many people expect.
In my opinion, if you’re making a burger specifically for fat loss or calorie-conscious eating, the best choice is still 99% lean ground turkey. It keeps the calories down and the protein high. And before you worry about the usual complaint with ultra-lean turkey – dryness – trust me on this: follow this recipe and your burger will not turn out dry.
In fact, the next section explains exactly why lean turkey burgers often turn out dry, and the simple “moisture system” I use to keep these burgers juicy and flavorful every time
Why 99% Lean Turkey Burgers Usually Turn Out Dry
One of the most common complaints about very lean ground turkey – especially compared to ground beef – is that the burgers turn out dry and bland. That’s often true if you’re working with plain 99% lean turkey, because there’s almost no fat to keep the meat juicy as it cooks.
But that problem is easy to fix once you understand how to add moisture and flavor back into the meat.
For this recipe, I use what I like to call a simple “moisture system.” Instead of relying on fat to keep the burgers juicy, we add a combination of egg, horseradish mustard, onion, and celery directly into the meat mixture. These ingredients help hold moisture inside the burger as it cooks while also boosting flavor and texture.
The onion and celery release moisture during cooking, which helps prevent the burger from drying out. The egg acts as a binder, helping everything hold together while keeping the interior tender. The mustard adds flavor and a little extra moisture, which makes a bigger difference than you might expect.
Seasoning is also important. Using generous amounts of spices and seasoning ensures that these burgers are anything but bland. And the celery adds something a lot of turkey burgers are missing – a nice bit of crunch that gives the burger a great texture.
The result is a 99% lean turkey burger that’s moist, juicy, and full of flavor, even though it’s extremely low in fat.
Breadcrumb Binders and Healthy Alternatives for Turkey Burgers
Many burger recipes, whether tuna, salmon, beef or ground turkey, call for bread crumbs (along with the egg) as a binder. Do you want a healthy turkey burger recipe without breadcrumbs? It’s do-able. However, if you simply leave out the crumbs and don’t use a bread crumb substitute you may find your burgers more likely to fall apart.
In addition, while bread crumbs are a dry ingredient, they absorb liquids and help keep your burgers more moist.
For the most flavorful burgers, use an Italian-seasoned bread crumb. If you use seasoned bread crumbs (Italian in particular), it enhances the taste. Unfortunately, most of the big brands with seasoned bread crumbs (Progresso, 4C and so on) are loaded with preservatives, additives and sugars like high fructose corn syrup.
I recently stumbled on a different brand of bread crumbs called Pope Italian seasoned. Their marketing pitch is “simple ingredients” and indeed looking at the label, it’s just wheat flour, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, parsley and Romano cheese.
If you’re a stickler for only using whole grains and you want to make this recipe even healthier, I have two great alternatives. One is to use crumbled Shredded Wheat. Yes, the cereal. It’s a great bread crumb hack because it has fewer calories, more fiber, more protein and it’s only one ingredient – 100% whole wheat.
When Shredded wheat is crumbled, 50g will equal approximately a half a cup. You can use a little more if you like, but be sure to account for the additional calories.
Oatmeal is another good bread crumb replacement option. Old Fashioned rolled oats works well, but you will be able to see the larger oat flakes in your burger. You can also use the quick oats (with the smaller flakes), and then they integrate into the burger even better.
Seasoning Your 99% Fat-Free Turkey Burgers
Season your burgers according to your tastes, but I recommend seasoning liberally because extra-lean ground turkey is not only naturally dry, it has a naturally mild flavor. For spices, add garlic powder, parsley flakes, pepper and a pinch of salt. Feel free to experiment with additional spices such as onion powder if you like.
To push the flavor over the top (and add even more moisture for a nice, juicy burger) we include horseradish mustard. Two tablespoons and you’re golden.
How To Grill Lean Turkey Burgers
I’ve always used indoor electric grills. I still own a contact grill and did a lot of grilling with the old George Foreman over the years. This is nice because it shortens your grilling time (top and bottom are cooking at the same time).
Lately though I’ve been using a Hamilton Beach Electric Indoor Searing Grill. The temp setting goes up to 450 F (sear). The typical recommended range on these types of grills is 400 to 450. I’ve used 425 with good results (nothing blackens or burns, I just get nice brown grill marks).
Regardless of the grill you’re using, use a thermometer to check for the optimal internal temperature of 165F. That’s when they’re done.
Macros And Nutrition Info
Each one of these burgers packs 31 grams of protein. With only 219 calories per patty, you could easily have two of these for a mega-high protein (62 g), low carb meal. (Add a veggie or salad on the side for a complete meal).
If you want a meal more balanced with carbs, serve one burger on a whole grain bun or between 2 slices of whole grain bread. If you like (I like!) top it with lettuce and tomato.
It’s only 390 calories – even with the bun and 3 Tbsp of honey mustard, as pictured on this page above.
Here’s the complete Macros for a TNT Burger on a bun with the lettuce, tomato and 3 Tbsp honey mustard sauce:
Calories: 390
Protein: 37g
Carbs: 49.8g
Fat: 6.3
Dijon Mustard Sauce Options (Including Home Made)
These burgers are tasty even without any sauce, especially if you add lettuce and tomato. But sauce adds flavor and more moisture.
Use any sauce you prefer – BBQ, ketchup, anything. But I think honey mustard goes great with this. Store bought brands like G Hughes sugar free are pretty good and have only 10 calories per tablespoon.
You could also make your own. For example, you could use my home made honey mustard sauce that we use in our honey mustard chicken skillet. Here’s the recipe:
Home made honey mustard sauce
3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp pure honey
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Enjoy This Classic Healthy Turkey Burger!
This healthy 99% fat free turkey burger recipe has been in the Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle recipe collection since 2014. If you’ve been around a while, you may have seen it before. But have you tried it yet?
These burgers have been a long-time favorite of Burn the Fat Inner Circle members, with 57,039 page views. It’s always voted in the top 10 favorite recipes by members. As of this writing this burger is ranked (by members) as the #3 recipe out of 330 recipes.
For such a low calorie, low fat meal, you can’t beat the flavor of the Tom Venuto Tasty Nutritious Turkey (TNT) Burger.
Enjoy!
-Tom Venuto, Author of, Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle
Author, The Burn The Fat Guide To Meal Prep For Fat Loss
Founder, Burn the Fat Inner Circle
To browse hundreds of Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle recipes, CLICK HERE (members only)
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Tom Venuto’s Tasty Nutritious Turkey (TNT) Burgers
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 454 g 99% fat free turkey breast (16 oz/1 lb)
- 1 Large whole egg
- 50 g Italian seasoned bread crumbs (1/2 cup)
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 2 tbsp horseradish mustard
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp parsley flakes (optional fresh parsley)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste
Instructions
- 1. Finely dice celery and onion and add to large mixing bowl
- 2. Add 454g (16oz) 99% fat free ground turkey to bowl
- 3. Add egg
- 4. Add horseradish mustard and soy sauce
- 5. Add 1/2 cup bread crumbs (or crumbled shredded wheat as whole grain bread crumb alternative)
- 6. Add seasonings: 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp of parsley flakes, a dash of pepper, and a dash of salt. Adjust seasoning amounts to suit your tastes
- 7. Mix ingredients thoroughly using your hands, then form into four patties
- 8. Grill for about 5 minutes per side (at 425 to 450/sear on indoor electric grill). With a George Foreman or another contract/clamshell grill, total time is only 5 minutes because both sides cook at the same time
Nutrition
About Tom Venuto
Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilding and fat loss expert. He is also a recipe creator specializing in fat-burning, muscle-building cooking. Tom is a former competitive bodybuilder and today works as a full-time fitness coach, writer, blogger, and author. In his spare time, he is an avid outdoor enthusiast and backpacker. His book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle is an international bestseller, first as an ebook and now as a hardcover and audiobook. The Body Fat Solution, Tom’s book about emotional eating and long-term weight maintenance, was an Oprah Magazine and Men’s Fitness Magazine pick. Tom is also the founder of Burn The Fat Inner Circle – a fitness support community with over 52,000 members worldwide since 2006. Click here for membership details
You’re reading my mind! I was planning on making these burgers for dinner tomorrow. They’re the best I’ve ever had and even my picky kid loves them. I usually skip the bun and have one with a green salad or veggies….the kid gets a bun.