Turkey Bruschetta Burgers are a great way to turn the classic Italian appetizer into dinner! Juicy turkey burgers are topped with burrata, a tomato basil salad and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
This recipe and photos have been updated since the original post on 5/3/2015
What Is Bruschetta?
Bruschetta is grilled bread that been rubbed with garlic and topped with olive oil and sea salt. It originated in Italy and may include toppings such as tomatoes, beans, vegetables, cheese, or cured meat.
Ingredients For Turkey Bruschetta Burgers
Ground Turkey – Skip the 99% lean ground turkey and opt for one with a little more fat. This will help keep the burgers from drying out and give them more flavor.
Basil – Fresh basil is highly recommended for this recipe. It’s used in both the burgers and the tomato basil topping.
Dried basil, garlic powder, red pepper flakes – All of these dried spices are used in the burger mix. If you prefer to use all fresh basil, up the amount from 1 to 2 tablespoons in the burgers.
Balsamic Vinegar – Tangy, tart, and a little sweet. Tastes amazing when paired with sweet tomatoes. Look for a good quality balsamic vinegar since you will be using it uncooked in the tomato basil salad.
Tomatoes – Roma tomatoes are what I used, but cherry, grape, or campari tomatoes would all work great too. Be sure to scoop out the seeds and juices so that the tomato basil topping isn’t too soupy.
Garlic – Depending on how much you like raw garlic you may want to increase or decrease the amount. It can also be replaced with garlic powder.
Olive Oil – Use in the tomato basil salad. Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor.
Burrata – I used burrata cheese for that creamy, luscious interior. It melts beautifully on top of the turkey burgers.
Buns – Since these are bruschetta burgers it only makes sense to grill or toast the buns. You can even rub them with a halved clove of garlic and drizzle them with olive oil after they’ve been grilled for the full affect.
How To Make Them
In a large bowl combine the turkey, dried spices, salt and pepper, balsamic vinegar, and chopped basil. Use your hands to mix everything together, but be careful not to over mix it or the burgers will be tough.
Form the meat mixture into 4 patties. Place the patties onto a plate or sheet pan sprayed with cooking spray. Spraying with oil will make it easier to remove the meat from the plate when you’re ready to grill.
I also recommend refrigerating the turkey patties for 10-15 minutes before grilling. This will help them firm up and less likely to fall apart.
While the grill pre-heats, make the tomato basil salad to go on top of the turkey burgers. Halve the tomatoes and scoop out the seeds. Dice the remaining tomato and put it in a bowl.
Add in grated garlic, chopped basil, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and a good amount of salt and pepper. Tomatoes generally need a good amount of salt. It helps bring out their sweetness and tomato flavor.
Set the tomato basil topping aside while you grill the burgers. The turkey burgers need to be cooked to 165° F. This may take anywhere from 8-12 minutes total depending on the thickness of the patties.
During the last couple minutes of grilling, add the burrata cheese to the top of the burger and place the buns on the grates.
Add the turkey burgers onto the buns and top them with some of the tomato basil salad and then drizzle with balsamic glaze.
How To Make Juicy Turkey Burgers
- Don’t use 99% lean ground turkey. Instead, stick with either 93/7 or 85/15. Fat is a key component in keeping the burgers from drying out.
- Add additional fat in the form of olive oil or avocado oil. You could also use pesto, which would be a great addition to these bruschetta burgers.
- Add sautéed vegetables such as onion or zucchini. You can also add them in raw, but I recommend grating them if you do this.
- Don’t over cook your turkey burgers. The best way to ensure that they are perfectly cooked is to use a meat thermometer. The internal temperature should be 165° F.
More Turkey Burger Recipes
Turkey Bruschetta Burgers
Ingredients
Turkey Burgers
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (I used about 3/4 teaspoon salt)
Bruschetta
- 2 cup diced tomatoes, seeds and most of juice removed
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 1 clove garlic, grated or minced
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Other Ingredients
- 2 ounces burrata cheese or fresh mozzarella (optional)
- Balsamic glaze
- 4 buns, toasted
Instructions
Bruschetta
- Add all of the ingredients for the bruschetta into a bowl and toss together. Taste for seasoning and set aside until ready to use.
Turkey Burgers
- Pre-heat grill to medium-high heat. Clean the grill grates and brush or spray them with oil.
- In a large bowl combine all of the ingredients for the turkey burgers with your hands, careful not to overwork the meat. Form the meat mixture into 4 patties.
- Grill the burgers on each side for about 4-5 minutes or until they're cooked through. During the last couple minutes of grilling arrange the burrata on top of the burgers. Place the buns onto the grill grates to get toasted while the burrata melts.
- Place the turkey burgers onto the toasted buns and top with some of the bruschetta. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 401Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 118mgSodium: 785mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 2gSugar: 15gProtein: 34g
Just made this recipe; super easy, super quick, and most importantly super tasty!! Thanks so mush for sharing!
Thanks for trying the recipe Alex!
Great pictures! Neighbors are just neighbors – glad you got out there when the lightening is good. Can’t wait to try your burger. I love anything with bruschetta. Perfect summer food and cutting down the calories a tad but elminating the top bun but then again that just gets in the way of those toppings with that awesome looking balsamic glaze. p.s. Found your website while on another blog, Buns in My Oven.
Thanks Stephanie! Eliminating the top bun is definitely better for the waistline, but more importantly you get more toppings! Thanks for checking out my blog!
The images of these burgers have me seriously drooling! I’ve actually never made an open faced burger before for some reason and you have inspired me too here Danae!
Thanks Thalia! Open faced burgers are great, more room for toppings!
Open faced burgers are the best! I love that the turkey burgers are piled high with bruschetta and served over a big piece of cheese toast!
I love open faced burgers are my favorite! I’m all about the toppings less about the bun. :-)
I love love LOVE this turkey burger, Danae! Beautiful photos, too!
Thanks so much Julie, you’re so sweet!
This sounds and looks delicious!! And yay for your new farmers market. We don’t have one down here, so I have to deal with Whole Foods and Trader Joes veggies and fruits. Not the same, but whats a girl to do. Love how fresh and light these burgers look. ;)
Thanks Cyndi! I hope you guys get a farmers market near you, they are the best!
seriously, even the tomatoes at Whole Foods are gross – that is until they get in the fresh heirlooms – but man this burger looks to die for
It’s so disappointing that even WF has gross tomatoes too and you’re paying twice as much! I totally agree on the heirlooms, those are a whole different story. I think I’ll just stick to the farmers markets and my garden this summer to be same!
This is such a fun take on a turkey burger! Pinned! So creative!
And yay for the farmers markets opening. I lovee my local market. We go every week!
Thanks Mariah! I can’t get enough of the farmers markets this time of year!
My farmers market opened today too! It was so nice! And I agree – I never buy tomatoes during “off” season unless they are cherry or grape. For some reason, those always seem to be ok. I just love this recipe. So creative and I’m pretty much salivating over my computer here.
Thanks Liz! Do I need to get you a napkin? ;-)