This cheesy turkey burger with ranch is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Add ranch dressing with pickle juice for even more flavor.
Warm weather calls for ALL the easy dinner recipes. Whether it’s no-cook sandwiches like these cream cheese slider sandwiches or quick stovetop recipes like this ground beef stroganoff summer is not the time to be cooking a 4-course meal in the oven, it’s just not.
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This Mitten Movie Night I am sharing a burger that I came up with a few summers ago, an easy cheesy turkey burger smothered in ranch dressing with pickle juice. It’s cooked in a cast-iron pan in less than 10 minutes.
What movie pairs well with easy turkey burgers?
We are heading outside and setting up our outdoor movie screen and projector. We only really get to do this a few times a year depending on when the sun goes down, and what the mosquito situation is. While it sounds fun in theory, we usually have this set up in our basement and skip the outdoors.
What beer pairs well with a cheesy turkey burger with ranch?
The beer: Beach, please! from Pigeon Hill Brewing.
The tagline on this beer is, ‘A refreshing summer ale crafted for Pure Michigan summers.’ It is light, crisp, refreshing, and a perfectly drinkable summer beer.
Ingredients
These moist pan-fried turkey burgers have-
- Ground turkey really lets the flavor shine in the seasonings and ranch dressing topping.
- Turkey burger seasonings include Worcestershire sauce, parsley flakes, garlic cloves, and grated onion for moisture.
- Shredded Colby jack cheese.
- A dill pickle ranch sauce made with dry ranch dressing mix seasoning (a popular brand is Hidden Valley), pickle juice, sour cream, and mayonnaise.
How to make these ranch turkey burgers recipe step-by-step
For the burger, mix everything together in a bowl and make 4 patties.
The seasoning I use for this turkey burger is parsley flakes, minced garlic cloves, Worcestershire sauce, and grated onion which adds moisture to the burger.
Add the oil and butter to a cast-iron pan and turn the stove to medium heat. Let the butter melt and the skillet heats up.
I love to cook my burgers in a cast-iron skillet, but a regular skillet will work just as well.
Once the pan is heated, add the burgers making sure not to let them touch. Cook for 5 minutes, then flip and cook another 5 minutes.
What temperature should a
a ground turkey burger be cooked to?
After the turkey burger has been cooked on each side, check that the internal temperature is at least 165° F.
Recently I made these Crispy Dill Chicken Sandwiches from Yellow Bliss Road. The dress was so good! The secret ingredient was dill pickle juice added to a ranch dressing base. I knew it would go great on this burger too.
In a small dish combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, ranch, and pickle juice.
Since the burgers are so crispy I did not toast the buns like I normally love to do.
Tips & Variations
- Add slices of cooked bacon on top of the burger.
- The buns that I like best for turkey burgers are brioche, potato, or plain white.
How can I keep my turkey burgers from becoming dry?
The key to juicy burgers is keeping moisture in them. This recipe has grated onion which adds both moisture and flavor.
Can I replace the turkey with ground chicken?
Yes. The recipe and cooking directions will stay the same.
Storage
Add any leftover burgers in the buns to a covered container. Place any remaining dressing in a separate covered container. Reheat the burgers in the microwave or oven.
These turkey burgers can be made ahead of time and frozen for up to 3 months. Use freezer paper in between the patties and place them in a freezer bag. Thaw the burgers in the refrigerator for 24 hours before cooking. Follow the basic cooking directions.
More burger recipes
Slice up some tomatoes and add, then some pickles too. Slather on the ranch dressing.
And here you are…
From our home in the Bottom Left of the Mitten to yours ~ Enjoy!
Cheesy Turkey Burger with Ranch
Equipment
- cast iron pan
- grater for grating the onion
- spatula
- small bowl
Ingredients
Cheesy Turkey Burger
- 4 buns
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup shredded Colby jack cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon grated onion
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon oil
Ranch Dressing with Dill Pickle Juice
- 2 teaspoon dry ranch seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dill pickle juice
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- sliced tomato & pickles for garnish
Instructions
- For the burgers, mix everything together in a bowl and separate it into 4 patties.1 pound ground turkey, 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup shredded Colby jack cheese, 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce, 1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon grated onion
- Add the oil and butter to a cast-iron pan and turn the stove to medium heat. Let the butter melt, and the skillet heat up. Once the pan is heated, add the burgers making sure not to let them touch.2 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon oil
- Cook 5 minutes, then flip and cook another 5 minutes. Make sure the internal temperature is 165 degrees.
- For the homemade dill pickle ranch, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, ranch powder, and pickle juice.2 teaspoon dry ranch seasoning, 1 teaspoon dill pickle juice, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- Add burger to a bun. Slice up some tomato and top with pickles. Slather on the ranch. Enjoy!4 buns, sliced tomato & pickles for garnish
Video
Notes
Tips for making this recipe:
- Make sure the temperature of the turkey burger is 165 degrees at the thickest part of the burger.
- Some people do not like ground turkey but you can easily switch it out for ground chicken in this recipe.
- If you do not have a grater to grate the onion, add a small amount of milk to the recipe to replace the moisture from the grated onion.
- Make sure the temperature of the turkey burger is 165 degrees at the thickest part of the burger.
- To store: add the burgers and sauce into separate covered containers. Reheat in the microwave or air fryer and top with ranch. Eat within 3 days.
Originally published in August of 2017. Updated post in July of 2021 with new photos, and the same great recipe.
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Last Updated on March 15, 2023 by Erin@BottomLeftoftheMitten
Talk about flavor central!! These turkey burgers sound and look AMMAZING. Mail one over?
I sure can. Thank you Dominique!
Yum! I love turkey burgers, but they sometimes lack flavor. Not these! They sound great! I’m going to try this out on my son.
Thank you Cheryl! I hope he loves them as much as my boys do.
the recipe looks amazing. I love it.
Thank you so much! I appreciate it.
We are big on turkey burgers too! So many amazing flavors in this batch. Bet they tasted absolutely delish.
Yes, nothing bland about these burgers! Thank you so much and have a great weekend.
I had a chicken sandwich with a similar ranch sauce on it, and it was delicious, so I know this will be wonderful, too. I can’t wait to try this. I already have turkey burgers in the freezer.
This would be great on chicken too! Thank you Patti.
Burger looks so yummy! I would love to try this recipe.
I really hope you enjoy it if you do try it! Thank you.
I am a vegetarian, but I bet these seasonings would taste great with the veggie burgers I like to make!
I bet they would. I do love veggie & bean burgers, seems like I don’t miss the meat at all. So satisfying.
These sound super flavorful and delicious! Fall is my favorite season, too, and it sounds like you are doing it right. 🙂 Happy birthday weekend!
Thank you so much Monica! Enjoy Fall :’)
Ranch makes EVERYTHING better, doesn’t it? So does cheese. These burgers look awesome!
I agree-Ranch & Cheese are always good, anytime.
I love turkey burgers, but with ranch, too? YUM!
Thank you Abby!! Hope you try it soon, so good.
That’s always the issue with turkey burgers – making sure they’re moist and flavorful. Sounds like you solved that!
And I agree about the cast iron pan…
You really can’t beat a birthday burger and yours sounds very tasty! I hope you enjoyed your day 🙂
Thank you very much, it was wonderful!
These look SO delicious! Would love to try them out soon!
Hope you enjoy them Christine! Thank you.
Mmm…a turkey burger with ranch sounds PERFECT right now. You may just have inspired me to run to the grocery store…
Thank you Jessica! Ranch does make everything better.
Did you use seasoned bread crumbs like Italian or plain? Can’t wait to make them!
I use plain breadcrumbs. I hope you enjoy them, Mary!