Ground Turkey Sliders are the ultimate solution for an easy everyday meal, game day, or burger night. These delicious mini burgers take 30 minutes to make from start to finish, making this an easy recipe for weeknights or a crowd-pleasing appetizer at your next party.
One thing about ground turkey is that a little bit of sweetness is a perfect complement to this lean meat, and that's why barbecue sauce is my preferred sauce here.
My smash burger sauce recipe is our family's special sauce. It is also sweet with a bit of tang and goes well with these delicious burgers as well as with my beefy Tex-Mex burgers.
Let's talk buns! We can't forget the mini burger buns, as they play an important role in the overall flavor of the burger. I used brioche-style buns, which are fluffy, sweet, and tender with a beautiful golden crust. They make the burger more gourmet and fancy, and I love to buy these when I can find them. Sweet Hawaiian rolls are readily available and make a good stand-in if brioche-style buns are hard to find.
Another thing I love about this recipe is that the burgers are baked! That means no dirty stove top; less mess equals less clean up, and that's always a slam dunk and a clear win for me!
If you like quick recipes, then you'll enjoy my recipe for egg roll bowls or my recipe for fried salmon nuggets.
We love to eat these healthy ground turkey, protein-packed sliders with a side of (albeit less healthy) sweet potato fries, onion rings, or, my favorite, potato chips 😃
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Ingredients
Here is a summary of the ingredients you'll need to make these mini turkey burgers:
Ingredient Notes
- I've used barbecue sauce, red onion, and Monterey Jack cheese as toppings, but feel free to use your favorite toppings.
See the recipe card below for all the ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions
- Substitute lean turkey for the extra-lean ground turkey.
- Ground chicken is a good substitute for the turkey.
- Panko or seasoned breadcrumbs work well in place of the plain breadcrumbs.
- I've used brioche-style buns (a sweet bun), but Hawaiian sweet rolls are a perfect substitution.
Variations
- Instead of Monterey Jack cheese, try mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, or gouda cheese.
- The spice mixture in this recipe works well with beef, too, if you are in the mood for beef burgers.
- If you'd like to give your turkey burgers a Tex-Mex vibe, try my recipe for chicken taco seasoning instead of the seasoning blend listed in the recipe card below.
How to Make Ground Turkey Sliders
Step-by-step-Instructions
These juicy turkey burgers make a quick weeknight dinner from start to finish in 30 minutes.
Step 1: Heat oven. Adjust one oven rack to the middle of the oven and the second oven rack to the bottom, and heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 2: Prepare baking sheets. You will need two baking sheets. Line one sheet with parchment paper (for the meat so it doesn't stick), and the other will be for the buns.
Step 3: Season ground turkey. Combine the ground turkey, breadcrumbs, spices, and salt in a medium bowl.
Step 4: Form burgers. Divide the meat into eight equal-sized patties (about 2.3 ounces each). Form each portion into a ball and flatten it with the palm of your hand so that it measures 3 inches wide and is about ½ inch thick. Place on the parchment paper.
Step 5: Bake. Bake in the middle of the oven for 10-12 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit when measured with a meat thermometer.
Step 6: Toast Buns. Meanwhile, separate the buns and lay them cut side up on the other baking sheet. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 5 minutes, keeping an eye on them so they don't burn. Tip: Add the buns to the oven when there are 5 minutes left to the total cooking time of the burgers. That way, everything comes out of the oven at the same time.
Step 7: Serve. When the burgers come out of the oven, lay a slice of cheese on top of the hot burger, add the barbecue sauce and onions (or condiments of choice), and serve with potato chips, onion rings, or sweet potato fries 😋
Secret for Success
- Use a meat thermometer to test the internal temperature of the mini burgers. Turkey is cooked to a food-safe temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Storage
Store leftover ground turkey sliders in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. It is best to store the meat together, separate from the buns.
Make Ahead
The turkey burger patties can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until ready to cook (preferably within the same day).
Reheating
The easiest method to reheat the turkey patties is in the microwave at 80% power for 1-2 minutes, depending on the power of your microwave.
Recipe FAQs
It's worth noting that turkey is lower in saturated fat compared to ground beef, and that would be important to know if you are keeping tabs on your saturated fat intake.
Breadcrumbs work to bind the turkey meat together and absorb excess moisture, giving the burgers shape and stability.
One of the best tools to have in your kitchen is a meat thermometer. Cooking the turkey until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit will ensure a food-safe, fully-cooked burger. If the burger cooks too long, the internal temperature will be higher, and the chances that the burger will be overcooked and dry will be higher, too.
Recipe
Ground Turkey Burger Sliders (Easy 30-minute Recipe)
Equipment
- 2 baking sheets
- parchment paper
- medium bowl
- measuring cups and spoons
- spatula
- meat thermometer
Ingredients
Turkey Sliders
- 1 pound extra-lean ground turkey
- ½ cup plain breadcrumbs
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 8 mini burger buns, brioche-style or Hawaiian sweet rolls
Condiments
- 2 slices Monterey Jack cheese (3-inch by 3-inch slices), each slice cut into quarters
- ½ cup barbecue sauce, homemade or store-bought
- ½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Step 1: Heat oven. Adjust one oven rack to the middle of the oven and the second oven rack to the bottom, and heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Step 2: Prepare baking sheets. You will need two baking sheets. Line one sheet with parchment paper (for the meat so it doesn't stick), and the other will be for the buns.
- Step 3: Season ground turkey. Combine the ground turkey, breadcrumbs, spices, and salt in a medium bowl.1 pound extra-lean ground turkey, ½ cup plain breadcrumbs, 2 teaspoons sweet paprika, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Step 4: Form burgers. Divide the meat into eight equal-sized patties (about 2.3 ounces each). Form each portion into a ball and flatten it with the palm of your hand so that it measures 3 inches wide and is about ½ inch thick. Place on the parchment paper.
- Step 5: Bake. Bake in the middle of the oven for 10-12 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit when measured with a meat thermometer.
- Step 6: Toast Buns. Meanwhile, separate the buns and lay them cut side up on the other baking sheet. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 5 minutes, keeping an eye on them so they don't burn. Tip: Add the buns to the oven when there are 5 minutes left to the total cooking time of the burgers. That way, everything comes out of the oven at the same time.8 mini burger buns
- Step 7: Serve. When the burgers come out of the oven, lay a slice of cheese on top of the hot burger, add the barbecue sauce and onions (or condiments of choice), and serve with potato chips, onion rings, or sweet potato fries 😋2 slices Monterey Jack cheese (3-inch by 3-inch slices), ½ cup barbecue sauce, ½ cup red onion
penny lowden says
These were delicious. And so easy! I doubled the recipe, added an egg, and shaped into 12 small patties because I had a 12 pack of slider buns. Everyone loved them. Great flavor! Thanks for a great recipe!
Donna Poirier says
I'm so happy you enjoyed them Penny, and thanks for sharing 🙂
Cindy says
These look delicious! Another good recipe Donna.
Donna Poirier says
Thanks Cindy 😋