Skillet turkey burgers with sauerkraut are juicy, flavorful, and super simple to make. Lean ground turkey is mixed with shredded onions and topped with tangy sauerkraut and cheese. This flavorful burger recipe is easy to make, and is a recipe that the whole family will love; it's perfect for busy weeknights.
These juicy homemade turkey burgers are a great substitute for a Reuben sandwich. It has all of the flavors of a traditional Reuben sandwich, yet it's lighter. And when you use homemade sauerkraut, you will get all of the health benefits of fermented sauerkraut.
Recipe Highlights
- Skillet turkey burgers are made with simple ingredients
- Versatile! Cook the burger patties on the grill or in a skillet.
- It's a great recipe that is fast, easy and cooked on the stove top. flavors.
Here is what you will need
Ingredient List
- Olive Oil
- Ground turkey
- Onions
- Sea salt & black pepper (optional to season the burgers)
- Swiss Cheese
- Fermeted sauerkraut, here is my homemade recipe for sauerkraut
- Your favorite bread or hamburger buns
Equipment
- Cast-iron skillet, grill pan, or grill
- Hand grater - the best way to shred the onions
- Medium bowl
How to make this turkey burger recipe
Prepare the ingredients: Shred the onions with a box grater. Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Step 1. Combine the turkey and onions
Place the shredded onions into a bowl and add the ground turkey.
Step 2. Mix the onions and turkey together
Use a wooden spoon or your hands to combine the onions and turkey. Form the meat mixture into patties.
Step 4. Cook the burgers
Place the burgers into a heated frying pan and reduce to medium heat. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes and flip them over.
Step 5. Flip the burgers
Cook the burgers for 3 to 4 minutes longer. Check the temperature of the burgers at this point, it should be at least 150 degrees. Reduce the heat to medium-low heat.
Step 6. Top with sauerkraut and cheese
Place a scoop of sauerkraut and a slice of cheese on top of each burger. Cover skillet, and cook until the cheese melts and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees f.
Note: If the turkey is too fragile to form into burgers, place the meat into the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
The full list of ingredients to make these healthy turkey burgers is above. Below are notes about some of the ingredients, along with ideas for substitutes.
Turkey - You can use either ground turkey breast or a blend of dark and white meat. Ground turkey breast is the leanest cut, but the addition of the onions to the meat, not only adds flavor, but enough moisture so that the burger is not too dry.
Ground turkey can be substituted with an equal amount of ground beef or ground chicken.
Sauerkraut - If you don't have homemade sauerkraut on hand to make this recipe, look for sauerkraut that is fermented, and not the typical canned Sauerkraut that is on the supermarket shelves which has been pasteurized.
Fermented sauerkraut can usually be found in the refrigerator section of the supermarket. Fermented sauerkraut has more health benefits such as probiotics which are not in the pasteurized versions.
Onions - All-purpose yellow onion, sweet Vidalia onion or red onion are the best onions to use in this recipe. The recipe does not contain a lot of onions, but they add just the right flavor.
When the onions are shredded with a hand grater, they almost liquefy and add moisture and flavor to the burger.
If you don't have a hand grater, mince the onions as small as you can or chop them in a food processor.
Onions can be substituted with ¼ teaspoon of onion powder.
Tip! Try an instant-read thermometer for the quickest and best results for these burgers.
Serving suggestions
Serve these healthy turkey burgers with a little bit of dressing smeared on slices of rye bread or a bun.
These juicy turkey burgers also taste great with a side of spinach salad, buffalo cauliflower bites, and homemade zucchini pickles or sweet and spicy refrigerator pickles.
Make-Ahead Instructions
These delicious turkey burgers are easy to make ahead of time. Mix the ingredients for the burgers together, and form them into patties.
Store the turkey patties in the refrigerator for up to one day before cooking them.
You can also freeze these homemade burgers for up to three months. The easiest way to freeze turkey burgers is to place them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once they are frozen, remove the turkey burgers and place them in a freezer-safe container.
Cook the burgers from frozen or thaw them in the refrigerator overnight.
Burgers can be frozen raw or cooked.
How to Store Leftovers
Leftover turkey burgers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days in an airtight container.
Reheat leftover burgers in a skillet, oven, or microwave, and add the sauerkraut and cheese.
Homemade turkey burger variations
These flavorful turkey burgers are so versatile, you can change out ingredients for different flavors, here are some suggestions.
- Mushroom Lover Turkey Reuben burger - shred or dice 6 ounces of mushrooms and add them to the ground turkey and onions before making the burgers.
- Caramelized Onion Turkey Reuben - Add a spoonful of caramelized onions to the burgers with or without sauerkraut.
- Change up the cheese - instead of swiss cheese, replace it with cheddar cheese, provolone cheese, monterey jack cheese, mozzarella cheese or American cheese.
- Turkey Burgers with fresh herbs - add a tablespoon of chopped herbs to the turkey mixture such as fresh parsley, dill or rosemary.
Tips
- If the burgers seem fragile and are falling apart even after placing the meat in the refrigerator, try adding a few bread crumbs to the turkey mixture.
- Ground turkey can dry out quickly! Keep an eye on the temperature and don't overcook them. The internal temperature of a fully-cooked turkey burger should e 165 degrees
If you like this recipe, please comment and rate it below!
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Click on serving size to scale this recipe
Equipment
- cast iron skillet or heavy skillet or grill pan
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground turkey breast
- 2 tablespoons grated onion
- 4 tablespoons sauerkraut
- 4 thin slices organic swiss cheese
- 5 slices Rye bread or your favorite rolls
Instructions
- shred the onions using a hand grater or mince them with a knife and place them into a mixing bowl with the ground turkey.
- combine the onion and meat together and form into four ¼ pound patties
- pre-heat the oil in a pan over medium heat
- once the pan is hot, add the burgers to the pan and cook for about 7 minutes until they begin to turn brown
- flip them over and cook for three minutes, top with sauerkraut and cheese
- cover the pan and cook for about 5 minutes more until the cheese has melted and the internal temperature has reached 165
- Serve the burgers on toasted rye, or sourdough or your favorite burger roll
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and can vary based on cooking methods and ingredients used
Check out more of our turkey & chicken recipes here!
Wendy says
I love lightened up versions of family favorites. Thanks.
annelawton says
You are welcome Wendy!
Jolene says
Love the healthy spin on it. I've been trying to serve more ground turkey dishes to my family, and these look great!
anne says
Thanks Jolene!
Nichole L (Cookaholic Wife) says
I love that this is on top of a turkey burger. I'm not a huge fan of corned beef so this is totally the way I'd prefe rit.
anne says
Thanks Nichole!
palatablepastime says
I love anything with kraut- always have. So all these fermented recipes make me happy.
annelawton says
I can eat kraut right out of the jar!
carolinescookingblog says
Love this idea as both easier and healthier than corned beef.
annelawton says
Thank you!
Shelby says
The Reuben is my absolute favorite sandwich of all time! I would have to put a generous amount of thousand island dressing on mine too. 🙂
annelawton says
Thousand Island works too! I don't eat mayo though so I'm happy with mustard!
Karen says
What a great "healthy" take on a Reuben! This sounds delicious.
annelawton says
Thanks Karen!
Colleen says
Now, I can totally eat a Reuben every day for lunch without feeling guilty!!! Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck - Colleen
annelawton says
Thanks!
Carlee says
I love this idea! I shouldn't check stuff like this out when I'm hungry because now I'm craving a bite (or ten!)
annelawton says
I know how that feels carlee, I try to not looks at food pictures when I'm hungry!
Liz @ Books n' Cooks says
Sounds delicious. I never make reubens at home, but I need to. This recipe is perfect for shaking up my lunch game.
Susanne says
I love when comfort foods get a healthy twist! Yummo!
Amy Nash says
These burgers sound delicious! Love caraway seeds and saurkraut!
Ellen says
My burgers are so boring compared to this one. Looks fantastic.
Sam says
This burger sure is mouth watering! If I used some garlic with the turkey to make the patty do you think it was alter the flavor of the recipe too much? Thanks for sharing, I can't wait to make this at home!
anne says
Hi Sam! I would think a little bit of garlic would taste great with this! Enjoy!
paleoglutenfreeguy says
LOVE the idea of turning a reuben into a burger! That makes it so much easier for some reason. I can definitely do this for dinner without the bread. Thanks for the idea!
Jean says
Love turkey burgers and even better that you made it a reuben! Such a perfect spring/summer recipe.
anne says
Thanks Jean, and we love grilling!
linda spiker says
Loving all that fabulous cheese on top! What a great looking burger!
anne says
Thanks Linda
Cynthia | What A Girl Eats says
i love a good turkey burger and i love ruebens! win/win!
anne says
thank you Cynthia!
STACEY CRAWFORD says
Wow, such a great idea! I would never have thought to put sauerkraut and swiss on a turkey burger to make a Reuben burger. My hubby will love this on some rye buns!
Hope says
What a hearty sounding burger! Loving the sauerkraut and caraway seeds in there!