These Cranberry Turkey Burgers are my favorite burgers to make around Thanksgiving and Christmas. They’re made with ground turkey, grated apple, and fresh herbs. Top them with melted brie or Havarti cheese and homemade cranberry sauce for a festive weeknight dinner.

These turkey burgers are my favorite way to use up leftover cranberry sauce. They’re healthy, quick, and easy to make. You could even use canned cranberry sauce if you want to save time.

I usually freeze my homemade cranberry sauce (if there is any leftovers) so I can make these delicious turkey burgers year-round.

Ground turkey burgers seem to get a bad wrap because they can be dry or taste bland. These Cranberry Turkey Burgers are absolutely amazing.

They’re juicy and moist, thanks to the apple and onion. Plus, they taste incredible. With fresh herbs like parsley, rosemary, and thyme, these burgers have the perfect flavor combination.

Table of Contents

Cranberry Turkey Burger Ingredients

Apple: I use a small peeled and grated apple for this recipe. You’ll need ¼ cup of grated apple to make these burgers.

Ground turkey: I use extra lean ground turkey since that’s the easiest to find at my local grocery store. You can use ground chicken if you prefer.

Panko breadcrumbs: This acts as a binder for the burger to help improve the patty structure and retain moisture. You can use regular breadcrumbs if you prefer.

Egg: You just need 1 egg to help bind and hold the patties together.

Onion: You can use yellow or red onion. I like to finely dice the onion so it blends easily into the burger patty.

Celery: Crunchy celery gives these burgers good texture and flavor.

Parsley: Fresh chopped parsley gives the turkey burger a pop of color and good flavor.

Garlic: I like adding fresh garlic for flavor. You can use ¼ – ½ teaspoon of garlic powder if you prefer.

Salt, black pepper, and ground sage: Salt and black pepper help enhance the flavors in this burger recipe. Sage is a popular herb at Thanksgiving and Christmas to season turkey or stuffing.

Fresh rosemary and thyme: These are traditional herbs to season turkey with at Thanksgiving or Christmas. They give these turkey burgers so much flavor.

Toppings: I like to serve these turkey burgers with melted brie or Havarti cheese on a brioche bun with mayonnaise, cranberry sauce, lettuce, and thinly sliced red onion.

How to make Cranberry Turkey Burgers

Make the turkey burger patties: Use the large holes on a box grater to grate the apple.

Spoon the grated apple into a cheesecloth, kitchen towel, paper towel, or fine mesh strainer. Squeeze out all the excess liquid from the apple directly over the kitchen sink.

Measure out ¼ cup of the grated apple and add it to a large mixing bowl, along with the ground turkey, panko breadcrumbs, egg, diced onion, diced celery, chopped parsley, minced garlic, kosher salt, black pepper, ground sage, chopped rosemary, and chopped thyme.

Mix until everything is just combined. Avoid overworking the mixture, otherwise this can create tough and dense burgers.

Use your hands to form 4 or 5 evenly sized burger patties. They should be a little larger than your hamburger bun as they will shrink slightly when cooking.

Preheat your grill or heat a large skillet over medium heat. If you’re using a skillet, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil or lightly spray with cooking oil.

When the grill or skillet is hot, add the patties and cook for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reads 165°F. Top each burger with the cheese as soon as you flip so it will melt while the burger finishes cooking.

Assemble the turkey burgers: To serve, slather the base of your toasted bun with mayonnaise. Add the cooked turkey burger patty, and top with cranberry sauce, baby arugula or lettuce, and thinly sliced red onion. Enjoy!

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions

To make ahead: You can make the raw turkey burger patties up to 1 day in advance. Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and cover it with plastic wrap in the fridge. Or you can layer them with parchment paper and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

To freeze: Freeze raw turkey burger patties on a baking sheet until firm. Then layer turkey burgers with parchment paper in a freezer-safe bag or container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can cook the patties from frozen or let them thaw in the fridge overnight.

Please let me know how you like this Cranberry Turkey Burger recipe in the comments below! Your feedback and review encourages me to keep creating new and yummy recipes. I hope you love these turkey burgers as much as I do.