Introduction

I have a confession to make. I’ve never been able to cook on the grill. That’s not because I’m unskilled in the kitchen; it’s because whenever I try, my burgers always turn out dry and overcooked. To be honest, though, I wasn’t sure if it was my fault or just that grilling is hard. And then one day, while preparing dinner for myself and two friends who were visiting from out of town—all three of whom are professional chefs—I decided it was time to find out once and for all what was going wrong with my burgers on the grill. We were having turkey burgers that night, so I grabbed some ground turkey from the fridge (you can use any kind of ground meat), made three patties with different cooking times in mind (medium rare 8 minutes per side; medium 10 minutes per side; well done 10-12 minutes per side), placed them on the grill…and watched as they burned!

Preheat the grill.

Turn on the grill and preheat it to medium-high heat (about 500 degrees F). Use a thermometer to check the temperature, making sure that it’s at least 500 degrees F before you put anything on the grill.

Turn the burgers.

• Use a spatula to flip the burgers.
• Make sure you use a spatula that is big enough to flip the burgers; otherwise, they may fall apart as you try to move them.
• Be careful not to spill any juices on the grill when turning your turkey burgers; this could cause flare-ups and make it difficult for you to see what’s going on in front of you.

Check for doneness.

When you’re ready to check for doneness, use a meat thermometer. The USDA recommends that turkey burgers be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F (71 C) if you want them medium rare, and 170 degrees F (76 C) if you want them well done.

If the internal temperature is not at least 160 degrees F (71 C), return the patties directly over high heat for 1-2 minutes per side until they reach this temperature–but no more than 4 minutes total cooking time per side; otherwise, your turkey burgers will dry out and start to shrink away from their buns!

For a medium-done burger, cook it for 8 minutes on each side; 10 minutes per side for well done.

For a medium-done burger, cook it for 8 minutes on each side; 10 minutes per side for well done.

The best way to tell if your turkey burger is done is to use an instant-read thermometer. Insert the thermometer into the center of the patty and wait until it reads 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 Celsius).

Conclusion

It’s easy to cook turkey burgers on the grill! Just remember to preheat it, turn the burgers every couple minutes and check for doneness. For a medium-done burger, cook it for 8 minutes on each side; 10 minutes per side for well done.