How to keep my turkey burgers from crumbling
I combined a pound of lean ground turkey with 3/4 cup each of chopped red onion and medium salsa. It was delicious, but it was also pretty crumbly, is there something I can do to make it hold together better without increasing fat content too much?
Best Answer
Ground turkey is usually very wet, I've found that breadcrumbs bind it together well without using egg. I prefer panko breadcrumbs for this, their large size seems to work better.
Adding salsa isn't likely to help you much, the added liquid is going to make it hard to get it to stay together. If you want the flavor of salsa then try adding dry spices and tomato paste instead, those will absorb moisture rather than contribute it. I like a combination of paprika, cumin, and ground sage in my turkey burgers.
Also, I've found that cooking the onions a bit before adding them to turkey burgers gives better result because it drives out some of the moisture and makes them a bit more tender in the cooked burger.
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How do you keep burgers from crumbling?
Let the patty cool in the refrigerator. If you make your patties beforehand, freeze them up. However, shift them into the fridge 20 minutes before use. If you do not cool your meat altogether, it will be incapable of handling the heat from the flame, causing it to crumble.Why does ground turkey fall apart?
Ground turkey can fall apart while making a burger shape or cooking. Prevent this from happening by adding a type of filler. Fillers help the meat stick together without adding much flavor. The amount of texture the filler adds depends on what you use.Why is my turkey burger mushy?
The bread is likely to blame in mushy turkey meatloaf If you notice this happens to your own ground turkey meatloaf, it's likely because you're using fresh bread instead of breadcrumbs, Chowhound chefs say.Why are my homemade burgers falling apart?
When you're making your burgers, try not to manhandle them too much or else you'll end up breaking the meat into smaller pieces than you have to. We recommend simply shaping the beef into a vague burger shape with the least amount handling as possible.How to stop your turkey burgers from falling apart
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