This delicious turkey burger topped with stuffing and cranberry sauce is like Thanksgiving on a bun. Perfect for using up holiday leftovers!
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Happy Thanksgiving! After the Thanksgiving feast, I feel like there are two types of people: those who never want to see food again, and those who can’t wait for Thanksgiving dinner round two. If you fall into the latter category, and somehow still feel like cooking, then this month’s burger is perfect for you: The Thanksgiving Gobbler Turkey Burger.
One of my favorite meals around the holidays is actually a Thanksgiving gobbler sandwich. Some toasted sourdough bread, piled high with fresh turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce. All of my favorite Thanksgiving foods in one of the best forms. So of course, we had to use this idea for November’s Burger of the Month, a Thanksgiving gobbler turkey burger topped with leftovers from the holiday feast!
Thanksgiving Gobbler Turkey Burger Ingredients
The Thanksgiving Gobbler burger is basically like Thanksgiving on a bun! This month’s burger recipe features a turkey patty, piled high with leftover stuffing and cranberry sauce, and served on a soft potato bun slathered with mayo.
Here’s a full list of ingredients for making a Thanksgiving turkey burger with leftovers:
- Ground turkey – For the patty meat, following our classic burger patty recipe
- Potato buns – These super soft buns are reminiscent of dinner rolls often served at Thanksgiving
- Leftover stuffing – Even though it’s the best part of Thanksgiving dinner (in our opinion), there always seems to be leftover stuffing the next day
- Leftover cranberry sauce – You can’t have Thanksgiving on a bun without cranberry sauce
- Light mayo – This adds some extra moisture since turkey burgers can often taste dry
Although the only leftovers this recipe calls for are stuffing and cranberry sauce, in the spirit of leftovers you can use any Thanksgiving foods to create your own favorite turkey burger recipe! Here are a couple of ideas:
- Slather gravy over the top of your burger for a tasty condiment
- Spoon some mashed potatoes on top of the turkey patty or spread them on the bun
- Use leftover dinner rolls for your bun
- Throw some extra Thanksgiving turkey into the patty or use it as a topping (yes, even on top of the turkey burger patty!)
- Spread compound butter on the bun in place of mayo for added moisture
How To Make A Thanksgiving Turkey Burger
Since this Thanksgiving turkey burger is topped with leftovers and served on a basic potato bun, this recipe requires very little work. Always a plus for the days following Thanksgiving!
Here’s what you’ll need to do:
- Form the patties with ground turkey and seasonings, then cook them on the grill or a cast iron grill pan.
- Warm up the leftover stuffing in the microwave while the turkey burgers are on the grill.
- Assemble the burgers: Spread mayo on the bottom half of a potato bun, then transfer the cooked turkey burger to the bun. Top with as much leftover cranberry sauce and stuffing as you’d like, and serve hot!
Easy as pie. In fact, you can even serve these turkey burgers alongside a slice of leftover pumpkin pie for a complete Thanksgiving leftovers meal!
If you have never cooked a turkey burger before there are some things you should be aware of:
- Ground turkey is leaner and therefore dryer than ground beef. Adding some ketchup or Worcestershire sauce to the patty mixture will help give it some moisture.
- It is not safe to eat a turkey burger undercooked! Don’t treat these like ground beef burgers and serve a turkey burger medium-rare.
- Turkey burgers must be cooked until they’re at least 165°F throughout, or until no pink remains.
- Turkey doesn’t provide as much flavor as beef so don’t be afraid to go heavy on the seasonings and toppings!
Of course, no Thanksgiving meal is complete without a side of sweet potatoes. That’s why we cooked up some Alexia Sweet Potato Puffs in our trusty air fryer. To wash it all down, we poured a nice cold glass of red lager from a local LA brewery, LA Ale Works Dead Cowboy beer.
We hope this recipe inspires you to make your very own Thanksgiving Gobbler Turkey Burger with your favorite leftovers! Share your creations with us on Instagram by mentioning @candidcooksblog and tagging #thecandidcooks so we can see what you do with your Thanksgiving leftovers.
Cheers!
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Thanksgiving Gobbler Turkey Burger
Equipment
- Burger press optional
- Cast iron grill pan optional
Ingredients
The Patties
- 2 Classic Burger Patties* substitute ground turkey for ground beef
The Buns
- 2 potato buns
The Toppings
- Leftover cranberry sauce
- Leftover stuffing
- Mayonnaise
Instructions
How To Make The Thanksgiving Gobbler
- Prepare our Classic Burger Patties, using ground turkey in place of ground beef.
- Grill the turkey burgers to at least 165°F or until no pink remains.
- While the burgers are cooking, spread a thin layer of mayo on the bottom bun and heat up the leftover stuffing.
- Transfer cooked patties to the burger bun and top with as much stuffing and cranberry sauce as you want.
- Serve immediately with your favorite side, a cold beer, and enjoy!*
Notes
Nutrition
If you have any questions regarding the information presented in this post, please refer to our Nutrition Disclaimer here.
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