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Apple Turkey Burgers (With Sweetpotato)

Apple Turkey Burgers are the perfect combination of tasty and nutritious, filled with sliced apples and mashed sweetpotatoes! Turkey and apple burgers are ideal for throwing on the grill, enjoying al fresco, or for entertaining a crowd, and perfect for kids, toddlers and adults. 

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I’ve always been someone who enjoys a good burger on the grill, and these apple turkey burgers are an exceptional upgrade to your typical bbq food.

I thought of these one summer night when I was making a bbq turkey burger.

We use a lot of bbq sauce in our house (these maple bbq chickpeas are to die for, too)!

I’ve really found that doing a bit of prep and making food in advance is a life saver and these apple cheddar turkey burgers can be made, eaten and frozen if you desire.

If you’re not a grill person, try air fryer turkey burgers or air fryer bison burgers!

The hunger and fullness cues can be so off and on with motherhood.

Intuitive eating and motherhood can be challenging but totally doable, as long as I’m practicing gentle nutrition.

Having food premade always helps because part of the struggle with eating during pregnancy is lack of energy to actually make what I want!

I just need to make sure I work to tune in to the intuitive eating hunger scale.

Sweet potato turkey burgers on white plate, a perfect pre run meal

Each week, I’ve been meal prepping one breakfast (egg muffins or a peach baked oatmeal), some snacks (hard boiled eggs or gluten free strawberry muffins), and an easy dinner recipe.

Three recipes feels manageable for me right now and it gets us through a majority of the week, and the other nights are easy to put together quick meals.

I talk about this in my athlete meal prep post too – know what you have planned for the week so you can simplify meal prep.

I’ve been relying on this turkey burger recipe with apples for easy dinners because they are fun and customizable, like so many unique sweet potato recipes!

two apple cheddar turkey burgers with apple and cheese and buns on white plate

Plus, sweet potatoes and apples go so well together, like in this sheet pan pork chops and sweet potatoes recipe.

Furthermore, with apple and sweet potatoes, they’re great as a toddler burger recipe or kid friendly burger, too.

If you need more inspiration for sweet potato recipes for toddlers, I have plenty!

Apple Turkey Burger Ingredients

I know the addition of apple in a turkey burger may seem a little odd, but turkey burgers with apple are amazing and delicious.

We’ve also upped the nutrition with some sweet potatoes (inspired by my popular ground turkey sweet potato burgers) because they mold into burgers SO WELL. 

Here’s what you need.

  • apple – Grated apple adds a tinge of sweetness or tartness (depending on which variety you use), and a pleasant crunch. I love galas!
  • sweet potato – Easy to mold into burgers and adds a nice nice moistness and extra nutrients.
  • ground turkey – Can also substitute with ground chicken.
  • olive oil or butter
  • cheese – For topping. I love cheddar for these apple cheddar turkey burgers
  • spices – ground ginger, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, black pepper, sea salt.
  • BBQ sauce – optional, but recommended for a fun flavor.
  • buns – Use gluten free if necessary or omit the bun for a delicious gluten free turkey burger

Make sure to scroll down for the full recipe!

I’ve even made these into turkey and apple burgers sliders (aka smaller turkey burgers), more bite size, and they are the perfect appetizer for a crowd!

How To Make Turkey Apple Burgers

These healthy turkey and apple burgers will become a new weeknight favorite for you!

Choose what type of apple you’d like to use. I use gala every time because that’s my favorite but any kind will work. If you want more of a sour flavor, aim for granny smith apples.

Cook or microwave your sweet potato and let it cool. While it’s cooling, grate your apple into a medium-sized bowl. 

One of the best ways to cook your sweetpotato faster is in the microwave. Microwave for 5-7 minutes, or until soft inside. Then, separate flesh from the skin so it cooks faster.

I recommend grating the apple into small pieces (an inch or two wide), so they better mesh with the ground turkey and sweet potato.

Once the apples are grated, you’ll add the spices, mashed sweet potatoes and ground turkey to a medium bowl.

Mixing bowl with ingredients for easy sweet potato turkey burgers

Use your hands to shape the mixture into 5-6 medium-sized patties. 

Then, toss the patties onto the grill or a skillet over medium high heat. 

If you like toasted buns, you can also throw some buns in the oven for 3-5 minutes at 350 to get them crisp. 

Sweet potato turkey burgers on white plate, a perfect pre run meal

I also like to top my bbq turkey burger recipe with extra apple slices for crunch and flavor. 

Whether you make these in your home with a skillet (how I prefer if cooking on the stove) or out on the grill, I know you’ll love this bbq turkey burger recipe. 

As you can guess, these didn’t last long in our house and I’m sure they won’t in yours either.

Maybe make a double or triple batch and freeze some for later because these healthy turkey apple burgers freeze well. 

close up of apple turkey burger with melted cheese and apple on wheat bun

Can you freeze turkey burgers?

Yes, you can freeze these apple turkey burgers. To freeze, take the raw ground turkey mixture and individually wrap the patties and place them in a large freezer-safe container or ziplock bag (these are my favorite freezer ziplock bags).

Then, when ready to cook them, let them thaw in the fridge overnight and then toss them on the grill or stove. 

Can you freeze cooked turkey burgers?

To freeze cooked burgers, make sure to let them cool completely. Then, either wrap them individually or place them in the freezer-safe ziplock bag. When reheating them, pop them in the microwave for a few minutes and they’ll be ready to go. They may be a little mushy, so you could also toast them in a toaster oven if you prefer them to be firmer. 

If you want another creative apple recipe, give this apple potato bread and baked apple oats a try! Or these high protein overnight oats.

closeup of sweet potato turkey and apple burger in bun

What to Pair With Turkey and Apple Burgers

Yield: 6

Apple Turkey Burgers

BBQ Apple Sweet Potato Burgers | Burger Recipes

These Turkey Apple Burgers are the perfect combination of tasty and nutritious, filled with fruits and vegetables! They are ideal for throwing on the grill, enjoying al fresco, or for entertaining a crowd, and perfect for kids, toddlers and adults. 

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 apples (I used gala)
  • 1/8 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 6 whole wheat buns
  • 6 slices cheddar cheese
  • dash sea salt
  • 1/4 cup BBQ sauce
  • sage/rosemary, to top

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Cut 1 apple in half. Grate apple into medium sized bowl. Add spices, mashed sweet potatoes and ground turkey. Shape mixture into 5-6 medium size patties.
  3. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add burgers to pan and cook through, about 4-5 minutes per side.
  4. While burgers are cooking, toast bun about 3-5 minutes in oven (optional)
  5. Cut remaining apple into slices to top turkey burger (optional). Top with bbq sauce and sliced cheese.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 587Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 108mgSodium: 648mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 6gSugar: 16gProtein: 33g

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  1. Oh man these look deliiicccciiooouusss. So perfect for a hot day, outdoor barbecue. And now I’m craving both these things.

    I feel warned about this “American” cheese thing you speak of. But I’m also now very curious…

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