Do Turkey Burgers Cook Faster Than Beef Burgers?

Making burgers is a really fun activity plus you get to eat a delicious meal when they are done. So do turkey burgers cook faster than beef burgers? We’ll find out here in this post.

Beef burgers are a great source of protein and healthier fats. They are tasty and you can let anyone from kids to adults eat them and be sure that they will love it when they taste it.

Beef is the meat that is most commonly made as burgers. However, there are other options if you want another taste that goes well with vegetables and buns like turkey meat.

Turkey burgers are also great sources of protein. They also taste good with most burger dressings since they combine well with vegetables such as tomatoes and lettuce.

They also contain fewer fats which are beneficial for people who are trying to lose weight or to those who are getting in shape. It is healthier but somehow different when cooked.

What we mean by that is that it takes different temperatures and time for turkey burgers to cook compared to the classic beef burgers. This is because of the content of the meat in turkeys.

There is less fat so you do not need to keep them grilled when the meat is done. There is no need to marble the fats as you would not get that much from turkey meat.

So if you want to find out how long turkey burgers cook compared to beef burgers, stick around as we give you the different factors that differentiate the cooking time for beef and turkey burgers.

So Does Turkey Burger Cook Faster Than Beef Burgers?

Not necessarily. When cooked at the same temperature, beef burgers and turkey burgers can be cooked at almost the same longevity depending on the doneness of the meat.

So when you cook a turkey burger, the average time will take about 8 minutes. Beef burgers can cook within 7 to 10 minutes from medium-rare to well-done finishes.

One thing that makes turkey burgers seem like they cook faster is the fact that they can easily dry out when being cooked. So people often put them out of the flame when drying starts.

So you should know that when the turkey burgers start drying out, it is okay to let them stay in the heat for longer so that they can cook until it reaches the proper temperature.

You can brush some wet rubs or sauce on the turkey burgers if you really do not want the burgers to dry out while they are cooking, this will also add more flavor to the turkey burger.

What Temperature Should The Burgers Be Cooked At?

Different agencies require you to cook certain types of meat at particular temperatures. This is to make the meat healthier to eat and safe from bacteria and other harmful microorganisms.

Turkey burgers require to be cooked at 165 degrees Fahrenheit. You can measure the temperature of the burger by using a meat probe to get an accurate measurement.

Beef burgers require a lower 145 degrees Fahrenheit for the meat to be considered safe when cooked. As you can see, turkey burgers require more heat but they cook just as fast.

This is because of the fat content of the beef burgers. It prolongs the cooking process since you will need to properly cook the fats off so the meat will be tastier when it is cooked.

The fats also add moisture to the burgers so it takes longer periods of time for it to reach higher temperatures. 

Turkey burgers do not face that problem so they reach higher temperatures sooner.

How Do You Know When The Turkey Burgers Are Done Without A Thermometer?

If you do not have a meat probe to measure the internal temperature of the turkey burgers, there is a simple way to test whether it is done or not.

If you are unsure that the turkey burger is done, you can get them out of the grill and place them on a plate. Use a knife or a fork to pierce the center of the burgers.

Watch for the juices that the burgers secrete. If the juices are clear, then the burger is done but if the juices are a bit pink, you will need to cook them for a little bit longer.

This can be challenging with frozen turkey burger recipes. Ground turkey burgers that are used for homemade turkey recipes need to be thawed for them to cook properly, especially with thick cuts like turkey breasts.

If you are making feta turkey with feta cheese, make sure that you also prepare the cheese the night before cooking. The same goes with ground beef for other recipes.

Should The Meat Be Pink?

Depending on the doneness of the meat, pink meat should be nothing to worry about. This is another common misconception especially with meat that comes from poultry produce.

Beef burgers are naturally cooked with pink meat in the middle. This is good because if you cook beef further than that, it might make it a lot tougher than you would want it to be.

Turkey is a pretty risky type of meat when it comes to leaving some pink in the middle as it might not be healthier. There might be some harmful bacteria in the meat which need to be cooked further.

However, if the turkey burgers have reached the 165 degrees Fahrenheit requirement, then there is no need to worry about the pink part of the burger.

Measuring the temperature of turkey burgers should be done by inserting the meat probe in the middle of the burger. This will measure the coldest part of the burger and make sure it is safer. 

This way, you can be sure that even if the meat is still pink, as long as it has reached the recommended temperature, it will be safe to consume as the bacteria have been killed.

What Happens If You Eat An Undercooked Turkey Burger?

While it is safe to eat turkey burgers with pink centers, you still need to make sure that they are cooked properly as there are risks from eating undercooked turkey burgers.

If you cook turkey meat straight without grinding it, the outer parts can be cooked and the meat can be eaten even if the insides are not totally cooked.

This is safe because the pathogenic bacteria that settle in the meat are found only on the surface. They do not penetrate through the solid tissues of the meat.

But if you grind turkey meat to make burger patties, the outer skin and inner parts of the turkey are mixed together, making it unsafe to eat when the burger is undercooked.

Pathogenic bacteria can make you really sick. So you need to properly cook turkey burgers all the way through so the bacteria can be killed and the burger is safe to eat.

The Type Of Meat

Cooking burger patty will also depend on the type of meat that you use. This simply means that the part of the animal where the meat came from can make a difference in cooking it.

You should consider choosing the part of the animal to get the meat from when making the burgers. For beef, you can ask the butcher which part is best for making burgers.

It will usually be the part where there are a lot of fats in between the meat. This helps the burger be firm when it is shaped and it will not fall in between the grates of the grill when cooked.

Turkey will also be a good animal to find the proper meat for making burgers. You will be able to see the difference between the cooking time for a specific part of the turkey.

The legs and the drumstick will cook longer than the breast part. The breast has more lean meat in it which turns white quickly but needs to be cooked for longer for it to be safe to be eaten.

Some Tips in Cooking Turkey Burgers

There is no one perfect way to cook a burger patty. But we still stick to the classic grill when cooking burgers to get a smoky taste and for you to have more control over the temperature.

Keep The Lid Closed

So, once you have placed the turkey burger patty inside the grill, keep the lid closed so that the smoke and heat will not escape, keeping the burgers moist and with even heat.

Drastically changing the temperature inside the grill will only make the cooking process longer. So keep the lid closed and use a timer for when you will open the lid.

Do Not Move The Burgers Frequently

One mistake that beginners make is flipping the burgers too soon and too often. See, burgers are clumps of meat that are held together by the fats and moisture in them.

Moving them in the grill too soon will only result in crumbled meat. This is a common mistake and there is one simple solution to this problem.

One, use a timer and put it in 4 minutes, let it start once you put the turkey burger patty inside the grill and close the lid. Just let them cook for the entire 4 minutes before flipping them.

Give it another 4 minutes for the other side of the burger to cook and then take them off the heat once they are cooked. The time will also depend on the thickness of the patty.

Avoid Overcooking

Turkey meat is very easy meat to cook and they cook fast. This also makes them prone to being overcooked especially when you take your eyes off the timer.

So make sure that you keep track of the time or else you are going to be eating turkey burgers that are too dry and burned when they are exposed to flames for a long time.

Season The Burgers

Turkey meat is a very lean type of meat. This means that the insides of the burgers will be bland if you do not season them well.

So make sure that before you shape the burgers, season them properly. The meat of the burger will not be able to absorb too much seasoning so make sure that you do it all around the burger.

This is beneficial as well since you can alter the seasoning. You can add flavors to the burger such as barbecue sauce or some spice in it with chilis.

Calories

When it comes to nutrition, you need to make sure that the calories you eat can make up for what you do in a day. The calories in a turkey burger with bun is usually around 237 calories only.

That goes with other nutritional components that will make you healthier. Compare that to a beef burger with bun that has more calories of about 270.

These measiurements of nutritional values are based on burger with buns that are 100 grams only. So if you want to know hwat nutrition you get from a large quarter-pounderburger with bun, then it is usually around 400 calories.

Turkey burgers are good for weight loss as they contain a lot of protein. If you are looking for a good food that is good for weight loss and is still delicious, turkey burgers are great for that.

Beef burgers, on the other hand, while good for weight loss, still contain a lot of fats so they are not as good for weight loss as turkey burgers. They also have more calories so watch out for that.

If you really want a healthier recipe, you can make veggie burgers as there are a lot of vegan burger patties now that you can buy from different stores.

Conclusion

So the answer to your question is yes and no. We know that it is still confusing but it is true, turkey burgers do not necessarily cook faster than beef burgers but they also get there fast.

Turkey burgers reach the desired temperature for beef burgers faster. However, you need to go higher in order to make the meat of the turkey burger safe to eat.

They are lean so they dry out fast but that does not mean that turkey burgers cook faster too. So make sure that you measure the temperature with a meat probe.

Turkey burgers cook within the time frame for cooking beef burgers. So do not make the mistake of removing them from the grill when they start to dry out.

Just rub some sauce or seasoning on the turkey burgers and let them cook longer until they reach the desired consistency and temperature of the meat.

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