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Whole30 turkey burgers on a white platter and on lettuce cups on a white plate topped with mayo, pickled red onions and chopped basil
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5 from 5 votes

Italian Turkey Burgers (Paleo, Whole30, keto)

These Italian Turkey Burgers are a fun and easy dinner! Olives, sun-dried tomatoes and dark meat turkey help keep these burgers moist and juicy, especially when served with pickled red onions and balsamic aioli. You can make them on a grill, stovetop grill pan or skillet. And they're gluten-free, low carb, keto, Paleo and Whole30 friendly!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
resting time10 minutes
Total Time42 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6 burgers
Calories: 358kcal
Author: Don Baiocchi

Ingredients

For the pickled red onions

  • 1 red onion
  • red wine vinegar (as much as necessary, depending on the size of the container)

For the burgers:

  • ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, dry-packed or packed in extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 pounds ground turkey, preferably dark meat, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
  • teaspoons fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¾ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, drained
  • 3 tablespoons avocado oil (optional, if using a skillet)
  • iceberg, Boston or butterhead lettuce

For the balsamic aioli

  • ½ cup avocado oil mayonnaise
  • 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Instructions

For the pickled red onions:

  • Slice off the root ends of the red onion, slice the onion in half through the roots and peel the onion. Thinly slice both halves into half moons.
  • Add the slices to a mason jar or glass container. Ideally the onions will just barely fit. Fill almost all the way with red wine vinegar (the amount of vinegar you need depends on the size of the container) then screw on the lid. Let this sit for at least 30 minutes but it can sit in the fridge up to 3 weeks.

For the burgers:

  • If using dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes, put them in a small bowl and submerge with very warm water. Let them sit for 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry.
    If using oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, pat them dry.
    Either way, once the sun-dried tomatoes are ready, chop them into small pieces (not a fine dice, but not large chunks).
  • In a large bowl, add the ground turkey, Italian seasoning, salt and garlic powder, then the drained and chopped olives and the chopped tomatoes. Mix with your hands, wooden spoon or spatula until everything is evenly distributed.
  • Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions: pat the mixture into a flat slab in the mixing bowl and use your hand to divide it in half. Then divide each half into 3 sections that look like pizza slices. Form each portion into a burger patty, roughly 3/4" thick.
  • Heat a grill, grill pan or skillet over medium high heat. If using a skillet, add the avocado oil.
  • Add the burgers (if using a grill, close the grill) and cook for about 5-7 minutes per side, until they reach 165°. Don't touch them while they cook! Just let them sear until they're ready to flip.
  • Let them rest for 10 minutes.

For the balsamic aioli:

  • While the burgers cook, make the balsamic aioli by stirring the balsamic vinegar into the mayo in a small bowl.

To serve:

  • To serve, lay down a few lettuce leaves, then the burger, aioli, pickled red onions and chopped fresh basil. Top with more lettuce leaves and dig in!

Notes

Each keto turkey burger has 3.6g of carbs and 1g of fiber, so their net carbs is 2.6g, making them a keto-friendly option.
Substitutions and variations
If you can only find light meat ground turkey or the package doesn't say what kind of turkey it is, that's fine, you can still use it.
You can use ground beef (4 minutes a side for medium rare) or ground pork (5-7 minutes per side) in place of the ground turkey.
You can use ground chicken in place of the ground turkey but be very careful not to overcook it as it dries out easily.
You can use black, green or any other pitted olive you like.
You can add fresh herbs to the ground turkey mixture.
If you want to make spicy burgers, add red pepper flakes.
These burgers are also good served with ketchup and/or your favorite mustard.
Make ahead
The pickled red onions can be prepared up to 3 weeks in advance and kept in the fridge.
You can add pickled red onions to so many things: salads, chicken, pork, beef, eggs, vegetables, etc.
The balsamic aioli can be made and kept in the fridge. Use the expiration date on the mayo jar as your guide for how long it will keep.
The burgers can be mixed and formed into patties, then kept in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature before cooking.
How to store leftovers
Cooked turkey burgers can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.
They can also be frozen. Let them cool to room temperature, then wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap. Place in a freezer-safe container or baggie and freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Reheat in a low oven, on a skillet over low heat (covered) or in the microwave.

Nutrition

Calories: 358kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 103mg | Sodium: 912mg | Potassium: 824mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 192IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 3mg