Turkey sliders

I made two turkey burger recipes lately: these Asian turkey burgers with peanut butter and broccoli slaw, and then these turkey sliders with garlic and oregano. While they were both good, I think we all preferred the sliders, so that’s the recipe I’m sharing below. Note that while I did splurge and use King’s Hawaiian buns here (they’re just so good!), I had used Orowheat’s keto buns in the other recipe, and those are a better bet if you’re carb-conscious.

I don’t have Italian seasoning, so I used equal quantities of basil, oregano, and thyme. Note that I doubled the slider recipe to have leftovers (a total of 16 sliders instead of 8), but left the sauce quantities as is. Serve with baked fries, chips, or a salad. We give it a very rare 4 thumbs up!

For the garlicky mayonnaise
2 garlic cloves, minced (I would use only 1 next time)
6 Tbsp. reduced fat olive oil mayonnaise
2 tsp. dried oregano
salt and cracked pepper, to taste

For the sliders
8 mini brioche hamburger buns (see note above)
1 lb. 93%-lean ground turkey
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. Italian seasoning (see note above)
salt and cracked pepper, to taste

To garnish
fresh baby arugula
red onion, thinly sliced


Mix together the ingredients for the mayonnaise, season to taste, and then set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 °F.

Slice the buns open and spray with oil. Then place them in a baking tray face up. Place in the oven and toast for 3 – 5 minutes or until browned/toasted to your liking.

Set a carbon steel or cast iron skillet on medium-high heat. (Honestly, I just used my regular skillet.)

In a bowl, gently mix together ingredients for the burger using your hands – overmixing can make for rubbery, tough burger. Use an ice cream scoop or spoon to evenly make eight 2-ounce sliders.

Spray the pan with oil, then add the patties. As you add the patties, press down on each one to flatten. This is the ONLY time you press down on them while the burger meat is still cold and the “juices” have not warmed to flow yet.

Cook sliders on each side for 3 – 5 minutes or until sear marks appear. Since this is turkey, you want to cook it all the way through, not medium rare or rare like beef. (I used my meat thermometer to check doneness.)

Bring it all together and build the sliders! Add the mayonnaise or your choice of condiment to the sliders. Then add the patties and top with arugula and red onion. Enjoy!