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Air Fryer Ground Turkey Patties

Ground turkey patties in air fryer or fried on the stove are great. Make as a leftover turkey recipe or fresh meat with seasonings for a meal or side dish.

Ground Turkey Patties

After Thanksgiving last year we made some ground turkey patties in a cast iron skillet. This year we did the same but crisped as an air fryer recipe and wow were they amazing. If you have leftover turkey meat to use up this is a great one to try. (affiliate links present, originally published 11/22)

Air Fryer Turkey Patties

As you know I just hate wasting food. No matter what we have for dinner I will save what is left over and try to use it in another way the next day. When it comes to Thanksgiving leftovers the possibilities are endless. You probably make the same things though right? BORING. This year, use what’s left from your air fryer turkey breast this way.

You could use ground turkey instead, precooked, and then blend like you see here. I have done both but this tastes better. It’s kinda’ like making tuna patties in a sense. You are going to need a binder and lots of seasonings to transform this into a totally new dish.

How to Make Turkey Patties

Air Fryer Turkey Burgers

Make these larger for inside burger buns for a complete meal instead of patties. Our preferred method of cooking is in our Ninja Foodi or Cosori. Any brand will do you just don’t want them to overlap so they can get crisp. Larger machines can air fry more at the same time obviously, smaller you just work in batches.

How do you grind leftover turkey?

Just use a food processor or a blender with an egg or two and some Greek yogurt to transform your leftover turkey into ground turkey. Then you can make meatloaf, these ground turkey patties, or meatballs.

What can I do with day old turkey?

Make this!! Skip your boring sandwiches and transform your leftover meat into patties with tons of flavor and crisp on the outside. Patties can be pan fried or air fried perfectly.

To make these you’re going to need;

  • 1 lb turkey leftover meat
  • 2 eggs
  • Greek yogurt, or can substitute with sour cream
  • Onions diced
  • Breadcrumbs
  • Paprika
  • 1/3 tsp granulated garlic or garlic powder / onion powder
  • Coriander
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Can you put parchment paper in an air fryer you might ask? You can read this article for all the info but yes if done correctly and only on the bottom.

Air Fryer Turkey Burgers

How to Make Turkey Patties

We share how long to cook ground turkey in many ways on our site, this is my fave. Using a piece of parchment paper on the bottom will make it easier to flip each one over halfway thru. Even if you sprayed the basket they will sink in a bit and may fall apart when moved with a spatula so just go with this method.

  • Grind your leftover meat in a blender. You can use boneless skinless meat from the thigh, legs or breast.
  • Transfer into a large bowl. Grind or chop the peeled onion in a blender and transfer into the same bowl.
  • In the bowl combine the eggs, salt and spices in there too. Pour in your Greek yogurt, breadcrumbs and a few pinches of black pepper.
    • Mix everything thoroughly with a spatula until incorporated.
  • Air fryer leftover turkey patties: Preheat to 400F for 5 minutes. Line basket with parchment paper and spray with olive oil.
  • With wet hands, make patties and place on parchment paper. Bake for 8 minutes cooking time.
  • After the 8 minutes, the patties will become golden in color. Total time will be 10-12 minutes depending on their size. Turkey burger patties size would be closer to 15 minutes.
  • Carefully flip each one to the other side and bake for another 3 minutes. (timing will depend on how large you made your patties)

Use a meat thermometer to ensure the middle reaches 165 F before removing and enjoying.

Fried Turkey Patties

Add 2 tbsp of olive oil into your skillet over medium/high heat. Add patties and heat a few minutes on each side until browned and cooked all the way thru. Set on paper towels when done to absorb excess oil and serve. I serve these with a side of zucchini corn fritters since they can be cooked in the same pan.

Leftover Turkey Patties

Leftover Turkey Patties

Once you get the hang of how these are made the possibilities are endless. You could make as a leftover ham recipe too if you wanted, the same way. Use whatever seasonings you like for this obviously but below are the ones we thought worked best.

Make larger for a meal and serve with some mashed potatoes or sweet potato fries. As a side dish or appetizer it is great to put a dollop of sour cream on top of each one.

Then from there you can make vegetarian versions like air fryer latkes with shredded potatoes and/or our air fryer zucchini fritters. Super fun way to combine a bunch of things and kids love them all.

Air Fryer Turkey Patties

Printable recipe card with nutritional information; calories and saturated fat listed below. That takes into account all amounts of ingredients listed and is calculated by the card itself so it may vary slightly.

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the typical mom
Ground Turkey Patties
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5 from 1 vote

Ground Turkey Patties

Ground turkey patties in air fryer or fried on the stove are great. Use leftover turkey or fresh meat with seasonings for a meal or side dish.
Course Appetizer, Entree, Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword burgers, ground turkey, homemade, leftover turkey, patties
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 11 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 146kcal
Author The Typical Mom

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Grind the roasted turkey in a blender. You can use boneless skinless meat from the thigh, legs or breast. Transfer to a large bowl. Grind the peeled onion in a blender and transfer into the same bowl.
  • Add eggs, salt and spices to the bowl. Pour in your Greek yogurt, breadcrumbs and a few pinches of black pepper. Mix everything thoroughly with a spatula until incorporated.
  • Preheat the air fryer to 400F for 5 minutes. Line basket with parchment paper and spray with olive oil. With wet hands, make patties and place on parchment paper. Bake 8 minutes.
  • After the 8 minutes, the patties will become golden in color. Carefully flip each one to the other side and bake for another 3 minutes. (timing will depend on how large you made your patties)
  • Fried: Add 2 tbsp of olive oil into your skillet over medium/high heat. Add patties and heat a few minutes on each side until browned and cooked all the way thru. Set on paper towels when done to absorb excess oil and serve.
  • Serve the patties hot, with sauce or sour cream on sauce and a side of vegetables.

Video

Nutrition Facts
Ground Turkey Patties
Amount Per Serving (1 oz)
Calories 146 Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Trans Fat 0.04g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 94mg31%
Sodium 139mg6%
Potassium 234mg7%
Carbohydrates 9g3%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 16g32%
Vitamin A 166IU3%
Vitamin C 3mg4%
Calcium 52mg5%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Recipe Rating




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