5 Highest-Quality Frozen Turkey Burgers—and 2 To Avoid

For years, the debate has raged about whether turkey burgers are healthier than beef burgers. While turkey burgers have a reputation for being more nutritious than their beef counterparts, the two have similar nutrition profiles when their fat-to-lean percentages are the same.

Though there's no definitive answer for which is tops for nutrition, turkey burgers are—at the very least—a nice flavor change from the usual red meat. Their texture can also be a welcome departure, with its sturdier heft and less grease.

When you're looking for a bird-based burger to pop between hamburger buns, check out these five good-for-you frozen options—and steer clear of a couple that don't make the cut for nutrition and quality.

How We Chose the Highest-Quality Frozen Turkey Burgers

• No artificial extras: All that's needed to make a great turkey burger is ground turkey and seasonings. We chose brands that don't add preservatives or anything artificial.
• Top-notch nutrition: If you're picking a turkey burger for health benefits, you want to ensure it's healthy. Our recommended options are lower in calories, fat, and sodium than many others on the market.
• Beneficial farming practices: Quality farming practices make quality foods. Where possible, we sought frozen turkey burgers from organic farms that use regenerative, earth-friendly practices.

5 Highest-Quality Turkey Burgers

Applegate Organics Organic Turkey Burgers

Applegate's frozen turkey burgers come with multiple seals of approval, including USDA organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, and Whole30 approved.

The brand raises its birds on family farms that provide animals with care and respect for a cruelty-free promise. Plus, the patties are low in calories and sodium and contain two ingredients: organic turkey and organic rosemary extract.

 7 Highest-Quality Frozen Burgers—and 2 To Avoid

Diestel Organic Turkey Burgers

The Diestel family has been farming turkeys since 1949. These days, their focus on regenerative agriculture creates some of the highest-quality turkey burgers around. Diestel turkeys eat a proprietary feed blend and live in barns lined with fresh pinewood shavings (a pretty great life for a bird!). Their organic dark meat burgers go from freezer to table in a quick 6-minute-per-side cook time. Consider seasoning them yourself since these are made with 100% organic turkey and nothing else.

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Trader Joe's Turkey Burgers

We'll admit that TJ's frozen section can serve up some ultra-processed items. However, as frozen meals go, its turkey burgers are minimally processed and are made with three ingredients (turkey, kosher salt, and rosemary extract). While shopping, grab a pack of Trader Joe's whole wheat hamburger buns, and you'll have a meal high in protein and fiber.

Butterball All Natural Turkey Burgers

Butterball has long been a household name for talking turkey. It's no surprise that this brand's all-white meat frozen burgers earn a spot on our list. The patties are free of hormones, steroids, nitrates, and other artificial ingredients. They're even Heart-Check certified, meaning they've received the American Heart Association's approval as a heart-healthy food.

 I Tried 11 Store-Bought Burger Buns & the Best Was Sweet and Buttery

Simple Truth Natural Turkey Burgers

Kroger's Simple Truth product line delivers high-quality natural foods, and its turkey burgers are no exception. Their meat uses no antibiotics or hormones and is made from turkeys fed a vegetarian diet. Due to their larger one-third-pound size, these burgers offer more protein than any other option on our list and manage to keep sodium to 100 milligrams.

2 Turkey Burgers to Avoid

Worst: Butterball Original Seasoned Frozen Turkey Burgers

Though we've got plenty of praise for Butterball's all-natural white meat turkey burgers, we're not as enthusiastic about the original seasoned frozen option. They contain some funky extras, such as hydrolyzed corn protein and dextrose (an added sugar).6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Between the dextrose and a hint of brown sugar, these burgers each come with 1 gram of sugar. It may not sound like a lot, but turkey doesn't need sweetener if you ask us. Nor does it require the whopping 510 milligrams of sodium in each of these frozen patties.

Worst: Kroger 85% Lean Seasoned Turkey Burgers

When you increase the fat percentage of a turkey burger, as in Kroger's 85% lean seasoned turkey burgers, you get a juicier finished product, but you get some less desirable changes, too.

These store-brand burgers contain the most calories, fat, and saturated fat on our list. And since the burgers are made with preservatives like dextrose, autolyzed yeast extract, disodium inosate, and disodium guanylate, they're more processed than other options at a comparable price point. Skip these in favor of any of the five better choices above.