Ground Turkey Burgers with Pomegranate Ketchup

It’s burger season so let’s make a juicy ground turkey burger with pomegranate ketchup that everyone will be talking about!

What separates these burgers from all the other recipes is how the pomegranate ketchup intensifies all the flavors. It really takes the recipe to the next level. 

The pomegranate ketchup is made from simply reducing down 100% CA Grown pomegranate juice to create a pomegranate molasses and mixing the molasses with ketchup. 

This post has been sponsored by California Grown. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Kroll’s Korner running!

Other burger favorites are these classic Ground beef burgers and these Cheeseburger Sliders are always a hit as well as my Cheeseburger Salad!

I always like to recommend making the pomegranate molasses in advance since it takes about an hour to make and it stays well in the fridge for a long time. It’s an easy recipe, with just three ingredients, but it just takes about an hour for the pomegranate juice to reduce down to create the best pomegranate molasses that tastes sweet and tangy, bright in flavor and you’ll want to put it on everything you eat.

Once the molasses is made, then it is super easy to toss a few ingredients together to make these yummy, moist turkey burgers. Yup, I did say moist and turkey in the same sentence. The secret to making these burgers so moist is to add in heavy cream and olive oil for the added fat content. This really helps prevent your turkey burgers from being dry and are my secret weapons to the perfect, juicy turkey burger.  

I feel so grateful to live in central California for many reasons but mainly because of the abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables. California’s year round growing climate is responsible for producing a sizable majority of many American fruits, vegetables and nuts.

It is widely known that California is the sole producer of Almonds, Artichokes, Clingstone Peaches, Figs, Olives, Persimmons, Raisins, Sweet Rice, Walnuts plus California also produces 99% of our sweet and juicy California Pomegranates! 

In fact, everything that is fresh in my Ground Turkey Burgers with Pomegranate Molasses recipe comes from California. There is no other state that can match California’s agriculture output per acre, and as a Registered Dietitian and content creator, I am so fortunate to have this bounty of freshness surround me 12 months out of the year.

The majority of California Pomegranates are grown in the Central San Joaquin County. These interior valleys of California have hot and dry summers that make for excellent growing conditions to produce mature pomegranates that have a richness of color and a wonderful sweet flavor. The growing season begins at the end of September and runs through November, and since they store well, you may often find them available in your market into January.   

Not only do pomegranates taste great but they are one of the most nutritious and healthy fruits we can eat.  In fact the juice and the pomegranate peel are filled with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and highly potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. The benefit of consuming pomegranate juice, the seeds, and pomegranate extract has been studied because it may have health benefits for our hearts, digestive system, blood pressure and prostate. 

Why This Recipe Works

• Pomegranate ketchup is great on anything from burgers and meatloaf, as a dipping sauce for nuggets or sweet potato fries etc.
• Turkey burgers are a great alternative to beef.
• It’s a great way to load up all of your favorite veggies!
• Great for meal prep or a quick weeknight dinner.
• Can be made in a skillet on the stove, your grill or the air fryer
• Turkey burgers are so versatile.  Have a traditional burger on a bun or a load on even more veggies and make a burger bowl.

Ingredient Notes

For the ingredient measurements and entire recipe, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the blog post where the recipe card is located.

• Pomegranate ketchup: simply a blend of pomegranate molasses and ketchup. My easy to make pomegranate molasses recipe is found below!
  • Pomegranate juice: full of antioxidants called polyphenols.
  • Sugar: just a little sugar is needed to make the ketuchup
  • Lemon juice: to help balance and brighten the flavors
  • Ketchup: use your favorite ketchup.
• Ground turkey: I used 93% lean and 7% fat.
• Worcestershire: adds depth of flavor.
• Fresh parsley: adds color and freshness. 
• Heavy cream: since ground turkey is so lean, adding some fat back into the burgers is key for a juicy, flavorful burger. You can also use mayonnaise. 
• Olive oil: Like the heavy cream, the oil adds fat back into the burger making it moist and delicious!
• Egg: acts as a binder.
• Fixings:
  • Lettuce: I love using a butter leaf lettuce or a crisp romaine.
  • Avocado: don’t skimp out on the avocado!
  • Red onion: a crisp red onion pairs perfectly with this burger.
  • Tomato: choose a firm, but juicy tomato. Heirloom, beefsteak or roma tomatoes are all great options.
• Other ingredients needed: Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, brioche buns.

Step by Step Directions

For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the bottom of the blog post to the recipe card.

1. Make the pomegranate molasses and mix with ketchup to create the pomegranate ketchup. Set aside. 
2. Combine all the ingredients for the turkey burger together in a bowl. 
3. Divide and shape into 4 patties. 
4. Chill the turkey burgers in the fridge or freezer.
5. Heat skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil.
6. Cook turkey burgers on each side, ~5-6 minutes. 
7. Assemble burgers and enjoy!

Expert Tips and Variations

• Don’t overwork the meat when mixing. Mixing the meat too much may lead to tough turkey burgers. 
• Use a 90-93% lean ground turkey, not extra lean if possible.
• Chill the patties before cooking to help them stay extra juicy. I usually freeze mine for 20-30 minutes, or you can refrigerate them for 1-2 hours.
• Do not flip the burgers too early when cooking on the first side or they may fall apart. 
• You can prepare the patties in advance as well! Form into patties, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 day in advance.
• Avoid pressing down the burgers with a spatula as they are cooking. This releases all of the yummy juices and flavor we added into them and can run the risk of the burgers falling apart and being dry. 
• To save time, prep the pomegranate molasses the day or week before. 
• Best served right away so they are juicy and full of flavor!

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