The Secret Ingredient for Juicy, Tender, Never-Ever Dry Turkey Burgers

There are many ways to make a turkey burger—grilled, baked and even air-fried—but no matter which method you choose, you have to baby the burger a bit. Because turkey is so much leaner than beef, it's easier to end up with a dry, tasteless patty.

But sad turkey burgers can be a thing of summer cookouts past by adding just one thing to the lean protein. The secret ingredient for never-ever dry turkey burgers turns out to be: mushrooms !

Related: 55 of Our Best Mushroom Recipes

Why You Should Add Mushrooms to Turkey Burgers

Like a classic burger made with beef, mushrooms are meaty and most importantly super moist. In his book On Food and Cooking , legendary food scientist Harold McGee explains that mushrooms are 90% water. When the little fungi join forces with ground turkey you get extra-juicy turkey burgers.

Mushrooms also add a little more protein to the burger and are packed with umami, which makes the burger taste more savory. They don't add a ton of mushroom flavor, but instead take on the flavor of the turkey and any other mix-ins you add to your burger. Adding mushrooms can also save you money because mixing the minced 'shrooms with the meat means you can make more burgers with less ground turkey. Whether you choose shiitake, baby bella, cremini, portobello or another fungi, mushrooms will guarantee amazing turkey burgers every time. And don't stop with turkey burgers. This method works great for other burgers, too—beef, chicken or lamb.

Related: How to Make a Burger That Tastes Like it Came From a Restaurant

How to Use Mushrooms to Make Turkey Burgers

For the hands-down juiciest turkey burgers, the key is to chop raw mushrooms very finely (just like you would mince garlic) and mix them together with ground turkey meat, eggs and other mix-ins in your favorite turkey burger recipe. Fans of this method over on Reddit shared that they've tried this method using everything from just a few chopped mushrooms up to a quart of the veggie to one pound of ground turkey with great results. We're quite smitten with a mushroom-laden version of this cheddar dijon turkey burger .

Up next: The Secret Ingredient for Juicy, Flavorful, Never Ever Dry Grilled Chicken Breast