Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Asian Turkey Burger

Posted by Tina / 16 comments » / *Recipes, Burgers, Chicken/Poultry, Sandwiches

Can I just say, you guys are THE. BEST. Thank you all SO much for all your sweet comments, emails, tweets, and Facebook and Instagram messages sharing in the joy of our news on Friday! We are just BLOWN AWAY at the many people who were sharing in our struggles and praying for us through these times. I wish I could write each and every one of you a personal email thanking you, but know that we have read each and every comment and are SO thankful for all of you!

Okay… before I get all mushy and hormonal let’s move on the the FOOD! Turkey Burgers to be precise. (Can you believe it?! I actually got back in my kitchen!!!)

Normally turkey burgers are associated with being two things: dry and bland. These turkey burgers are NEITHER of the two! People tend to opt for a turkey burger when trying to go for something a little lighter. Turkey is a super lean meat (especially when using turkey breast meat) so the trick is keeping it moist.

So I set off to make a turkey burger that was juicy and packed with tons of flavor.

Mission Complete, friends!

I opted for an Asian flavor profile doing a spin-off of one of my FAVORITE ground beef burgers. Turkey meat is pretty bland so I knew I needed to season the heck out of the patties! I also knew I needed make a really wet patty with the intent of the moisture keeping the burgers juicy. So off I went a-mixing away and I got super nervous when I realized just how wet the mixture became… I wasn’t sure this was going to work!

We pressed on and formed the patties and ever so carefully got them on the grill! Once the first side cooked they became much easy to handle and I KNEW they were going to work! Once those bad boys came off the grill and I took my first bite, I knew I was on to something!

The true test, though, would be getting my red-meat loving hubs’ approval. He took a bite, uttered the words “holy cow”, then took another and looked at me and told me he didn’t miss the ground beef AT. ALL.

That, my friends, is what I call SUCCESS! Now to create other deliciously juicy turkey burgers… 😉

Other Burger Recipes to add to your Summer Grilling Menu:

• Blue Cheese and Balsamic Burgers
• Bacon Jalapeno Burgers with Chipotle Mayo
• Mushroom Swiss Sliders with Fry Sauce

Print Save

Asian Turkey Burger

Yield: 4 burgers

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Total Time: 35-40 minutes

Turkey burgers that aren't dry but instead PACKED with flavor! Summer grilling can be lightened up and still taste good!

Ingredients:

For the Turkey Patties:
1.25 lb turkey breast
¾ cup finely diced onion (about ½ onion)
3 tablespoon soy
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2-3 cloves garlic, grated
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1-2 dashes sriracha
1 large handful cilantro, chopped
4 slices pineapple rounds (about 1/2" thick)
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
4 slices pepper jack cheese

Garlic Mayonnaise:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 cloves garlic, grated

For the Burgers:
4 whole wheat hamburger buns
Garlic Mayo (recipe above)
4 pieces iceberg lettuce
4 slices tomato
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce

Directions:

For the Turkey Patties:
Add ground turkey breast and diced onion to a medium sized bowl. In a small bowl whisk together the soy sauce, water, rice vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and sriracha. Pour mixture over the turkey and onion and fold in using clean hands. Once well combined, add the cilantro and fold in until just combined. NOTE: mixture will seem very wet but this is okay! It's what keeps the turkey burgers moist. Divide into 4 equal parts and form into turkey burger patties.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Spray liberally with non-stick cooking spray. Add the turkey burger patties to the grill along with the 4 pineapple rounds. Close lid and grill for about 8 minutes and then flip. Bast cooked side with the teriyaki sauce. Cook another 8 minutes or until internal temperature reaches a minimum of 165ºF. Add a slice of pepper jack cheese to each burger and allow to just melt. Pull burgers off the grill and top each with a slice of grilled pineapple.

Garlic Mayonnaise:
Mix together the mayonnaise and garlic and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the Burgers:
Top each bun with one of the cooked patties & grilled pineapple rounds. Spread some of the garlic mayonnaise on the top half of the buns and add a piece of lettuce and a slice of tomato. Serve with a side of teriyaki sauce.

 Print Recipe   

Share

16 comments