I got the inspiration for this recipe from two sources: this blog post over at Kalyn’s Kitchen, and a recent Anne Burrel show on Food TV, in which she featured turkey burgers. Ground turkey is a great basic ingredient to play with because it’s naturally low in fat, but exactly what makes it good has the potential of creating trouble. As Anne herself said in the show, she’s had plenty of bad turkey burgers in he lifetime, and so have I. The trick is to season the meat well, and increase its overall moisture.
ORIENTAL-STYLE TURKEY PATTIES
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)
1 + 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1/8 cup soy sauce
1/2 Tbs Sriracha sauce
2 tsp grated ginger
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped fine
1 egg, beaten
2 green onions, white and light green parts, minced
about 2 Tbs water
a few Tbs bread crumbs, if needed
salt and pepper
In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients except the bread crumbs, try not to overwork the mixture or the patties will be too tough. This won’t be like a regular beef hamburger type mixture, the goal is to end up with more moisture. Once all is combined, if the mixture is too loose to form as a patty, sprinkle breadcrumbs and mix again. Form 4 patties, and place them over parchment paper on a baking sheet, place them in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up slightly.
Cook them on a hot griddle smeared with a little olive oil until golden brown and completely cooked through.
ENJOY!
to print the recipe, click here
Comments: I doubled the recipe to have enough patties to freeze for lunches during the week, but I’m giving you the amounts for 4 patties only. These cannot be made on a grill, they are too delicate and work much better on a griddle or a non-stick frying pan.
They are very flavorful and moist, the ginger is a prominent flavor, I thought the Sriracha could be increased, but Phil has less fondness for it than myself, so I decided to use a light hand with it. Feel free to add more. They can be enjoyed by themselves, with a salad, or as a regular burger with toppings of your choice. I made some sauteed mushrooms that were a great match, and we added juicy tomato and avocado slices. A substantial, but not over-the-top weeknight dinner. 😉
ONE YEAR AGO: Sourdough English Muffins
TWO YEARS AGO: Kaiser Rolls
Bewitching Kitchen 
Ah, very fun seeing how you have adapted the idea. I’d probably go for a bit more Sriracha too, but I love all the flavors you’ve used!
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Kalyn, I ended up dousing my burger with Sriracha, I am addicted to the stuff, cannot seem to have enough! Such great flavor, the heat is secondary, I think… my favorite hot sauce, although I also love Cholula.
thanks for stopping by to say hello! 😉
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I agree that turkey has a great deal of potential, but it’s so hard to make a good burger! Here’s another site with a great T. B. recipe that I’ve used many times. It has the same flavor components as your recipe.
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/05/grilling-asian-turkey-burgers-with-sriracha-mayonnaise-recipe.html
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Great, loved that one, and it seems sturdy enough to grill, I like that!
Thank you!
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Good tips, especially for someone who avoids turkey burgers worried they’ll be dry. Well, OK I also like my red meat.
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Red, the color of passion! 😉
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They look like they’d be very tasty. I make something similar but with ground chicken thighs and breasts. Cilantro is a no-no for me … I’m one of those people to whom it tastes like scented soaps smell … but I’m sure parsley would be a decent substitution.
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Definitely go for parsley then – I am one of those cilantro lovers, cannot have enough!
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What a feast, Sal! I love the green serving platter too – so festive!
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Thanks, Celia! I love that platter too, it did not go with us to LA, so I was glad to be able to use it again
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Delicious sounding and looking patties! I’d love to have one of those burgers now…
Thanks for the message and kind words! Will answer it later on…
Cheers,
Rosa
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Thanks for stopping by!
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I’ll have to try this next time I make turkey burgers. We just grilled some up the other day to freeze for when we need a quick school night meal. I’m going to give this seasoning mixture a try next time.
On another note, I’m glad things have gotten a little better with the pups. I can’t even imagine how hard this has been. It’s never fun when there’s a challenge of this nature. There’s so much that is out of your control and just left up to time.
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I’ve got some scars on my arm still – amazing how sharp those little teeth can be… but things have been improving, slowly
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peru ainda e comida de natal por aqui, mads como eu adoro, tenho sempre no frezzer, mas apenas ave inteira. bjs
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de fato, Angela, peru no Brasil e’ mesmo comida natalina, dificil achar carne moida de peru. Creio que frango e’ mais facil achar, mas por algum motivo eu prefiro peru, me parece ter um gostinho mais apropriado para esse tipo de receita.
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Now that is a turkey burger that I will try. So flavorful sounding as well as a good choice for the toppings.
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