This post is part of an awesome burger grill giveaway hosted by GirlCarnivore, but the Awesome Asian Turkey Burger was created by my even more amazing husband, Rob!
For as long as I can remember, Rob has played around with Asian flavors. He started with traditional Asian cuisine. As he got more comfortable with the flavor profile, especially the aromatics, he started making his own dishes.
Our absolute favorite — served often to guests who visit — is his Asian Turkey Burger. Served with a mango salsa and coconut rice, this burger needs no bun!
I promise, you won’t miss it!
Another reason this recipe is such a hit, you can make it a day ahead! YEP! These burgers do great if you prepare the patties a day ahead. You can make the salsa the day before, too. Then, when your friends and family come over, you’ll only need about 30 minutes to cook the rice and burgers. Easy prep and cook means more time for fun!
Rob’s Shopping Tips For Asian Turkey Burgers
Rob has been doing this so long, he’s learned some great tips to make this burger! Affiliate shopping links are included for your convenience. See privacy policy to learn more.
- Shop for lemongrass, ginger root, sesame oil and fish sauce at a local Asian market. These are staples in Asian cuisine and much cheaper than at other stores. Fresher, too!
- Use a good quality microplane, like this one, for the lemongrass, ginger root and lime zest. That way, you get the flavor and scent without any unexpectedly flavorful bites in the burger. No one wants to bite into a big chunk of lemongrass!
- Use a cast iron griddle on the smooth side on your grill. These burgers are tender and will crumble on grill grates.
Asian Turkey Burgers
Ingredients
Aromatics, part one
- 3/4 medium sweet onion, diced
- 1 1/2 inch piece of ginger, grated with microplane
- 1 1/2 inch piece of lemongrass, grated with microplane
- 1 tsp olive oil
Aromatics, part two
- Zest of one lime
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped medium fine
Turkey burgers
- 2 lb ground turkey (93/7)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
- Cook the aromatics in a small sauce pan over low heat until the onion is soft and clear. Set aside and let them cool.
- Once cooled, add the lime zest and cilantro to the aromatics. Stir and set aside.
- Mix all the burger ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, including the cooled aromatics.
- Patty into 8 quarter pound burgers and rest in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. This step is important so the burgers don't fall apart while grilling.
- When ready to grill, turn flame to medium and heat a cast iron griddle.
- Place burgers on grill and cook on one side for 4 minutes. Then flip and cook on the other side until cooked through, another 4-6 minutes with the cover closed.
- Let burgers rest 5 minutes before eating.
- Serve with mango salsa and coconut rice
Look at all the fresh goodness that goes into these amazing burgers!
These burgers can be served on buns with Asian mayo and lettuce. But, we recommend you enjoy this amazing burger with its two best sidekicks — mango salsa and coconut rice. The creamy, sweet rice balances the tang of the salsa and burger. Together, they make a sweet-spicy-tangy-creamy dinner your guests will not forget!
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i love the ingredient using in this recipe. The fish sauce adds such a great flavor to the turkey. The burger looks fabulous as I bet it tasted!
This burger sounds absolutely AMAZING!!! Tell Rob that he did a FANTASTIC job!!
I love the idea of a lighter burger using aromatics. This is definitely going on next week’s meal plan!
We love adding lemongrass, ginger and Asian flavours to our meatballs. Makes sense they would also be fantastic in a burger – yum!
It’s a fun twist on the meatballs. The grilling brings out the Asian flavor. That caramelization. Mmmmm
Yummy! I love turkey burgers – this sounds great!
I love all the Asian flavors in this burger … AND the mango salsa and coconut rice! Who needs a bun?
Agreed! 🙂
I love these Asian flavors. I bet this burger has a freshness to it’s taste that is unbelievable.
The flavor is awesome! The turkey doesn’t dry out either, which is wonderful.
I’m seriously drooling at this burger! I’m putting it on the list of things I need to grill this summer!
If you make these burgers, please share a photo with me on Facebook or IG! We’re making them again next Monday — son’s request when he’s home for a week.
I’m a turkey burger advocate! They’re so versatile and delicious. And not to mention healthier than a beef burger. I am drooling over these Asian flavors. Right up my alley!
We make a double batch, usually and freeze the meat for another time! I appreciate both the health benefits and the flavor! 🙂
My in-laws are turkey farmers so we love supporting farmers by eating turkey! This burger looks great!
I am loving the Asian flavors in this burger! I also love that it can be made ahead of time. Delicious!
I can just imagine the lemongrass flavor with this! Wonderful!
I tried this sauce onasian-turkey-burgerslast night and served them to my very picky children and their even pickier cousins. What a HUGE hit! I cannot thank you enough – you’ve added a new staple to their diets …
I recently make a turkey meatball recipe that used Amy’s chunky tomato bisque for the sauce and I put it over spaghetti squash, you could also make the recipe using lot’s of different farmers market veggies.
Oh boy I am so glad you posted this!!!We love using the crockpot and I have been wanting some new tasty recipes!
I too love soups, so filling healthy and what the whole family needs on a cold winters day. Great post I will defiantly be trying some!
This is a great tip! I am writing 31 days of creative homemaking and I have a slow cooker tips post coming up! Will definitely link over to this post! Gotta love that slow cooker…such a miracle worker.