I will be the first to admit that I am the biggest trash talker on turkey burgers.
In fact… in 99% of cases I find them utterly disgusting. The other 1% is almost totally consumed by these asian turkey burgers I discovered last year that I go through huge phases with. I mean, HUGE phases. Like phases where I make eight of them on Sunday and eat them for two meals a day in different ways and finish them off by Wednesday. Which is just crazy considering I’m pretty sure the whole reason I hate turkey burgers to begin with is because I unknowingly entered into a marriage four years ago where turkey burgers were center stage and center stage only for the first, oh… I don’t know… six months?
Uh huh. I had my fill.
If turkey burgers are covered in cheddar and bacon and ketchup and avocado OR gorgonzola and bacon and maybe some sort of fabulous aioli, then I might be down. But then I’d also probably just want beef instead? Sooooo yeah. Right now a burger like that is my power meal. Which means, um… that I am just loving it? That I make it for others and feel powerful? I guess.
Not to be confused with one’s power song, in which case if you’re wondering – my current one is Kelly Clarkson’s Catch My Breath. Oh my gosh. I hate myself for how many times I have had this song on repeat the last five days. It’s utterly horrifying. And so incredible. I’ve been screeeeeaming this song. Spontaneous dance parties and singing into a large wooden spoon? Triple check.
But.
Back to the positive side of turkey burgers since I’m forcing one down your throat today. You know I’m nuts over this thai sauce combo I came up with a few months ago and when it came to putting it in a burger? Turkey just sounded right. So I did that. And even put some slaw (yes, like raw vegetables) on top that contained peanuts (which sounds weird but is completely perfect) and placed the entire thing on a toasted bun and ate it.
I live a wild life.
Thai Turkey Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 pound 94% lean ground turkey
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup shredded carrots, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 4 whole wheat buns, toasted
- thai sauce
- 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup lite canned coconut milk
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed or finely minced
- 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon-sized knob of ginger, grated
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
- slaw
- 2 cups chopped napa cabbage
- 3/4 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
Instructions
- Begin by combining all the ingredients together for the sauce: the sweet chili sauce, rice vinegar, coconut milk, brown sugar, garlic cloves, peanut butter, ginger, lime juice and soy sauce, and whisk until combined and fairly smooth. Scoop out about 1/4 cup of the sauce and set it aside. Place the rest in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey with the salt, pepper, sliced green onions, chopped shredded carrots and about 2-3 tablespoons of the 1/4 cup of sauce that you set aside. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix but making sure everything is incorporated. I ended up using the full 1/4 cup. The patties can be slightly difficult to put together since they are so “wet,” so to cook them, I heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, added 1 tablespoon of olive oil then quickly formed the patties one at a time, placing them in the skillet. Cook for at least 4-5 minutes, until you can see the edges brown and the turkey becoming opaque so the burgers flip easily. Flip gently but quickly, and cook for another 4-5 minutes or until the burgers are cooked through. (Note: because of how wet the ground turkey is, I am not sure how these would hold up on the outside grill.)
- To make the slaw, quickly throw together the cabbage, carrots, cilantro and peanuts, tossing well. Add 3-4 tablespoons of the sauce, then toss well to coat. Add additional sauce if desired. Place each burger on a bun and top with a heaping spoonful of the slaw and additional sauce if desired.
Notes
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So there, Monday.