Ginger Soy Turkey Burgers with Spicy Lime Mayo.
If there’s anything that I find difficult this time of year, it’s attempting to create healthy dinners when I feel like five kinds of crazy all hopped up on holiday sugar and it’s a million o’clock by the time I start our meal.
That’s where this comes in.
[Oh. And this and this and this and this. And this.]
So let me tell you one thing.
I am totally a burger person, but I have never been one of those people that could eat a burger without a bun. It is just so incredibly unappealing to me – I mean a burger has cheese and bread and bacon, duh! – and if I want to sacrifice the carbs, I’d probably order some sort of seafood dish or a chicken or steak salad. With fries and cheese, of course.
Wait… shut your face. Fries aren’t carbs. Because they are on a salad! Get with the program.
But really, I just can’t do the burgers without buns and stuff. There’s something about eating a hunk o’ ground meat that turns me off. Especially turkey burgers. I really hate turkey burgers. And I’m sure this has something to do with how scarred for life I am from the first three months of marriage when IT’S ALL MY HUSBAND WOULD EAT. Dried out, flavorless, disgusting meat patties. Every single day. Serious.
Soooo.
How crazy is it that I actually ate one of these burgers in a salad?!
I did, I did, I did.
My cousin has been making these burgers from her friend’s recipe for a few months, and my uncle made them last week; we had them on salads with lots of lime and rice vinegar. They are so juicy and packed with flavor that for the first time, I didn’t even need a bun. Which was good because I’m pretty sure he wasn’t offering me one.
But like, this burger was so delicious that not only did I not eat a bun that night… I didn’t even eat it with cheese.
I know what you’re thinking.
Who the heck am I? Me too. Me too.
While I did end up slapping mine on two buns (that’s what she… yeah) this past weekend, I still skipped the cheese because truly? I wasn’t sure what kind of cheese to use. I love the flavors of sesame oil and garlic and soy sauce and was too afraid that the cheddar or fresh mozz I had in my fridge just wouldn’t mesh. Can some of you smart and fancy cheese people help me out here and suggest a great one for next time?
Luckily I made up for that yesterday when I consumed nearly an entire triangle of creamy syrah-soaked toscana from Trader Joe’s (OMGwherehasthisbeenallmylife?!). Get on that people, stat.
Instead of the cheese I wasn’t sure about, I threw together some mayo with sriracha and lots of lime. I typically only like mayo on my BLT’s and thousand-calorie diner club sandwiches, but something about this sounded flipping awesome. And then I was even able to top my burger with tomato and butter lettuce (favorite… I wonder why) and eat pretty much an entire month’s worth of vegetables here.
I love when that happens.
Ginger Soy Turkey Burgers
makes 4 burgers
1 pound ground turkey breast
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
3 green onions, thinly chopped
1/2 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
4 whole wheat buns
Combine all ingredients (except buns) in a large bowl and mix gently with your hands until just combined – do not overmix. Form turkey into 4 patties about 1/2 inch thick. Heat a skillet (in my case – a cast iron grill pan) over medium-high heat (or preheat your grill) and once hot, add burgers. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side.
Toast buns if desired, then top burgers with mayo and serve.
Spicy Lime Mayo
1/4 cup mayonaisse
1 teaspoon sriracha sauce (or more if desired)
zest of half of a lime
juice of half a lime
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth and combined.
If you know what’s good for you, these will be on your table tonight.
165 Comments on “Ginger Soy Turkey Burgers with Spicy Lime Mayo.”
Those do look good. But far too healthy for December.
Love the sound of that mayo!
No, I think if I know what’s good for me, I’ll be putting fries in my salad tonight. Why have I never thought of that?
I have been dreaming of turkey burgers, I need to make these stat! Thank u for making me drool every morning at 7 am it is the highlight of my morning, well right after my coffee :)
Thank YOU for reading. :)
delicious! i agree with you on the sans bun burger.. not happening. same thing with the lettuce wrap bun-sub. really?!
Oh God. I could never do that. Blech.
I’m not much of a bun-lover lately either. Just empty calories. I do love turkey burgers though! The lime mayo sounds just wild enough to try – normally I pass on mayo.
Try a really good feta like Mt. Vikos, or a thin slice of manchego.
I’ve never been a huge fan of Turkey Burger… This is mouth watering though. Guess I need to give it a go again. That may looks and sounds perfect!
I’m not a burger girl but I am a huge sauces and dips and spreads girl. And the Spicy Lime Mayo….yes, I’ll take two cups of that b/c I like a little food alongside my vat of dip.
This recipe is reaaaaally close to our Weidner burgs! Except we add herbs and panko to the mix. And I still top it with a 4-foot block of cheddar. And all was right in the world.
Oh yum! What a great twist to a hamburger!! The dip is perfect!!! I love Rooster Sauce (sriracha sauce)!
I agree about the bun thing…I can’t eat a burger without the bun. A burger without the bun is called meatloaf…eeck! I love turkey burgers, though. In fact, I prefer them over beef (don’t hate me). This one sounds so delicious with all of those Asian flavors! I think the mayo is perfect, too, Jessica. I agree about not adding cheese to this burger. I think it’s perfect as is, and I can’t wait to make it!
I forgot to add -how cool is that photo of the turkey burger in the pan with the smoke whisping around it? That is amazing! I would call that a money shot! :-)
Aw, thanks Kim!! :)
These sound delicious—I was going to make turkey burgers tonight anyways…might have to go with this variation!
I’m a big hater of the turkey burger, too, but this looks pretty darned good. I love sesame oil with a passion that is frightening. Me thinks I may try this with chicken or ahi tuna, which I’m sure will make me a big weirdo.
No way… I think it will be better with chicken.
i can’t imagine eating a burger without a bun, but i’ll take your word that it’s delicious. as for the version with the bun, i’ll take 5 please :)
I think burgers are the most creatively delicious foods out there. Really, the combinations are endless and I love that they can be made with almost any kind of protein! This looks and sounds amazing! You know I’m in if no cheese is needed! YUM!
Yumm these sound delicious! I love the rice wine vinegar + lime combo. And don’t hate me, but I eat most burgers on top of salads!
I could never hate you!
Ummm #yumyumyumandyum. Those buns look so delcious!… Wait, that sounds so wrong.
I love turkey burgers! How about trying some havarti with these Asian-style burgers next time?
Ohh that sounds amazing.
I am kind of a turkey burger freak, but I usually only like the ones that I make. I refuse to order them from a restaurant, and those nasty pucks they sell at the grocery store- gross! The key to good turkey burger is to add lots of yummy ingredients because let’s face it ground turkey by itself is really boring. I have made a ton of different turkey burger combos, but never one with these ingredients. I can’t wait to try it!
Ha I actually don’t mind burgers without buns. I totally can still get the guac and bacon on there too. Sure it’s a little messier but nothing wrong with a little guac all over… everything. I’ve never been a fan of ground turkey over ground beef but THESE look sooo so good. Gotta try these stat.
We love grilled burgers at our house. I tell the Hubby “tonight we are having the Great American Hamburger for supper.” We eat BEEF … mostly because we raise it, have a freezer full of it, and love it! I have never had a turkey or chicken burger. I do like to mix a little sausage into my ground beef for added burger flavor.
I wish I had a freezer full of wonderful fresh beef! Trust me, so does my husband.
And so continues my endless quest to find and deliver delicious burgers for dinner that don’t come in a freezer box. (Except the Morningstar Chipotle burgers bc they are insanely delicious. Even on salads.) Can’t wait to try these!
I’ve never had Morningstar but my husband is obsessed with freezer box hamburgers. Like, he eats them everyday.
I think my patients would prefer your carb counting education over mine!
Totally booked in my “new recipes for the new year” folder! YUM!
Turkey burgers have never sounded that appealing to me, but if it had you loving them, then there’s hope.
And that mayo sounds incredible.
I know what’s good for me…it’s that! I just don’t have time to put it on my table tonight. Can you send me a few!? Thanks :)
I LOVE turkey burgers! Since I have some in the freezer I may have to try this soon!! Thanks!
Looks ah-mazing! I’ve been craving a burger for weeks – you’re torturing me!
Yum! These look awesome and that cheese soaked in syrah sounds incredible. I may have to pick some up!
Oh these look yummy! I love turkey burgers!
I’ve never been a fan of turkey burgers, but your version, with all of the big Asian flavors, looks fantastic! I have a nearby Asian market that sells really lean ground pork; I bet it would make awesome burgers with your seasonings!
I love turkey burgers and they are usually the only kind of burgers I’ll eat so I can’t wait to try this! :-)
Putting this into this week’s meal plan…which is completely blank right now. :)
I’m such a turkey burger fan. I’ve been needing a new recipe!
My go-to is ground turkey with apples & celery minced inside, then topped with cranberry mayo, served on an English muffin. It’s delicious, but you get tired of it after a while. Yours look fabulous!!
I looove turkey burgers, usually better than real beef burgers. So good, esp with sweet potato fries!
Well, I admit that I love ground meat all by itself (helloooooo, meatloaf??), if it’s shaped like a burger it’s getting topped with cheese and wearing a bun. A WHITE bun. Your bun up there looks all fancy and healthified. I’m almost disappointed in you for that.
This will haunt my lunchtime dreams. Suddenly the peanut butter and jelly feast I had planned has lost it’s appeal.
This looks like an excellent combination of flavors. For some reason, I typically prefer to eat my burgers without a bun….when I was eating burgers that is. I wanted all the flavor from the burger + toppings! It wasn’t anything to do with carbs. Actually, I would usually leave the bottom bun on, because it soaked up all the juice. Then, I would just eat the top half after finishing the burger. The top half with ketchup of course. :)
These sound amazing! Can’t wait to try them.
I used to do the lettuce wrapped burger thing when I was in that stupid phase known as low-carb. How the hell did I ever think that was gonna stick?!
It’s not that the burger doesn’t sound good, because it totally does, but I want to lick that lime mayo off the screen. Love.
This looks like a really fresh, unique dinner idea!
I’m making this….asap. These burgers are right up my alley.
Jessica, wow what a great combination of flavours! This looks fabulous. I have not had many turkey burgers. I am a beef guy but these look good. I love asian flavours and go through many bottles of sriracha chili sauce. Thanks for this post.
Ok don’t hate me….but I don’t eat hamburgers. My mom went through a phase of not allowing us to eat fast food burgers when I was younger and refused to make them for like 5 years. So by the time she started again I had no urge to eat any. I think I’ve had a total of maybe 8 burgers in about 15-20 years. So now I eat turkey burgers and man do they usually suck. They’re usually dry and tasteless :( But once you find a place or learn how to make them correctly they can be just heavenly!! I always have swiss cheese on my turkey burgers. It’s not an overpowering cheese, but still enough flavor that it mixes well with all kinds of sauces. Just a thought :)
So you got lured by the cheese of the month samples at TJ’s, too? I bought a wedge and the bf declared that he wasn’t a fan… so it looks like I have a whole wedge to dominate before I go out og town next week. Whoops. I don’t think you need a cheese on these – Asian and cheese never really seem to go – but if you wanted something gooey I would think that a mild cheese like monterey jack would work best.
Your posts always make me SO hungry!
The mayo looks pretty amazing…the right sauce can take a burger from blah to delicious. Thank you so much for sharing!
Whoa! Same page over here – I made Thai-style turkey burgers last night. Love giving ground turkey an Asian feel – there’s something about the combo that works beautifully.
Delicious-looking post, as always!
Am I hungry? I’m ALWAYS hungry! I can’t get into burgers without buns either. It seems kind of sacreligious.
For your Asian burger cheese inspiration: http://la.eater.com/archives/2011/04/25/the_spice_tables_southeast_asian_cheeseburger.php (Kraft?!)
Whoa… Kraft? Also, I wonder what this shrimp paste is? Hmmm.
I am equal parts intrigued and horrified.