This is one of my more famous recipes. Everyone loves them, and often request for me to make them or want the recipe. I hope you all enjoy them as much as my family and friends do! Obviously, you can make these regular size if you want, but the sliders are perfect for get-together’s. Fresh garlic & ginger works best, but in a pinch feel free to use the dried stuff! I know some of you might be a little skeptical about the ground turkey, but trust me on this one… try it at least once before you opt for beef!
The Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 – 1.5lbs ground turkey
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon of fresh minced ginger
- 3 tablespoons of finely chopped red or green onion
- 1/3 cup of bread crumbs OR quick oats
- 1 egg
- 3 teaspoons of sesame seeds
- 3 tablespoons of terryaki sauce
Directions
Mix all dry goods (bread crumbs, sesame seeds) with the spices/vegetables (garlic, ginger, oinion), then blend in the terryaki sauce and egg. Using your hands (be sure to wash them!), fold in the ground turkey into the mixture piece by piece and make sure it is blended well. Form into small patties. They don’t smash well when cooking, so make them about the size you’d like for them to be. Once they cook they will shrink some, so don’t make them *too* thin, either. This is especially important if you intend on freezing them and pulling them out as needed (good option if you live by yourself or don’t have a big family to feed).
From here, you can prepare them using your favorite method. Be sure to cook them maybe a bit longer than you would beef because turkey can tend to fall apart (especially on the grill!), and you want to make sure they are cooked thoroughly with no pink inside. They should smell REALLY good, too. I couldn’t believe how good it smelled as they are cooking. Usually after frying up some burgers it smells like dog food or something in the house… not the case with these turkey burgers.
Toppings
Ingredients
- lettuce
- tomatoes
- fresh pineapple
- red onions
Directions
The key to burger toppings is to slice everything very thin, just to add the taste without adding a lot of bulk. The fresh pineapple is a must, it really compliments this burger! If you’re grilling, try grilling your pineapple, tomatoes & onions and brush on “the sauce” for a smoky Asian flavor!
“The Sauce”
Ingredients
- Hoisin Sauce
- Terryaki Sauce
- Ketchup
- Ginger (optional)
- Sesame Seeds (optional)
Directions
In a bowl, spoon out some Hoisin sauce and then squirt out an equal part of ketchup, mix together. Add in Terryaki sauce slowly and stir in to reach desired consistency and taste. DO NOT make watery or really thin. Optionally, if you are using a thicker Terryaki sauce you can omit the Hoisin.
Other serving suggestions
Roll/Bun
For the sliders, use the Hawaiian sweet bread rolls – they are the perfect size and the sweet bread works really well. When I make them regular size I’ll use a wheat roll/bun or whatever sounds good at the time.
Toppings
Really, use your imagination! I’ve never been a huge fan of cheese on burgers and so I don’t serve it with mine, but feel free to experiment if you like.
Sides
We had baked beans with ours (yeah I know, not really asian) but I think it would be fun to serve with an asian inspired side salad with wontons, grape or cherry tomatoes, slivers of almonds, bean sprouts, fresh snap peas in a bead of “fresh spring greens” and dressed in an asian dressing with ginger, sesame, soy, etc, or an egg roll, fried rice, etc.
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