Seriously the most flavorful moist turkey burger you have ever had! Piled high in crisp lettuce leaves with carrots, kimchi, avocado, and a special Korean inspired sauce. Perfect for a crowd!
Ingredients
- ground turkey, lettuce, scallions, garlic, fresh ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, gochujang sauce, breadcrumbs (or gluten-free breadcrumbs or eliminate), and kimchi, cucumber, carrot, cilantro and avocado for toppings.
Right out of the gates I'm going to tell you that whipping up turkey burgers is not part of my typical repertoire. In my personal chef days, I had a few turkey burger favorites that were on repeat for my clients, but I never wanted them for myself. Then a few months ago I ordered some ground turkey from my CSA and got to work. What kind of a turkey burger would make my heart sing? Does a turkey burger exist that is flavorful and moist and yummy? Is there a turkey burger that I can serve to Jordan for dinner without him acting like a brat?
Yes, there is. I created it. Korean turkey burger with gochujang mayo. OMG.
Turkey, on its own, is quite bland and dry. It requires texture, flavor, and love. It requires savory, spicy fresh ingredients that transform ground turkey from boring to super tasty.
How to Make a Delicious Turkey Burger
- Start with high-quality ground turkey. Ground turkey is a product that has huge quality and taste diversity. So far I've found the tastiest comes from a local farm. If that's not a possibility I would recommend upgrading to organic ground turkey.
- You can use all white meat turkey or dark and white mixed. I've tried both. You will definitely have a more moist burger if you are using some dark meat.
- Add flavor! Seriously, just salt and pepper will take a turkey burger only so far. Fresh garlic, ginger, and scallions are perfect, fresh herbs, mustard, or hot sauce work equally well.
- Add moisture. Turkey can be hella dry so help it out a little. You can try soy sauce or sesame oil. Honey mustard is amazing in turkey as is chopped apples and fresh sage. Adding moisture makes all the difference.
- Don't overcook! I've found the perfect strategy is to cook on the stove top for several minutes until one side of the burger is browned and then put in the oven for 10 minutes to finish cooking. You can use a grill, but be sure to keep an eye on the burgers because they will dry out quickly.
What's so Special about this Korean Turkey Burger Lettuce Wrap?
- It is a healthy well-balanced meal in portable form.
- Flavor x Flavor x Flavor x Flavor
- Loaded with crunchy healthy vegetables and fresh herbs
- Easy to make!
- Perfect for a summer BBQ or party
- Topped with a gochujang mayonnaise sauce that you will seriously want to slather all over everything this summer!
Basically, this is THE turkey burger recipe. You honestly don't need another one in your life. Just make Korean turkey burgers forever and ever and you will die happy. The end.
Korean Turkey Burger Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 2 tsp freshly grated ginger
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp gochujang sauce
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp avocado oil
Gochujang Mayonnaise Sauce
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tsp gochujang
- 1 tsp soy sauce
Toppings
- Lettuce Leaves I used boston or bibb lettuce leaves
- kimchi
- carrots
- cucumber
- fresh cilantro leaves
- avocado
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- In a medium bowl combine scallions, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, gochujang sauce, salt, and pepper. Add ground turkey and breadcrumbs and using a wooden spoon (or ideally your hands) mix all together until well combined.
- Form into 6 patties, set aside.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add avocado oil.Gently place burgers inside skillet and cook for 4 minutes. Flip over and transfer pan to oven. Cook for an additional 10 minutes, remove from oven and allow to rest for 3 minutes.
- While turkey burgers are in the oven make your gochujang mayo by whisking together mayonnaise, gochujang, and soy sauce. Set aside.
- To assemble the lettuce wraps: Place lettuce leaves on a large platter. Line lettuce leaves with sliced avocado, shredded carrot, and sliced cucumber. Top with turkey burgers, gochujang mayo, kimchi and fresh cilantro.
Notes
For Gluten Free:
- Use tamari instead of soy sauce
- Replace breadcrumbs with gluten free breadcrumbs
For Paleo/Keto:
- Replace breadcrumbs with 1/4 cup almond flour
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