Thai Turkey Burgers with Asian Slaw, Cucumber Ribbons & Spicy Aioli. Light, healthy, Delicious! Easy to make.
Earlier this spring, I hosted a birthday gathering at my house for a couple of friends. I think I’ve mentioned this before – I’ve been meeting with a group of women every thursday night for the past 20 years. The group shifts, a few have come and gone through the years, and not everyone is present every single thursday night, but for the most part, we gather as best we can, to eat, drink and commune. Together we ride the waves of our lives, supported, held up, loved. It is truly one of the best things in my life, and birthdays are extra special. We make a big deal of them, celebrating and honoring each other, and taking the pressure off our spouses.
So it was at one of these birthday celebrations, these Thai Turkey Burgers came to be. Infused with fresh lemongrass, ginger, lime zest, shallots and basil, they are full of flavor. They are topped with an Asian Slaw and fresh cucumber ribbons, and the buns are lathered with a spicy aioli. They can be grilled or pan-seared, and are perfect for weekend barbecues, a much lighter alternative to beef.
Tis’ the season to fire up the BBQ!
The cucumber ribbons and Crunchy Asian slaw add refreshing texture and flavor.
And then there is the spicy aioli….easy and yummy. Mix Spicy Chili sauce like…. Sriracha, with either mayo or tarter. That’s it.
For an even lighter option, serve in butter lettuce wraps and go totally bread free.
Add picked onions, spicy greens, avocado, sprouts….or even pickled radishes would be good!
Thai Turkey Burgers with Asian Slaw, Cucumber Ribbons & Spicy Aioli. Light, healthy, Delicious! Easy to make.
PrintThai Turkey Burgers with Crunchy Asian Slaw
Thai Turkey Burgers infused with lemongrass, ginger and basil, served with a Crunchy Asian Slaw and Spicy Aioli. Serve this on a tasty bun, in a lettuce wrap or over grains and greens for healthy bowl.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 3-4 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Grilled
- Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients
Turkey Burger:
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 3 tablespoons shallot, very finely diced
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh grated, or chopped ginger
- 2 garlic cloves- finely minced
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped lemongrass
- 1– 2 tablespoons chopped basil
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 scallion, chopped
- ½ – 1 jalapeño, seeded, finely chopped ( or substitute 1 Tablespoon sriracha sauce, or red chili sauce)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce ( don’t leave this out)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper- optional
Crunchy Asian Slaw:
- 1 cup grated carrots
- 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons lime juice ( or rice wine vinegar)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper
Spicy Aioli:
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise or tarter sauce
- 1–2 tablespoons sriracha or chili garlic sauce
Optional Additions: Toasted Buns, Cucumber Ribbons, pickled red onions ( yum), Pickled radishes, spicy greens like watercress, sprouts, avocado
Instructions
- Preheat Grill to medium high.
- Combine all the burger ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well using hands. Shape into 3 burgers. Place on a plate in the fridge.
- Toss the slaw ingredients together in a medium bowl.
- Mix the spicy aioli ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Grill patties on a pre-heated grill or pan sear in a skillet until deeply golden, finishing in a warm oven.
- Toast the buns.
- Spread aioli on the bottom bun, top with the patty, then the slaw, cucumber ribbons ( optional) , more aioli, then top bun. Enjoy!!
- NOTES: To make cucumber ribbons, use a veggie peeler to make long thing slices. No need to peel English or Turkish cucumbers, but do peel those with thick waxy skins. The burger patties can be made a ahead and refrigerated until ready to grill.
Keywords: turkey burgers, turkey burger recipes, thai burgers, thai burger recipe, turkey burgers thai
75
Mary says
May 25, 2016 at 8:08 pmHello, love your blog but there is a new “Sign up for weekly deliciousness!” feature that makes my computer run so hard. My computer is generally strong and can handle any site, but this feature slows down scrolling and makes my computer run so hot, I have to leave the site after a few seconds. fyi.
Sylvia Fountaine says
May 25, 2016 at 10:10 pmOk thanks! Appreciate you telling me.
Robin | CaliGirl Cooking says
May 26, 2016 at 10:20 amThese look absolutely delicious! I was just thinking about making some burgers this weekend for the holiday 😉 Might have to try these!
Sylvia Fountaine says
May 26, 2016 at 2:56 pmThanks I hope you do!
Tonya Carlson says
May 26, 2016 at 10:46 amThese are so yummy and light! Thanks for posting the recipe!
Finn says
May 27, 2016 at 2:17 pmThis sounds phenomenal, Sylvia! Cannot wait to try this out.
Sylvia Fountaine says
May 27, 2016 at 7:24 pmThanks Finn!
Michelle says
May 29, 2016 at 6:13 pmAmazing flavors! The whole family loved these.
Sylvia Fountaine says
June 2, 2016 at 10:11 pmAwesome, glad you enjoyed!
Sara says
June 8, 2016 at 3:17 pmSome of the best burgers we have made yet! Fantastic flavors that our whole family loved. Delicious!
Sylvia Fountaine says
June 8, 2016 at 3:59 pmYay!!! Thank you!
Zina says
June 14, 2016 at 8:22 amI made these for dinner the other night. I used plain ground turkey (not turkey breast) and cooked them on a non-stick grilling mat because they were so juicy. At first they looked a bit messy (like “soup” my husband said), but as they cooked, they turned into perfect patties. They were so delicious! I made a double portion of the Asian slaw in lieu of using buns.
Patricia says
August 21, 2016 at 3:58 pmMade these tonight and we loved them. So much flavor and simply to put together. Will certainly make these again.
★★★★
Sylvia Fountaine says
August 22, 2016 at 7:24 amYay! I really like them too…thanks for sharing!
Rima Alaily says
September 4, 2016 at 7:14 pmI made these for dinner tonight. The whole family loved them! My 8-year old liked them so much that he even suggested that I make them again. What a success! Thanks for the great recipe.
★★★★★
Sylvia Fountaine says
September 6, 2016 at 7:45 amThanks Rima- that is awesome!
Sandra simpson says
December 17, 2017 at 5:45 amDelicious
★★★★★
Yendys says
February 2, 2019 at 5:55 amThese burgers are fantastic! Ground turkey is often bland, but this recipe has inspired me to use it more often. I made it as listed, except I didn’t have lemongrass or basil, and I substituted pasilla peppers for the jalapeno so I didn’t have to go to the store. SO GOOD! I have forwarded the recipe to several friends and will put it in the regular rotation.
Lillian McNally says
February 7, 2019 at 7:40 pmBursting with flavor! Made as lettuce wrap burger and was delicious! Thank you again, love your recipes and website!! Lillian
★★★★★
Sylvia Fountaine says
February 8, 2019 at 6:36 amLove that thanks for sharing Lillian!
Annette says
March 20, 2019 at 2:57 pmYou failed to mention when the burger ingredients stop and slaw ingredients start in your directions.😧
Sylvia Fountaine says
March 20, 2019 at 7:54 pmThey are separated in the ingredients list.
Anonymous says
May 5, 2019 at 11:46 amSo good!
★★★★★
Sylvia Fountaine says
May 6, 2019 at 8:17 amGreat to hear! thanks!