Back in 2009, when this blog was a baby and so were my kids, I posted a Thai peanut turkey burger that my family absolutely devoured. And then I promptly forgot about for fifteen years... until now.
I've been developing recipes for 18 years and written two cookbooks, and this is me putting that reputation on the line: turkey burgers can be juicy, bold, and absolutely worth making. Let me prove it to you.
Why These Are the Best Thai Turkey Burgers
When I rediscovered these recently, my kids, now (mostly developed) humans with opinions, declared it one of the best burgers I've ever made. And honestly? It reminded me why I started making turkey burgers in the first place.
When you do them right — fresh ginger, garlic, shredded carrot, and a peanut sauce that goes both IN the patty and on top — they are anything but dry and boring. It's what you put in the patty that makes all the difference, like in my Shawarma Turkey Burgers that have shredded zucchini.
Ingredients
For the Turkey Burger Patties
- Ground turkey: Very lean, but needs help. You can also use ground chicken which has slightly more fat + flavor. If you use ground pork, I'd suggest doing half pork, half turkey/chicken so avoid the burgers being too greasy.
- Shredded carrot: Buy it pre-shredded or pull out the grater and get a good arm workout for 2 minutes.
- Fresh ginger: Please don't use ground ginger. Pro tip: keep your ginger in the freezer so it's always fresh to use and microplane it FROZEN. Better yet, buy frozen ginger cubes. I get them at Trader Joe's, but I've seen them in other grocery stores.
- Fresh garlic: Same as above. Please use fresh or at least pre-minced in the jar.
- Chili garlic sauce: Like sambal oelek or sriracha, if you want a little more kick
- Sea salt: Makes the world go round.
For the Thai Peanut Sauce
- Peanut Butter: I use natural peanut butter from Costco. Smooth.
- Rice vinegar: Gives it that tang we all love
- Honey: Whatever you have will work
- Fresh ginger: Grate the ginger for this at the same time as for the patties.
- Soy sauce or tamari: Use tamari if you need the sauce to be gluten free
- Chili garlic sauce: Like sambal oelek or sriracha, if you want more kick.
- Turmeric: Gives it some warmth and brightens the color.
- Sea salt: Must have.
For Serving
- Buns or lettuce wraps: Depends on how you'd like to serve these. I've even made them into rice bowls and mmmmmm.
- Marinated Cucumbers: Just thinly sliced cucumber slices in a brine with rice vinegar, water, salt, & sugar. Simple, but makes a big impact.
How to Make Thai Turkey Burgers
Make the Peanut Sauce First
This will go on the burgers AND in the patty so you'll want to get this prepped first. I do this over the stove so the peanut butter blends with everything else really well and the flavors meld. Just whisk everything together with some water, adjusting as needed to make it as thin or thin as you prefer.
Mix and Form the Patties
Blend the ground turkey with the other patty ingredients. Be gentle, and don't overmix. If your hands are wet it'll keep them from sticking to the turkey as much. And if you like, you can make a slight indentation in the center of each patty to prevent them from puffing up.
Cook the Burgers
Grill the burgers on a BBQ grill or grill pan on the stove. Or even in a skillet. Cook, flipping once or twice until you reach an internal temperature of 165°F. Let it rest for a few minutes before building your burgers.
Assemble
Add peanut sauce to your bun, top with the patty, more peanut sauce and a pile of marinated cucumbers.
The Secret to Juicy Turkey Burgers
After nailing turkey burger after turkey burger, I've figured out how to make them juicy and flavorful!
- Add something with moisture. This might seem obvious because moisture adds moisture, right? Adding shredded carrots (or zucchini, or another quick cooking shredded veg that makes sense here) adds moisture, sweetness, and substance.
- Add a little fat. Adding some of the peanut sauce gives the meat a little richness lacking because turkey is so lean.
- Don't overcook them. Use a meat thermometer! Pull them from the grill when they reach 160F and let them rest. They should land at 165F a few minutes later.
Serving Ideas and Variations
Bun vs. Lettuce Wrap
If buns aren't your thing -- whether you're paleo/Whole30 or eating gluten free and gluten free buns make you sad (honestly, same), try wrapping them in iceberg or leafy green lettuce.
What to Serve with Thai Turkey Burgers
Here are a few things that would go really well with these burgers!
Grilled Sweet Potato Wedges with Hot Honey
Instant Pot Garlic Ginger Rice
Make It a Bowl
Make a rice bowl! Serve the patty over jasmine rice with the peanut sauce, cucumber, and shredded carrot. I love doing this with all kinds of burgers. You could even make a salad out of it if you're watching your carbs or counting macros.
Make Ahead and Storage
Turkey patties can be made ahead of time and stored raw for a couple day for cooked for about a week. The peanut sauce keeps for about a week or so, too. You could do a really great meal prep situation with these because the cucumbers keep getting better as the days pass.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pack them together well, but not TOO tightly. It also helps to have some kind of binder The peanut sauce helps here since it's sticky. You could try adding a beaten egg white, too.
The shredded carrot (or zucchini) helps a lot! It also helps to add a little fat back into the meat. In this recipe, the peanut sauce takes care of it. Not overcooking them helps the most. Use a meat thermometer!
For sure! I love ground chicken and use them interchangeably.
The turkey patties, peanut sauce, and cucumbers are. You can definitely use a gluten free bun or use one of the gluten free suggestions above.
It should reach 165F. I pull mine from the grill around 160F and let them rest so the residual heat finishes cooking them and they don't dry out.
You can do either! Or even a grill pan on the stove. They're very versatile.
The base for the sauce is peanut butter, rice vinegar, and honey. A bit of fresh ginger, tamari (or soy sauce), chili sauce, and turmeric round it out nicely.
More Turkey and Burger Recipes
Here are a few more of my favorite turkey burgers and other types of burgers!
Turkey Burger with Zucchini (love the Shawarma Seasoning in this one!)
Bacon Burger (don't skimp on the Bacon Jam here)
If you make one of my recipes, I'd love to see! Post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!
Thai Turkey Burgers with Peanut Sauce
These Thai-inspired turkey burgers have ginger, garlic, and shredded carrot mixed right into the patty for moisture and flavor. The creamy, sweet peanut sauce plays double duty in the patty AND as a condiment to take it over the top.
Ingredients
For the peanut sauce
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 6 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons honey
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
- 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, grated or minced
- 1 teaspoon sambal oelek or sriracha
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
For the burger patties
- 1 pound ground turkey or chicken
- 1 medium carrot, grated (about 1 cup packed)
- 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, grated or minced
- 1 Tablespoon fresh garlic, grated or minced
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
For assembly
- Marinated cucumbers or thinly sliced English cucumbers tossed in rice vinegar
- Buns or lettuce for wrapping
Instructions
- Combine all of the peanut sauce ingredients in a small saucepan with ½ cup of water. Whisk and heat on medium until the peanut butter has been incorporated into the mixture and thickens.
- Preheat your BBQ grill or stovetop grill pan. Put the ground turkey in a medium bowl, add the grated carrot, ginger, garlic, salt, and ¼ cup of the finished peanut sauce. Use your hands to gently mix everything together and form 4 patties.
- Grill the patties for about 5-6 min on each side -- until the internal temperature reaches 160-165F. Remove them from the grill and let them rest for 5 minutes.
- Build your burgers by putting some peanut sauce on the bottom, add the patty, more peanut sauce, and a pile of marinated cucumbers.
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1 burgerAmount Per Serving Calories 712Total Fat 51gSaturated Fat 11gUnsaturated Fat 40gCholesterol 122mgSodium 1179mgCarbohydrates 28gFiber 4gSugar 13gProtein 43g
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
