Thai Peanut Turkey Burger Sliders

thaipeanutsliders

Kim Kardashian‘s doing it. So are Alec Baldwin, Mariska Hargitay and Anna Kournikova (looks like her new gig has given her a reason to start updating.) Heck, even my brother showed up to the party. (Isn’t he cute?) What are we all doing? Blogging, of course.

Some people assume that starting a blog must be really difficult. On the flipside, more and more are realizing how incredibly easy it is to create an account and get that first post up. Have you noticed that the number of blogs available to read seems to be increasing exponentially by the minute? So much that blogging may just be the latest trendy pastime? It’s because of this that people are often surprised to learn that I’ve been blogging for over four years. In blog years, that makes me old enough to be a grandmother. (I think that makes Julie Powell a great, great grandmother.)

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I have no idea how many people were following me back then, because I hardly knew what Google Analytics was (for non-bloggies, this is how we see how many people are stalking us.) I assume the number was quite small, and comprised mostly of friends and family. To Mom, Kate, Suzy, Beth, and others, I know this recipe sounds like old news. But hear me out. It’s because of longtime readers like you that that I decided to share it again. Not only have I made this recipe over and over again, so have you. That’s why I know it’s good.

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Good enough to be worth sharing with all the newbies (hi!) who have joined me along the way and don’t deserve to go another moment without this recipe. I know you’ll back me up on this thought: that as soon as they try it, they won’t know how they lived so long without it. I bet you’ll also agree that this recipe doesn’t deserve to sit forever in the dungeons of ugliness. No, it deserved a little makeover, a fresh new look. Which is why I’m presenting my Thai Peanut Turkey Burgers in the form of sliders, served in lettuce wraps.

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That’s right, we’re all getting our groove on about a turkey burger. Of course, it’s not just any turkey burger, trying unsuccessfully to disguise itself as an all beef patty. What fun would that be? Instead, this turkey burger takes on a life of its own with creamy peanut butter, sweet carrots, toasty sesame oil, and kickin’ chili garlic sauce. After you try this burger, I can promise you one thing: the next time someone whines, “Are turkey burgers really as good as beef?” you’ll confidently answer, “No, they’re better.”

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Thai Peanut Turkey Burgers
Slightly Adapted from A Good Appetite and originally published on Cara’s Cravings April 5th, 2009

Printable Recipe

Makes 2 servings (2 regular sized burgers, or about 20 miniature “sliders”)

8oz 93% lean ground turkey
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 large scallion, minced
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
freshly ground salt & pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

2 tablespoons light mayonnaise, preferably olive-oil based
handful of cilantro, finely minced
1-2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
water, to thin, if desired

Hamburger buns of your choice + mixed greens, or bibb lettuce leaves for serving

Combine the burger ingredients a mixing bowl and combine thoroughly. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and spray lightly with cooking spray. Form the turkey mixture into 2 large patties, or 16-20 miniature “sliders”. Cook large patties for about 7-10 minutes per side, until cooked through. (Sliders will take 3-5 minutes per side.)

Stir together the mayonnaise, cilantro, and chili garlic sauce, to taste. If you are making sliders, you may want to think the mixture a bit with water so that you can drizzle over your lettuce wraps.

Serve the burgers on buns with cilantro-chili mayo and greens, or with bibb lettuce leaves.

Nutrition Facts

Servings Per Recipe: 2
Amount Per Serving (Includes burgers and cilantro-chili mayo only; does not include hamburger buns or lettuce)

Calories 336.1
Total Fat 21.7 g
Saturated Fat 4.9 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.6 g
Monounsaturated Fat 3.2 g
Cholesterol 85.0 mg
Sodium 397.5 mg
Potassium 147.3 mg
Total Carbohydrate 10.4 g
Dietary Fiber 2.1 g
Sugars 5.5 g
Protein 26.2 g

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41 Responses to “Thai Peanut Turkey Burger Sliders”

  1. 1

    Lora — May 27, 2011 @ 5:50 am Reply

    Always looking for something new to do with ground turkey and this is fantastic!

  2. 2

    raquel Guevarra — May 27, 2011 @ 6:16 am Reply

    Hi I am new in blogging  and I chose food because somehow it is related to my job I will be looking forward to have lots of follower on my blog too..and guess what I kind a love it, I love the food the recipes are really tempting and I love those pictures it is really amazing… I love that cute grilled turkey how I wish I could taste that too. =)Free Nutritional Information

  3. 3

    Cara Craves... — May 27, 2011 @ 11:37 am Reply

    I love how you made them as mini bites!Anything with peanut sauce is a winner in my books.

  4. 4

    Kalynskitchen — May 27, 2011 @ 12:54 pm Reply

    Cara, this sounds like a fantastic recipe.  I love things like this that turn ground turkey into something special!

  5. 5

    Gretchen — May 27, 2011 @ 1:27 pm Reply

    OMG. Making these ASAP.

  6. 6

    Cara — May 27, 2011 @ 1:29 pm Reply

    DO IT. You won't be sorry 🙂 And let me know what you think!

  7. 7

    junia @ mis pensamientos — May 27, 2011 @ 1:43 pm Reply

    i seriously think nut butters make anything taste good!!! great dressing! and i love how the turkey burgers are mini-sized. perfect for lettuce wraps or appetizers! hehe.

  8. 8

    Branappetit — May 27, 2011 @ 1:52 pm Reply

    this is such a great idea! i love the idea of wrapping these instead of having them on a bun. Happy Friday Cara!

  9. 9

    Chrysta — May 27, 2011 @ 4:11 pm Reply

    mmMM perfect high protein meal! Ive been eating my ground turkey a bit plain so I think that this peanut sauce will spice it up nicely.

  10. 10

    Joanne — May 27, 2011 @ 4:26 pm Reply

    I actually totally remember these.  So…does that make me ancient and outdated?  Hmm.And your brother is ADORABLE.  And these are ADORABLE!

  11. 11

    Jennifurla — May 27, 2011 @ 5:35 pm Reply

    These are delectable, pass the plate.  happy weekend.

  12. 12

    raynes29 — May 28, 2011 @ 12:02 am Reply

    Oh.em.gee, these are delicious.  I saw this come up on my reader today and immediately starred them.  I didn't have anything planned for dinner tonight, and figured as I couldn't get these out of my head that they should be dinner. Am I ever glad they were, because, wow, so good.  I had to sub ground chicken for turkey as the grocery store was out of turkey, so I can only seem them being better next time.  My husband and our housemate had them with slider buns and I had mine in lettuce and they were loved by all.Thanks Cara!

  13. 13

    Cara — May 28, 2011 @ 12:05 am Reply

    So glad you liked them! And I guess it was the right decision to blog themagain, right? My mom made them for dinner tonight too 🙂

  14. 14

    Tasha — May 28, 2011 @ 1:40 am Reply

    I am so glad you chose to share these again. I've had turkey hanging out in the freezer, but no inspiration for it. I guess I was just waiting for the right recipe to come along, and this is clearly it. They sound awesome!

  15. 15

    Megan — May 28, 2011 @ 2:17 am Reply

    I'm at about 3 and a half years and have been thinking about rewriting/revamping some old posts. It's a great idea. Especially for a recipe that sounds as good as this one!Hope you have a great weekend!

  16. 16

    Janine @ Not the Kitchen Sink! — May 28, 2011 @ 7:27 am Reply

    I love lettuce, and I love being able to snack on many little bites – your sliders look delicious! And thanks for saving this recipe from your dungeons because I'm definitely trying them out this time!

  17. 17

    Cara — May 28, 2011 @ 9:13 pm Reply

    Thanks Janine, hope you like them!

  18. 18

    Kevin (Closet Cooking) — May 29, 2011 @ 2:10 pm Reply

    These burgers would be so tasty!

  19. 19

    teanybit — May 29, 2011 @ 9:02 pm Reply

    These look amazing, but….I can't stand carrots.  Only veggie I refuse to eat.  I'm guessing they are for moisture, but I'm not sure what other veggie I could sub?  Do they impact the flavor much?

  20. 20

    Cara — May 29, 2011 @ 10:05 pm Reply

    I think they add a nice subtle sweetness, but it would probably be ok toomit them. I don't think you'll notice a strong carrot flavor if you leavethem in either. Enjoy! On May 29, 2011 5:02 PM, "Disqus" <>

  21. 21

    Marla — May 30, 2011 @ 3:38 am Reply

    These little turkey burgers look delicious. I cannot believe you have been blogging for 4 years!! Girl that is awesome. Congrats!!

  22. 22

    Debi — May 30, 2011 @ 7:39 pm Reply

    4 years blogging? Time flies when you're having fun,right?Turkey burgers can suffer from drying out, especially when using the extra lean variety. Adding the peanut butter is a great way to add moisture and flavor; love these little sliders, Cara!

  23. 23

    Amanda L. — May 31, 2011 @ 12:19 am Reply

    These are super adorable!

  24. 24

    grace — May 31, 2011 @ 7:16 am Reply

    grandma cara!  no, that just doesn't sound right. :)great little sliders–the flavors are exciting and appropriate for making ground turkey a little less blah. 

  25. 25

    AndieMitchell — May 31, 2011 @ 3:20 pm Reply

    Cara, these look so wildly flavorful! I'm always hesitant about buying ground turkey- just because it dries out so quickly- but these seem like they're ensured to be moist and tender 🙂

  26. 26

    A Boston Food Diary — June 1, 2011 @ 3:48 pm Reply

    These sound fantastic!  I love the idea of using lettuce wraps with them- Perfect!

  27. 27

    Elina (Healthy and Sane) — June 2, 2011 @ 8:04 pm Reply

    These sound really awesome. I love that you are bringing back old favorites and giving them a (photographic) makeover. I've been thinking about doing the same lately. So many oldies being forgotten… it's a sin. 🙂

  28. 28

    Jared — June 6, 2011 @ 9:31 pm Reply

    I'm glad I got a plug…especially on one of my favorite recipes!

  29. 29

    lindsey — September 3, 2011 @ 12:21 am Reply

    So glad I made these tonight!  I thought they might be good when looking at the recipe, but they were even better than I imagined.  I served them as sliders in the bibb lettuce and was a very happy girl!  Thanks for the recipe!

  30. 30

    Cara — September 3, 2011 @ 12:24 am Reply

    You're so very welcome! Glad you liked them!On Sep 2, 2011 8:21 PM, "Disqus" <>

  31. 31

    Leanne @ Healthful Pursuit — October 5, 2011 @ 9:25 pm Reply

    I'm allergic to peanuts, but really think that I can play with this recipe! I bet sunflower butter would be perfect, or maybe toasted sesame? Thanks for sharing this one with me!

  32. 32

    Gloria Kersh — December 28, 2011 @ 7:08 pm Reply

    I'm going to try these with Gimme Lean Ground Beef (vegan) — they look yummy

  33. 33

    Lindsay — January 18, 2012 @ 4:28 pm Reply

    Cara – can you bake these, almost like a meatball? If so, how long would you bake them for and at what temperature?

    • 33.1

      Cara — January 18, 2012 @ 4:31 pm

      Hi Lindsay, I’ve never done it myself but I’m sure you could. Cooking temp & time would be the same as for a turkey meatball. I would guess at 350 for 30 minutes if you made them the size of normal meatballs. Less time if you make them smaller. You could also broil them for about 3-4 minutes per side.

    • 33.2

      Lindsay — January 19, 2012 @ 11:17 am

      Thanks. I think broiling may be a good option.I want to make a lot for a party, and cooking in a pan would take way too many batches. Would you broil the sliders for 3-4 minutes per sides?

    • 33.3

      Cara — January 19, 2012 @ 11:21 am

      Yes, I would suggest 3-4 minutes per side. But that’s just my guess – the actual cooking time will depend on how big you make, how hot your broiler is, and how close they are to the broiler. So my real advice is to try it out and just watch the first batch carefully, checking until they are cooked through 🙂

  34. 34

    Lindsay — January 19, 2012 @ 11:24 am Reply

    Thanks again! I love all of your recipes 🙂

  35. 35

    Elina (Healthy and Sane) — January 29, 2012 @ 10:45 am Reply

    Made these yesterday for lunch and loved them! They remind me of the turkey meatball banh mis I make except the carrots are in the burgers here, not outside 🙂

  36. 36

    Kristi Rimkus — January 29, 2012 @ 11:41 am Reply

    It’s true, there are bloggers everywhere. It’s so much fun! Like you, I’ve been at it for 3 years, and for us foodie bloggers, there’s a lot more to it then I ever thought there would be when I first started. Love your turkey burgers!

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  38. 37

    cari-lynn fisher — February 6, 2014 @ 7:27 pm Reply

    loved the original and think the kids and scott will love the slider version, dinner in my tower garden lettuce next week!

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