Turkey Burgers with Sriracha Mayo

Pappa’s got a brand new grill. Or rather, my husband does, and it is undoubtedly his favorite new toy. He had free reign (within means, of course) to purchase his grill of choice, and I let him run with it. In fact, I wasn’t all that interested in getting a grill in the first place. Until it arrived in all its shiny-black-with-stainless-steel-accents glory. How could I not have been more excited about this?

Obviously, I did not fully grasp the potential of this miraculous cooking machine that heats up to ridiculously high temperature in 60 seconds or less. The benefits, as I now see the light, are twofold. First, I have an excuse to try a whole slew of new grilling recipes just in time for summer. Second, my husband is going to cook more. Actually, let me rephrase: my husband is going to want to and beg to cook more. My lack of excitement for this grill situation was clearly unfounded. I must now make up for precious lost time by testing the capabilities of my *ahem* my husband’s new toy every chance I get.

So what was the first recipe we chose to cook on our new grill? Burgers. But not just any burger. An Asian-style Turkey Burger with Sriracha mayo. I’m sure many of you burger purists would wince at such an anomaly. But I have no regrets with veering from the classic for our first ever new grill experience. This was up there with one of the best turkey burgers I’ve ever tasted. And that Sriracha mayo is a thing of beauty. Summer, here I come, tongs in hand.

Asian Turkey Burgers with Sriracha Mayo

Adapted from Seriouseats.com

For the mayo:
3 tablespoons mayonnaise (we used grapeseed oil Veganaise instead)
1 tablespoon Sriracha

For the burgers:
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey, 99% lean
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro (optional if you are not a cilantro fan)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 scallions, finely chopped
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Additional ingredients:
Hamburger buns or fresh rolls
Tomato slices
Bibb lettuce or mixed greens

Directions:

For the Sriracha mayo, mix together the mayonnaise and Sriracha in a small bowl and set aside.

For the burgers, place all remaining ingredients in a large bowl and mix together with your hands until just fully incorporated. Try not to over mix to keep the meat tender. Scoop out handfuls of the mixture to form into patties. Repeat with the remaining mixture until all used.

Grill the burgers until well browned on both sides and an instant read thermometer registers 165 degrees when inserted into the middle of the burger, about 5 to 7 minutes per side.

While the burgers are grilling, place the buns cut side down on the grill and cook until lightly browned. Remove from the grill and spread some Sriracha mayo on each side of the buns. Place the finished burgers on the buns, top with lettuce and tomato slices, and serve.