Thai Tuna Burgers with Ginger-Lemon Mayonnaise

Fresh ginger, basil and Asian fish sauce spice up finely chopped fresh tuna.

Thai Tuna Burger with Ginger-Lemon Mayonnaise recipe
Makes: 4 burgers
Prep Time: 30 plus 20 of refrigeration minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Recipe Created By: Kristen Winston Catering
Featured In: Tennessee Home & Farm

Ingredients

Thai Tuna Burgers:

  • Kirby cucumbers, thinly sliced
  • ¼ medium red onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely grated
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 serrano chili, seeded and minced
  • 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon basil, finely chopped
  • 1 ½ pounds sushi-quality tuna (available from grocery)
  • 1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Asian sesame oil
  • 4 hamburger buns
  • 2 tablespoons dry-roasted peanuts, finely chopped

Ginger-Lemon Mayonnaise:

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons scallion greens, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely grated
  •  zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • freshly ground pepper

Instructions

  1. Prepare cucumber salad: Toss the cucumbers, onions, vinegar, 1 tablespoon of the sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Generously season with pepper and let stand for about an hour at room temperature.
  2. Meanwhile, in a second medium bowl, mash to a paste with the back of a spoon: ginger, garlic, chili and remaining teaspoon of sugar. Stir in fish sauce, cilantro and basil.
  3. Thinly slice the tuna on a clean cutting board. Stack slices and cut into matchstick-size pieces. Cut these pieces into cubes, and chop until they are about 1/8 inch.
  4. Add the chopped tuna to the ginger paste and stir until evenly combined.
  5. Lightly moisten hands and shape the tuna mixture into four patties about 1-inch thick. Place on a plate lined with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
  6. Prepare Ginger-Lemon Mayonnaise: Combine all of the ingredients. Mix well.
  7. Light the grill and brush the grate, tuna patties and cut sides of the buns with a mixture of the vegetable and sesame oils.
  8. Grill the burgers for 6 minutes, turning once, for medium rare. Move away from the heat and grill the cut sides of the buns until toasted.
  9. Drain the cucumber salad. Spread Ginger-Lemon Mayonnaise on the buns and place the tuna burgers on the bottoms. Top with the cucumber salad and peanuts. Cover with top bun and serve.

Tips & Notes

The hearty, dense buns found in your grocer’s bakery section hold up well with this burger recipe.

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