Tuna Burgers with Wasabi Ginger Mayo
Now, that's a burger.
You start with lots of fresh ginger and scallions.
The key to great burgers is excellent, fresh tuna.
You want to chop it pretty finely -- it should look almost like ground meat.
Surprise! It's Jennifer. She generously took on tuna burger duty for the photo shoot, since I was away this week.
Don't be shy with the pepper!
A little egg will hold everything together -- even though it may not look like it.
While the burgers are chilling briefly, it's time for the wasabi mayo. We prefer the prepared wasabi that comes in a tube, but you can use the powdered kind if you like.
Lots of pickled ginger rounds out the trio.
Jennifer slices the cucumber (seedless) into ribbons.
I liked these burgers medium/medium-well, but if you're a stickler for pink tuna, by all means stop them earlier.
Look at that golden crust, and the toasty scallions peeking out!
Edit Recipe Add Photos
merrill says: Recently, I dug out a recipe for tuna burgers that I used to make all the time. I came across the original recipe in a Williams-Sonoma cookbook called Fresh & Light and fell in love with its clean, fresh flavors. Chopped sushi-grade tuna is mixed with fresh ginger and scallions, molded into patties, pan fried and then topped with cucumber, sprouts and a zippy pickled ginger and wasabi-infused mayonnaise.
I've altered the proportions over the years, upping the wasabi and fresh ginger, and I use a full egg instead of the recommended egg white, as well as regular mayo instead of fat-free. Instead of stopping at medium-rare, I like to cook the burgers just through -- I find that a little bit of heat makes the ginger and scallions really sing. And finally, I serve the tuns burgers on brioche rolls instead of the sesame bagels called for in the original -- they make for a much more delicate burger, and their richness is a nice complement to all the clean, fresh flavors.
Serves 6
Tuna Burgers
- 4 scallions, white and light green parts only, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup minced fresh ginger
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 1/2 pound sushi-grade ahi tuna, chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 English cucumber
- 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
- 1 box broccoli or alfalfa sprouts
- 6 brioche rolls
Wasabi Ginger Mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons prepared wasabi
- 6 tablespoons finely chopped pickled ginger (the pink, sweet kind you get with sushi)
- Combine the scallions, ginger, egg and tuna in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Form the mixture into 6 patties (they will be quite loose), set on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Put the burgers in the fridge for at least 15 minutes to firm up a little.
- Meanwhile, slice the cucumber into wide ribbons using a peeler and make the wasabi ginger mayonnaise: stir together the mayonnaise, wasabi and pickled ginger. Add a little water if needed to thin the mayo. Cover and set aside.
- Set a large, nonstick pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon oil. When the oil is hot, add the burgers to the pan in batches. Cook until golden brown on the bottom, about three minutes. Flip and cook for another few minutes, until just cooked through (you can stop the burgers at medium rare, but I like them closer to medium/medium-well). Keep in a warm place while you cook the rest of the burgers.
- Toast the buns and serve the burgers on top, with a generous dollop of the wasabi mayonnaise, a handful of sprouts and a few ribbons of cucumber.
- This recipe is a Community Pick!
Share
- ✉
-
10 months ago RoastedBeet
How finely did everyone chop the tuna?
over 1 year ago Arathi
I made these a couple days ago and they were excellent! The wasabi-ginger mayo was the perfect condiment. I almost skipped getting the pickled ginger to avoid a trip to the store - really glad I didn't. Thanks for the recipe, will definitely be making this a lot this summer!
over 1 year ago merrill
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
So glad you liked them!
over 1 year ago Skillians
What would you think of adding just a little panko before grilling them, to add some cohesion?
over 1 year ago merrill
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
Interesting idea. Let me know if you try it.
12 months ago lydiabee
I made these the other night for dinner--fantastic. I took Skillians idea and added some panko to the mixture, and they held together really well. So fresh, delicious and easy to prepare--I'll be adding these to my dinner rotation.
over 1 year ago lucy_leverty_bernard
I think I know what's for dinner! Thanks. This looks wonderful.
over 1 year ago inpatskitchen
This looks lovely!!
over 1 year ago merrill
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
Thank you!
over 1 year ago merrill
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
Thanks! And good call on the grilling.
over 1 year ago sdebrango
Delicious! I bet they would be fantastic on the grill also.