Name: Niloufer Ichaporia King’s Turkey (or Chicken or Pork) Parsi Burgers
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 pound ground turkey, chicken, or lean pork; 1 small red or yellow onion, or 4 green onions, finely chopped; 6 slices peeled fresh ginger, finely chopped; 2 to 4 small green chiles like jalapeño, finely chopped (seeds and white ribs removed if you don’t want it too spicy); 1/2 cup (or more) chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves and stems; 1/4 cup chopped mint leaves (optional); 1 large egg; Salt

Niloufer Ichaporia King’s Turkey (or Chicken or Pork) Parsi Burgers

Photo by Ty Mecham

Test Kitchen-Approved

Author Notes

Lean meat, as a rule, needs help. Here, inspired by traditional Parsi kebabs, Niloufer Ichaporia King jams it full of moisture (and flavor) with a mess of herbs, alliums, ginger, and chiles. There is a greater proportion of raw vegetable matter here than you might have thought wise to mix into a burger. But every last bit has just enough time to soften and release its bright, herby, spicy vapors and juices into the burgers as they sizzle, fixing both of the problems meat lacking in fat tends to have: severe deficits in flavor and moisture. Adapted slightly from My Bombay Kitchen (University of California Press, 2007). —Genius Recipes

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Niloufer Ichaporia King’s Turkey (or Chicken or Pork) Parsi Burgers

Prep time 20 minutes
Cook time 10 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey, chicken, or lean pork
1 small red or yellow onion, or 4 green onions, finely chopped
6 slices peeled fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 to 4 small green chiles like jalapeño, finely chopped (seeds and white ribs removed if you don’t want it too spicy)
¹/₂ cup (or more) chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves and stems
¹/₄ cup chopped mint leaves (optional)
1 large egg
Salt

In This Recipe

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Directions

In a bowl, mix together the ground turkey, onion, ginger, chiles, fresh coriander, mint if you like, and egg. Season with salt and mix thoroughly. (If you want to check the seasoning to taste, fry off a little tester patty.) Shape into 4 to 6 flat patties
Heat a cast-iron skillet with a thin film of oil. Moderately high heat is better than a blazing-hot pan, which can char the meat before the insides are cooked. Fry the burgers on both sides until brown, about 5 to 10 minutes a side, depending on the thickness. To be certain the meat is cooked through, an instant-read thermometer should read 165°F, but this recipe is forgiving even if you overcook it. Serve as you like—King recommends a baked potato and a simple green salad with avocado.

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10 Reviews

Linda December 9, 2019

I've made this numerous times...it's a super yummy recipe! It's flavorful and juicy...not dry at all like turkey burgers can sometimes be. I believe the ginger adds to the juiciness!

Anja September 1, 2019

How thick is a slice of ginger? That seems like such an odd measurement, especially when there is such a precise number of slices. What is that in table/teaspoons, or mass in grams?

Dylan September 1, 2019

As thick as you want it

violist December 9, 2019

Anja, I like to you use a microplane grater for ginger. The taste is better distributed and I like that I can scoop it into a teaspoon or tablespoon.

Dylan July 11, 2019

Yes on the chili burn that’s why you should wear gloves

Susanna July 5, 2019

Will this work on a grill, or will the burgers fall apart?

Ryan July 6, 2019

I cooked them on the grill today. They would be better in the cast iron. Flavor was excellent!

Dylan July 11, 2019

Works fine on a nicely oiled grill pan

Laura January 22, 2019

Delicious! I'm always looking for new and interesting ways to cook lean proteins and these are indeed very flavorful and juicy.

liz January 16, 2019

I have definitely, on multiple occasions, burned my hands with capsaicin. That's why I ALWAYS double-glove now when working with chiles.