This Asian turkey burger salad is served with a creamy peanut dressing. It’s got all the flavors of a Thai dish in a healthy salad.
So, I have a husband again. It’s kinda weird, not gonna lie.
It almost feels like the first week of dating all over again except minus my awkward 17 year old self and the anxiety of whether or not the night would end in a kiss. Duh, we’re married, it doesn’t.
Kidding.
Among all the other things I have to get used to again, (sharing my bed, dealing with lifted up toilet seats, the disappearance of a bunch of bananas in 2 days flat & not spending every waking hour in front of my computer so we can actually communicate) I also need to start cooking dinner for 2 (which is really more like 4 since he eats about 3 servings).
What better way to start than with a burger?
Total man food.
Except I de-manned (upon googling whether or not that is an actual word, I found the urban dictionary definition for it. Please refrain from educating yourself on that definition. It’s not what I’m going for here) it by smashing it all up in a salad.
But considering Ulysses’ alcohol of choice is the sweetest of the hard ciders you can possibly drink, he deserves the feminization of his burger in my opinion.
Honestly, I don’t really care if you put this Asian turkey burger on a salad or stuff it in a bun, just find a way to get this peanut dressing all over it because once you taste it, you’re going to want to drown your face in it.
Death by peanut butter sauce… Not a bad way to go.
If you’re into the burger on a salad thing, try these burger bowls too. They’re everything you crave in a fast food takeout burger even down to the burger sauce with a healthier spin!

Asian Turkey Burger Salad with Peanut Dressing
Ingredients
For the Burger
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 1/2 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves chopped
- 1 small onion chopped (about 1/3 cup)
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil for cooking
- freshly ground black pepper
For the Salad
- 1/2 head of bibb lettuce chopped
- 1/2 head of red leaf lettuce chopped
- 1/4 head of a small red cabbage sliced
- 1/2 pint cherry or grape tomatoes sliced in half
- 1 small red onion sliced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
For the Dressing
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- water for thinning out if necessary
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients for the burger in a large bowl.
- Mix together with clean hands until combined.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with the coconut oil.
- Once hot, form the turkey mixture into 4 patties and cook in skillet for about 3-5 minutes per side or until cooked all the way through.
- Set cooked burgers aside.
- In the same skillet, heat the olive oil & butter in the salad ingredients over medium heat.
- Once hot, add the sliced red onion.
- Let saute until the onions start to caramelize.
- Meanwhile, combine the remaining salad components in serving bowls.
- While the onions cook, also combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. Add water in tablespoon increments if you want to thin the dressing out.
- Once the onions are sufficiently caramelized to your liking, place them on top of the salad.
- Slice the burgers and arrange on top of the salad bowls.
- Drizzle the dressing over top and serve.
Nutrition Facts
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.
Gina Matsoukas is the writer, founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients as much as possible. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
Hannah
Monday 20th of April 2015
Hi I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious. I made it gluten and soy free using a little soy sauce substitute with this easy recipe you can find here
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe-Tools/Print/Recipe.aspx?recipeID=92873&origin=detail&servings=32&metric=false.
Thanks Hannah
Kelli H (Made in Sonoma)
Tuesday 11th of June 2013
I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! I only used 1 type of lettuce, but it was awesome!
Running to the Kitchen
Wednesday 12th of June 2013
yay! so glad you liked it :)
Jan @ Sprout n Squats
Saturday 1st of June 2013
Yum those look super delicious! I've never made turkey burgers before but love this recipe so I've bookmarked it to give it a go.
Kammie @ Sensual Appeal
Friday 31st of May 2013
Oh hey - I'm drooooling over here! :)
Rachel @ Baked by Rachel
Friday 31st of May 2013
I love that you through it on a salad because seriously I don't eat burgers with a bun. I should start eating them like this instead of as is. Way more interesting.