Asian-Inspired Tuna Burger
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Transform fresh tuna into a burger patty and top it with a flavorful, Asian flavored sauce.
Author:
Recipe type: Seafood
Cuisine: Seafood
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • ~1¼ lbs. fresh tuna
  • 4 scallions, minced (mostly white parts)
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled & grated
  • 1" piece fresh ginger, peeled & grated
  • 5-6 stalks fresh lemongrass, peeled, mashed & minced (use the inner core, not the tough outside layers)
  • 1 tsp. lemon zest
  • 2 Tb. mayonnaise
  • 1 Tb. toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tsp. reduced sodium soy sauce
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt
  • Several grinds fresh black pepper
  • 2+ Tb. coconut oil, olive oil or grapeseed oil
  • ½ c. Panko bread flakes
  • 2-3 Tb. sesame seeds
Instructions
  1. Keep tuna refrigerated until ready to prepare.
  2. Chop tuna into ½" pieces with a very sharp knife; transfer to a mixing bowl.
  3. Add scallions, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, lemon zest, mayonnaise, sesame oil, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Mix gently to combine. Refrigerate about 20 minutes before preparing patties.
  4. When ready to cook, add oil to a large non-stick pan and heat to medium/high.
  5. In a shallow dish, add Panko and sesame seeds (along with a pinch of salt) and mix to combine.
  6. Divide the tuna mixture into 4 portions and form patties for each,
  7. Place one patty at a time into the Panko mixture - coat each side well. The patties will be soft, but with gentle handling, they'll do fine.
  8. Add each coated patty to the hot oil (depending on the size of your pan, it may be best to cook 2 at a time so they cook evenly).
  9. Cook 1st side about 2 minutes, then flip carefully (the 1st side should be nicely browned). Cook the other side about 2 minutes, then serve immediately. (Note: if you like your tuna with a lot of pink inside, simply reduce the cooking time for the 2nd side. Because these are relatively thick patties, there should still be a fair amount of pink color on the inside, but it's all based on personal preference. I like mine a little on the 'more done' side).
Notes
If you cannot find fresh lemongrass, just use 1-2 more teaspoons of lemon zest.
Recipe by My Delicious Blog at https://www.mydeliciousblog.com/asian-tuna-burger/