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Caesar Salad Poultry Burgers

Photo: Christina Holmes

BY Mark Bittman

PUBLISHED July 25, 2025

To avoid the biggest challenge of chicken or turkey burgers—dryness—you need to compensate for the leanness of the meat. In this case, I incorporate a shortcut Caesar dressing that is also used for serving. Some tips: Be sure to chill the burgers until they’re firm before grilling. If the outside browns too much before the inside cooks through, move them to a cooler side of the grill to finish. And finally, make sure to coat the grate well with oil before putting the burgers on.

 

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Caesar Salad Poultry Burgers

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Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 cloves garlic, 1 minced, 1 peeled and left whole
  • 2 oil-packed anchovy fillets, drained and mashed
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken or turkey (preferably all dark meat)
  • Good-quality vegetable oil for oiling the grates
  • 4 ciabatta rolls, split, or 8-10 slider buns (like potato or dinner rolls)
  • Good-quality olive oil for brushing the rolls
  • 4 leaves heart of romaine, trimmed

Instructions

  1. Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Whisk the mayonnaise, minced garlic, anchovies, Parmesan, lemon juice, and Worcestershire together in a small bowl until smooth. Put the chicken in a medium bowl and add 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Cover and refrigerate the remaining dressing. Work the dressing into the chicken with your hands gently but completely. Form the mixture into 4 burgers ¾ to 1 inch thick (or 8 to 10 sliders). Put them on the prepared pan, cover, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
  2. Start the coals or heat a gas grill for medium direct cooking. Make sure the grates are clean, then rub them with vegetable oil– soaked paper towels held in long tongs.
  3. Brush the cut sides of the rolls with olive oil. Put the burgers on the grill directly over the fire. Close the lid and cook, carefully turning once with two spatulas, until browned on the outside and no longer pink in the center, 5 to 7 minutes per side, and a minute or two less per side for sliders. (Nick with a small knife and peek inside.)
  4. For the last couple of minutes, toast the rolls on the grill, cut side down. To serve, rub the cut side of the top of each roll with the whole garlic clove. Put a burger on the bottom half, add a dollop of the remaining dressing, a leaf of romaine, and the top of the roll.

—Recipe from How to Grill Everything

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