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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

Recipe variations

Dilled Poultry Bur­gers with Lemony Feta-­Yogurt Drizzle
Reduce the mayonnaise to 2 tablespoons and omit the garlic, anchovies, Parmesan, lemon juice, and Worcestershire. Mix the mayonnaise and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, add to the chicken, sprinkle with salt and pepper, mix, and shape. Combine 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice in a small bowl; add more chopped dill if you like. Replace the rolls with pita breads, warmed ­until pliable. Fold the grilled bur­gers into the pitas with the romaine and top with the sauce.

Chicken Satay Burgers with Creamy Peanut Sauce
Here coconut milk and peanut butter provide the extra fat and flavor: Omit the mayonnaise, garlic, anchovies, Parmesan, lemon juice, and Worcestershire. In Step 1, warm 1/4 cup peanut butter in the microwave a few seconds to soften. Whisk in 2 tablespoons coconut milk; add 1 tablespoon each fresh lime juice, soy sauce, minced garlic, and minced fresh ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes. Use sesame hamburger buns instead of ciabatta rolls. Add 2 tablespoons of the peanut sauce to the chicken in Step 1 and proceed with the recipe. Add 1/4 cup coconut milk to the remaining peanut sauce and whisk ­ until smooth. Serve the bur­gers on toasted buns with the lettuce, the remaining peanut sauce, and lime wedges.

Turkey Bur­gers with Orange-­Mint Aïoli and Pomegranate Seeds
Use ground dark meat turkey and have 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds handy. Instead of the Caesar dressing, whisk together 6 tablespoons mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, the grated zest of 1 orange, 1 tablespoon orange juice, and the minced garlic. In Step 1, mix 2 tablespoons mayonnaise with the turkey. Proceed with the ­ recipe. Top the bur­gers with the aïoli and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds before closing up.