What I really wanted to call these burgers was "crack patties."
Because they're next level addicting. The epically rad combination of the Asian-inspired burgs (soy sauce + sesame oil + ginger + sriracha) plus the creamy-dreamy-sweet-salty-spicy cashew cream makes me wish I had nine tongues.
I literally ate a whole burger (on a Trader Joe's whole wheat bun thankyouverymuch) and then proceeded to drench another bun half in the cashew cream.
And then I put some cashew cream in a little bowl and stirred in some water and VOILA! The sexiest salad dressing you ever did taste.
When my friends at Blue Diamond sent me Almond Nut Thins to work with this month, I knew I wanted to do something more exciting than hummus and crackers. Don't get me wrong---hummus and crackers is most definitely a food group in my life. But these snackities are so gosh darn crunchtastic and tasty that I knew I had to stuff all their goodness into something special.
Tuna burgers always call for bread crumbs anyway, so I said sayonara to those bad boys and ground up the Nut Thins instead. The combination of those plus almond meal is pure perfection in the flavah flave and texture department. All the departments of all the senses!
I've woken up with super stiff fingers for about a week now. I eat pretty much all the anti-inflammatory foods in the book. I drink a lot of water. I work out multiple times per week. So why can I not make a fist like a normal human bean?!
I've learned that you can eat all the kale in the world and still be a victim to conditions beyond your control. The stiff finger issue happened to me this past winter as well, so I'm really anxious for my rheumatology appointment later this month. Certain experts recommend fatty fish to help combat inflammation, so hopefully if I eat nine tuna burgers I'll wake up with normal fingers again.
A girl can dream!
Life hack: Get some bottled minced ginger. I use this one from The Ginger People (no, I'm not being paid to say that). I buy it at Whole Foods. It's SO much easier than grating it yourself!!
I think putting Nut Thins on top of the burger would also be a great decision. And maybe even some on the side dipped in copious amounts of cashew cream. Except maybe use the cashew cream as the vehicle because it's that damn delicious.
Let's all pretend we have nine tongues. Life is so much tastier that way.
PrintAsian Tuna Burgers with Ginger Soy Cashew Cream
- Prep Time: 45 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 55 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main Meal
Description
These easy Asian-inspired salmon burgers make the perfect healthy dinner!
Ingredients
For the cashew cream:
- ½ cup cashews + water for soaking
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tsp minced ginger
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp sriracha
- 1 tsp pure maple syrup
For the tuna burgers:
- 30 Almond Blue Diamond Nut Thins*
- ¼ cup almond meal
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp diced onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 1 tsp sriracha
- 1 tsp pure maple syrup
- 2-5oz cans tuna, drained
- Oil, for cooking
Instructions
- Place cashews in a small bowl. Cover with warm water and set aside to soak while you make the burgers.
- Place Nut Thins in a blender or food processor (I used my Nutribullet) and blend until they resemble bread crumbs.
- Place Nut Thin crumbs, almond meal, and egg in a medium mixing bowl. Stir until well-combined. Add onion, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, sriracha, and pure maple syurup. Stir to combine.
- Add drained tuna and stir to combine (I used my hands). Form into four tightly-packed patties. Place patties on a plate and cover with foil. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, drain soaked cashews. Place in high-speed blender or food processor (I used my Nutribullet) and add ¼ cup water, ginger, soy sauce, sriracha, and pure maple syrup. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Spray with olive oil spray or drizzle pan with oil of choice. Once the pan is hot, add tuna burgers. Cook for 3 minutes on the first side, flip, and cook for 2 minutes on the other side (or until browned).
- Serve on whole grain buns or over a bed of greens with cashew mayo.
Notes
*If you don't have nut thins, feel free to use a scant ½ cup of breadcrumbs instead.
This post is sponsored by Blue Diamond Nut Thins. I was provided samples and compensated for my time. All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make Hummusapien possible!
Robyn says
So, so tasty. Made these burgers on a whim and both my husband and I were impressed. Simple directions and common ingredients but such a flavorful taste. Kind thanks for this recipe!
(Adding a 5 star rating.)
Alexis Joseph says
I appreciate that so much, Robyn! I need to make another batch 🙂
Alexis says
Hi Katie! You could definitely freeze them!
Katie says
Hey Alex! I literally just cooked up this recipe for dinners this week so I have a quick question! Do you think I could freeze them after I have cooked them? I'm only cooking for me so this is ALOT of tuna for me to eat up in a week ya know??
Katie says
*ALEXIS sorry typo 🙁
Lindsay says
Hey, have you tried to use ahi or other tuna instead of a canned version?
thanks for the recipe-it looks awesome!
Lynn Long says
I too have sore, aching fingers. They feel much better when I don't drink wine or eat sugar! The recipe looks great.
Shannon says
I'm not much of a tuna person, but that cashew cream!!! <3 YUMMMMM
Nik says
I'm so sorry to heAr about the stiffness and anxiety attack girl! I mean I would yell you to make sure you're eating loads of healthy fats but he-llloooo you're an RD you know wazzup. I will say nuttzo is a really easy way to get LOADS of anti inflammatory fats in. I literally ate half a jar by myself in 24 hours though so ya know... Crack status lol. I hope things get better! You're working too hard 🙂
Elisa says
These burgers sound amazing. I'm not usually a fan of mayo-like substances, but you really sell that cashew cream, so much that I'm going to give it a try.
I've had the exact same issue with my fingers this winter. I've felt a lot better this spring, but whenever it rains they start to bug me again. My rheumatologist feels I'm developing something autoimmune (I already have Hashimoto's) but it's too soon to know what just yet. It's frustrating to not have answers. And to still be experiencing pain even on the most anti-inflammatory diet you can eat.
Catherine Jackson says
I can't wait to try these! love a good fish burger! I never would have thought about using the nut thins in place of breadcrumbs. I want to try that in other recipes now!