Islak Burger Recipe
Islak Burger is a delicious Turkish-style wet burger where juicy beef patties are simmered in a garlicky tomato sauce and then soaked by placing the buttered buns in the same sauce, resulting in a moist and flavorful sandwich perfect for a unique burger experience.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients
Scale
For the Sauce
- 3 garlic cloves
- 150 milliliters (5 fluid ounces) tomato passata (tomato paste)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the Burger
- 400 grams (14 ounces) minced (ground) beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 round hamburger buns, split in half through the middle and lightly buttered
Instructions
- Prepare the Garlic Tomato Sauce: Crush the garlic cloves with a little salt using a mortar and pestle to form a garlic paste. In a large bowl, mix the tomato passata with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the crushed garlic paste. Season the sauce with freshly ground black pepper and set aside to allow the flavors to meld.
- Form the Patties: Divide the minced beef into four equal portions. Shape each portion into a round patty about the size of your hamburger buns, ensuring they are evenly thick for uniform cooking.
- Sear the Patties: Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Quickly sear each beef patty on both sides for about 1 minute to develop a flavorful crust.
- Simmer in the Tomato Sauce: Pour the prepared tomato sauce over the seared patties in the pan. Reduce the heat to very low and cook for 5 minutes, allowing the patties to absorb the rich garlicky tomato flavors.
- Soak the Buns: Push the patties to one side of the frying pan. Arrange the buttered hamburger bun halves face down directly onto the tomato sauce. Cover the pan and continue cooking on low heat for 10 minutes. This step soaks the buns in the sauce, making them wonderfully moist — the signature feature of Islak Burger.
- Assemble the Burgers: To finish, place each beef patty sandwiched between two soaked bun halves, creating a juicy, flavorful wet burger ready to enjoy.
Notes
- Using fresh minced beef enhances the burger’s flavor and texture, so asking your butcher for freshly ground meat is recommended.
- Be careful with heat during the simmering steps: keeping it very low ensures the buns soak up sauces without burning.
- Serve immediately for the best experience since the buns are moist and tender.
- If desired, you can add sliced pickles or onions to complement the burger, though this is not traditional.
Keywords: Islak Burger, Turkish wet burger, tomato sauce burger, garlic tomato burger, soaked buns, unique burger recipe, juicy beef burger
Find it online: https://leofoster.com/islak-burger-recipe/
