Here in New York, having outdoor space is seen as the ultimate luxury. Whenever you meet someone who has a backyard, front yard, roof deck, terrace, balcony, heck, even a fire escape, it's hard not to feel very, very jealous. You imagine all the grilling they get to do in warm weather. And all the big barbecues they host on summer weekends, with burgers and beers and maybe even hammocks to sunbathe in. Life for them must be grand. And you wonder if you can be friends with them too.

Fortunately, every summer I do get to join in on a handful of barbecues around town. And for all those long stretches of time between outdoor cooking, I satisfy those cravings for BBQ food by cooking on a grill pan.

These teriyaki turkey burgers, fortunately, can be made easily both indoors and out. I started a partnership with Soy Vay® back in January and have made a ton of great meals with their sauces, including Ginger Hoisin Chicken, Teriyaki Chicken Stuffed Mushrooms, and a Garlic Beef and Asparagus Stir-fry. This month for Memorial Day (and National Burger Month) I decided to test out their Veri Veri Teriyaki sauce in preparing turkey burgers.

For the patties, I mixed together ground turkey, grated ginger, chopped onions, and teriyaki sauce. (The Veri Veri Teriyaki sauce already has so much flavor, including sesame oil and garlic, that I don't really need additional seasoning.) Then I formed the patties, heated up the grilled pan, brushed on some oil, and grilled the patties for about 4 minutes per side. If you don't own a grill pan, you can also easily sear the patties in a skillet for the same amount of time.

Then, use the same pan for grilling up the pineapple slices before assembling the burgers.

This Memorial Day weekend here is looking pretty rainy and chilly, at least until Monday, so maybe indoor grilling isn't such a bad idea after all!

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Teriyaki Turkey Burgers

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
2 teaspoons minced or grated ginger
2/3 cup Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki sauce
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 slices fresh or canned pineapple
4 hamburger buns
4 large lettuce leaves

Instructions

In a bowl, combine the ground turkey, onions, ginger, and teriyaki sauce and mix well. With your hands, form 4 burger patties about 1/2 inches thick.
Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat and brush the oil over the top until the pan is well-oiled (you may not need the full 3 tablespoons). When the pan is hot, carefully place the patties on top. Allow the turkey patties to cook for 4 minutes on the first side untouched, then flip them over and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes on the other side, until they’re cooked through. (You can cut one open to check for doneness.)
Transfer the patties to a plate. Grill the pineapple slices for about 1 minute per side. Assemble the burgers with the buns, lettuce, patties, and pineapple slices on top. Serve immediately.

Disclosure: I am a Soy Vay® Ambassador and Soy Vay® products were provided to me by Soy Vay®.