Miso tuna burgers

These miso tuna burgers are a delicious mix of fresh tuna, miso and soy, served on fluffy scallion pancakes with a flavorful wasabi-soy-miso sauce. So good!

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I'm feeling fairly comfortable with my challenge to myself to be a bit more creative grilling this year, even if I still have a few dishes to share with you.  We have had a lot of great marinated foods (many still to come, but hopefully you've already seen the pinchos morunos and tandoori shrimp) as well as sauces like the delicious blueberry barbecue sauce and easy honey soy salmon skewers.

Last year we had some great new burgers - the burgers with chipotle salsa and avocado and maple turkey burgers have had a few repeats - but I knew I wanted to try some new ones this year too.

When it was announced today's Sunday Supper was going to be a hamburger and hotdog theme, I knew I had to get thinking. I still have a few things I want to play around with but the first idea I tried and that I knew I had to share soon was these miso tuna burgers.

They are easy to make, a great-tasting and healthy alternative to traditional burgers and I'm hoping you'll also love the spring onion/scallion pancakes and miso-soy-wasabi sauce I've served them with.

Tuna is something we grill now and then, either as a whole steak or in skewers, but I hadn't got round to trying to make tuna burgers before these miso tuna burgers. I'm not sure why, really, given we make salmon cakes fairly regularly, there's a fair amount of similarity. Maybe it's the grilling thing that I didn't put together, but whatever it is, I definitely want to make these again.

You don't need any egg in these, just chop the tuna relatively finely (but not minced) and it holds together itself, especially with the miso and soy that is added. The miso and soy don't overpower the tuna but they do give a nice undertone that is then enhanced by the sauce that goes with the burgers.

How to make miso tuna burgers

The burgers are easy to make, since you just chop up the tuna relatively small, add the miso and soy then mix together. Divide the mixture and press together in burger shape then chill until needed.

The spring onion/scallion pancakes are not like your traditional ones serves with duck etc - these are more savory breakfast-style pancakes so they are smaller and thicker, but that makes them the perfect base to be a pseudo-burger bun. They're quick to mix up and cook, while you leave the grillmaster to sort out the burgers.

The sauce, too, is super easy - just mix things together and that's it. It's got some fantastic savory flavors going on that really bring everything together.

These miso tuna burgers might not exactly be your typical burgers, but that was the point for me. After all, while a basic beef burger can be pretty delicious, I agree, sometimes you need a change. And if you're looking to do something different, these miso tuna burgers are definitely that.

The flavors in the burger and pancakes are pretty mild, but the sauce really adds to them and finishes them off with a great salty-umami thing going on. The soy, miso and wasabi make a great combination. This might not all be the best description but the point is these are really good, healthy and not difficult. And definitely worth a try.

Try these other tuna recipes:

• French lentil salad Nicoise-style with seared tuna
• Seared tuna sandwich with Asian slaw
• Tuna stuffed avocado, palta rellena

Plus get more summer recipes in the archives.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Miso tuna burgers

These tuna burgers are not your average burger - easy to make and tasty too!

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Fusion

Servings: 8 -10 burgers

Calories: 247kcal

Author: Caroline's Cooking

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Ingredients

For the burgers

• 2 lb fresh tuna 900g
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 4 tsp miso paste

For the pancakes

• ½ cup all purpose flour 65g plain flour
• ¼ cup whole wheat flour 35g wholemeal four
• ½ tsp baking soda bicarbonate of soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 pinch salt
• ½ cup milk 120ml
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp water
• 5 spring onions small scallions

For the sauce

• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp miso paste
• ½ tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp molasses
• ½ tsp wasabi powder

Instructions

• For the burgers, remove the skin from the tuna and any sinewy bits. Dice the tuna relatively small, approx ¼in/1/2cm, then put in a bowl with the soy sauce and miso paste. Mix well and form in to 8 to 10 burgers, pressing them together into flattened balls. Refrigerate for around 20mins until ready to use.
• For the pancakes, mix together the dry ingredients in a bowl (flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt). Separately whisk together the milk and egg. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and whisk so that it is smooth. Add the water to thin it slightly. Remove the outer leaf from the scallions and slice, including most of the green part, then mix into the batter.
• Mix together all of the sauce ingredients together until combined and set aside.
• Grill the burgers for a few minutes each side until they are cooked to your preferred level of doneness - as long as you have good quality tuna, you can have them pink in the middle, but you can also cook right through. If you don't want to or can't grill them, you can also pan-fry them in a little vegetable oil.
• Meanwhile (if you are able), warm a heavy-based skillet/frying pan or griddle over a medium heat and lightly oil it. Drop spoonfuls of the pancake mixture onto the warm pan and cook until they bubble (a minute or two) then flip over and cook another minute on the other side. Keep warm either in a low over or covered in a dish cloth while you cook the others in batches.
• Note - If you can't cook the pancakes at the same time as the burgers, then cook the burgers first and keep warm until ready.
• When ready, make up 'burgers' with one or two pancakes, a tuna burger and a few drizzles of the sauce. Good served with grilled asparagus or other grilled vegetables as well.

Nutrition

Calories: 247kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 586mg | Potassium: 420mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2605IU | Vitamin C: 1.4mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 2.2mg

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

 Try these other burger ideas:

• BLT Burgers by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Bourbon BBQ Bacon Burger Sliders by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Pimento Cheese Burger by Magnolia Days
• The Best Ever Bacon, Egg and Cheese Burger by The Chef Next Door
• Whiskey Burgers by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
• Caprese Burgers by The Redhead Baker
• Dominican Chimichurri Burgers by The Crumby Kitchen
• Meatball Parmesan Burgers by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Baby Back Rib Burger by The Freshman Cook
• The Perfect Lentil Burger by Food Lust People Love

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