Juicy Beef Burger with Tomato Sauce — Islak Burger
Istanbul wet burger with seasoned beef patty in a soft sesame bun steamed over a tomato-garlic-oregano sauce until the bread soaks the juices, served with parsley and pickled chillies for an iconic late-night street classic.
Turkish
Categories
Nutrition per Serving
Ingredients
For 2 servings
Instructions
Prep
Pat 440g beef dry, mix with cumin, oregano, half the salt, and pepper; rest 5 minutes. Grate 600g tomatoes and discard skins, mince 10 garlic cloves, chop parsley, halve both lemons. Divide beef into 4 patties 1cm thick with dimpled centres.
Sear
Heat 20ml oil in a wide skillet over high heat 90 seconds until shimmering. Working in batches if needed to avoid crowding, sear patties 2 minutes per side over high heat until deeply crusted at edges and centres remain just pink. Lift onto a plate.
Saute
In the same skillet over medium heat, add remaining 40ml oil and garlic 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in tomato paste, pul biber, sugar, and remaining salt 1 minute until darkened.
Build
Add grated tomato, bay leaves, and 240ml hot beef stock over medium heat. Simmer 8–10 minutes until sauce thickens and turns deep red, then reduce heat to low to maintain gentle bubble.
Steam
Slice buns horizontally, lay patties between halves, rest sandwiches into bubbling sauce over low heat 4–5 minutes covered until buns fully soften and soak juices.
Plate
Lift burgers onto warm plates using tongs, spoon extra sauce over tops, scatter parsley, lay pickled chillies alongside, finish with lemon squeeze, and serve immediately while hot.
Recipes use AI and Edamam. Always check for allergens before cooking. Spotted something wrong—email us at hello@grubplanit.com.