An Islak burger—also known as a Turkish wet burger—is a legendary late-night street food from Istanbul, and it’s exactly as messy and satisfying as it sounds.
I have to admit that when I first saw them on sale at a kiosk in Taksim Square, I didn't think I would like the famous wet burger but I did! Below, I'll show you how to get the islak burger experience at home.
What is an Islak burger?
The Islak burger is a small beef burger drenched in a garlicky, spicy, tomato-based sauce and kept warm and steamy in a glass cabinet until served. The name “islak” literally means “wet” in Turkish, and the burger lives up to its name: soft, saucy, and dripping with umami.
Although you could serve these with a side dish like fries, they are meant to be eaten on the go or at the end of the evening when you just want a quick snack to soak up all the beer.
What makes it special?
There are quite a few different versions in and around Istanbul and some aren't special at all. They are just wet with little flavor. There are ingredients some vendors add that take them up a few notches which is what I do when I make wet burgers.
- The sauce: A rich blend of tomato paste, garlic, butter or oil, and chili flakes, sometimes with a hint of vinegar or sugar. It's slathered over the bun and the patty.
- The steam: After being sauced, the whole burger is steamed in a hot cabinet, giving it that soft, soaked texture—almost like a savoury sponge of flavour.
- The size: They’re usually small and cheap, which means most people don’t stop at just one.
Ingredients
Islak burgers are simple. They're aren't many ingredients. The star is the steamed burger and bun covered in the tomato sauce. That's it really.
- brioche buns
- butter
- ground beef
- light olive oil
- garlic
- Aleppo chilli flakes
- Passata
- white wine vinegar
- American burger cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Water
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
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- Step 1: Heat a deep frying pan over a medium-high heat. Butter your buns and toast them until nicely browned. Set aside.
- Step 2: Add the beef balls and press into patties, add to the pan and cook on one side for a minute. Then flip the burger over to cook the other side. Season with salt and pepper to taste and then transfer to the plate with the toasted buns.
- Step 3: Add the olive oil to the pan and stir in the minced garlic. Fry for about 30 seconds and then pour in the Aleppo chilli flakes, pasatta, vinegar and water. Bring to a simmer and then take off the heat.
- Step 4: Generously top the bottom and top bun halves with the tomato sauce. Place a burger and a slice of cheese on each of the bottom buns. Then place the top bun over the cheese.
- Step 5: Put both burgers in the sauce in the pan and spoon some of the sauce, generously over the top bun. You want these burgers wet so get them wet with the sauce.
- Step 6: Cover the pan and steam the burgers over a low heat for about 10 minutes. You can spoon more sauce over the burgers from time to time as they steam. Add more tablespoons of water to your sauce if it's looking too thick to allow the burgers to steam.
- Step 7: When the meat is cooked through to your liking and the cheese has melted, remove the lid and again spoon as much tomato sauce as you can over the burgers.
- Step 8: Cover the pan again and keep warm until ready to serve or eat imedately.
Photos of wet burgers in Istanbul. I liked my Islak burger! It was different and a nice surprise.
Substitutions
I developed this recipe to be as close to the Islak burgers you find in Istanbul. You can substitute a few ingredients if you like.
- Cheese - You will be lucky to find a vendor that adds American cheese to their Islak burger but some do. This really is simple food. Go ahead and leave the cheese off or add your favorite melty cheese to the burger.
- Gluten Free - use gluten free buns instead of white bread buns to make this gluten free.
- Vegetarian - the beef hamburger can be replaced with a plant-based burger to make this vegetarian. You won't find that in Istanbul though.
Variations
There really are few variations except for the amount of ingredients that go into the sauce and whether you add cheese. That said, you might want to add some of the following to make a westernised version.
- Spicy - Try adding pickled jalapeño chillies when you add the cheese for a bit more kick.
- Crunchy - This is a burger so top it with lettuce, tomato, pickles and or onion slices if you like. This is best done after you steam the burger and just before serving.
- Saucy - If you like mustard, mayonnaise or ketchup on your burger, there really is not reason why you should hold back when you make your wet burger.
All of the above suggestions are not authentic but if you like them, add them.
Equipment
A deep frying pan: Using a deep frying pan with a lid is the easiest way to make a wet burger. It makes this recipe into an easy one pan meal.
A spatula: Get a good spatula for flipping the burgers and buns.
Storage
Your wet burger will be best right out of the pan. You can, however store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. To reheat, place them in your microwave where they will steam up when they reheat. You can also steam them in a steamer or in a pan with a little more sauce.
Top Tip
Don't overcook the burgers! Sear the outside and cook to a minimum internal temperature. They will continue to cook and steam in the sauce
FAQ
Use ground beef with a good fat content—ideally around 75/25 (25% fat). The fat helps keep the burgers juicy and rich, which is key since they'll soak up all that sauce without drying out.
Yes. Cook the patties and make the sauce ahead of time. Store everything separately in the fridge. When you're ready to serve, reheat the sauce, coat the buns and patties, and steam the assembled burgers for that signature softness.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe
Wet Burger
Ingredients
- 2 brioche buns, sliced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 7 oz ground beef
- 1 tablespoon light olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo chilli flakes
- 1 cup Passata
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 slices American burger cheese
- ¼ cup water
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a pan over a medium-high heat. Spread the butter over the bun slices and toast them in the pan until golden brown. This should only take a couple of minutes. Transfer the browned buns to a plate and set aside.
- Place the burger patties in the pan and fry on one side for about a minute. Then flip it over and cook for another minute and season with salt and pepper to taste. The meat may not be completely cooked at this stage which is fine. Transfer the burger patties to the plate with the buns
- Pour the olive oil into the pan and add the minced garlic. Fry the garlic over a medium heat for about a minute and then pour in the passata. Bring it to a simmer over the low heat.
- Now spread some of this sauce generously over both halves of each of the buns. Place the burger patties on the bottom buns and top with the American cheese slices. Cover this with the top buns.
- Place the stacked burger in the pan and top with some of the sauce so that the bun is completely covered with the sauce.
- Move the burgers around in the remaining sauce and cover the pan. Let them steam over a low heat until the cheese has melted and the bun is wet and soft. This will take about 3 to 5 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 700Total Fat: 73gSaturated Fat: 33gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 35gCholesterol: 308mgSodium: 1779mgCarbohydrates: 74gFiber: 4gSugar: 13gProtein: 64g
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