Banh Mi Burgers

It starts out with a chewy baguette that has a wonderfully crackly exterior. It’s spread with a meat pate and mayonnaise, then stuffed with all kinds of delicious Asian flavors - which can vary from restaurant to restaurant.

Pickled vegetables - usually carrot and daikon, frequently with some hot pepper - is pretty standard, but the meats (or non meats) used can vary wildly.

At McQueen's Bánh Mì Viet - my favourite local place for banh mi - I love the Saigon, made with several different kinds of meat.

My husband usually goes for the vegetarian, which is made with slices of a highly flavoured (smoked? Marinated? I can’t tell!) tofu.

Aside from that, there are options for caramelized sausage, meatballs, and more.

While I can’t find a good gluten-free substitute for actual banh mi bread, I CAN find - and make - a decent hamburger bun.

With this banh mi hybrid, I can have delicious burger that has all the flavour of the sandwich.

... and with it in a different form, my brain doesn’t do the “I’m missing out, because this GF baguette is nowhere near as good as it should be!” thing!

That said, this is a fantastic burger in its own right!

The unique combination of flavours and textures is a delight for the senses, and a great way to break away from, say, cheeseburgers.

Consider giving it a try for your next burger night!

Ingredients

This recipe uses a fairly long ingredient list, but they’re all relatively simple ingredients that should be easy to find in most large grocery stores.

A few notes for you:

Ground Chicken

We use ground chicken, but you can easily substitute the same amount of ground turkey.

That said, this recipe would also work as pork burgers - just use the same amount of ground pork, when making the burger patties.

Produce

These Banh Mi Burgers have a shocking amount of veggies and fresh herbs, for a burger recipe!

You’re looking at:

Carrot
Daikon Radish
Jalapeno Pepper
Green Onions
Garlic Cloves
Fresh Cucumbers
Fresh Cilantro
Lime Zest
Jalapeno Pepper

Mayonnaise, Etc

I use plain mayonnaise, my husband likes to add Sriracha sauce - a spicy chili garlic sauce to his sandwich.

You can also whip up some Sriracha mayonnaise, if you like. Just combine mayonnaise with as much sriracha as you like.

Cover and chill until you’re ready to use your homemade spicy mayonnaise!

Everything Else

Rounding out this recipe, you will need:

Burger Buns
Panko Crumbs (or Gluten Free Panko Bread Crumbs)
Lemongrass Paste
Rice Wine Vinegar (or Lime Juice)
Fish Sauce
Soy Sauce
Liver Pate
Sugar
Ground Black Pepper
Salt

... I just really don’t have anything to add, for these last few ingredients!

How to Make Banh Mi Burgers

The full recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post, here is the pictorial walk through:

Pickled Veggies:

Peel carrot and radish, slice jalapeno in half and remove the seeds (optional). Use a vegetable peeler to create long strips of the carrot.

Even the smallest daikon radish is going to make a lot more strips than a large carrot, so I like to peel enough daikon to create about the same volume of strips as the carrot.

Feel free to make more or less of either vegetable, depending on your tastes.

Slice jalapeno into long, thin strips. Set vegetables aside.

Add matchstick carrots, radish, and jalapeno strips to this mixture, stir well to combine.

Cover bowl - or transfer to a jar - and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.

Lemongrass Chicken Burgers:

Measure bread crumbs into a large bowl.

Sprinkle fish sauce, soy sauce, and lime zest over the bread crumbs, toss to coat.

Add ground chicken, lemongrass, green onion, garlic, pepper, and salt to the bowl, mix gently until thoroughly combined.

Cook over medium heat for a 2-3 minutes, until it looks to be cooked halfway through.

Gently flip – I like to use 2 large spatulas – and cook for a few more minutes, until cooked all the way through - with the internal temperature registering 165 degrees F on an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of each patty - and lightly browned.

Assembly:

Spread the top half of each bun with some mayonnaise, and a drizzle of sriracha or sambal oelek, if using.

Spread each bottom bun with some liver pate, top with sliced cucumbers and jalapeno slices.

Notes:

The nutritional information - especially regarding the sodium - is WAY off.

The recipe software reflects the total nutrition for all ingredients used - including all of the pickling liquid.

... and that doesn't all end up consumed!

I mean, unless drinking pickle juice is your thing, anyway. If so, I'm guessing the sodium number won't be an issue for you!

More Burger Recipes

In the mood for a burger, and wanting to branch off from regular cheeseburgers? We've got you covered with a bunch of fun burger recipes!

Ahi Tuna Burgers
Apple Chicken Burgers with Basil and Gouda
Copycat White Castle Burgers
Dukkah Spiced Falafel Burgers
Dukkah Spiced Lamb Burgers
Fresh Salmon Burgers with Spinach & Feta
Juicy Goosey Burger
Mediterranean Chicken Burgers
Moroccan Spiced Beyond Burgers
Moroccan Spiced Lamb Burgers
Paneer Burgers
Tandoori Chicken Burgers
Vegetarian Chorizo Burgers

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