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juicy Asian pork burger on a piece of parchment paper on a round wooden tray with a vibrant jar of pickled carrots and radishes in the background and fresh cucumber and cilantro in the foreground.

Banh Mi-Inspired Asian Pork Burgers

This yummy pork banh mi-meets-burger recipe is perfect for those days when a regular cheeseburger just won't do. Topped with spicy sriracha mayo and tangy pickled veggies! Adapted from The Modern Proper
5 from 4 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Pickling Time 1 day
Total Time 1 day 20 minutes
Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine American, Asian, Barbecue, BBQ, Fusion, Vietnamese
Servings 10 burgers
Calories 383 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

Burger Patties

  • 2 lb Ground Pork
  • 1 bunch Fresh Thai Basil chopped; or regular Italian basil or mint
  • 10 cloves Garlic minced; can sub ¼ teaspoon garlic powder per clove of fresh
  • 8 Green Onions chopped
  • 2 tablespoon Sugar
  • 2 tablespoon Corn Starch or potato starch
  • 2 tablespoon Fish Sauce or soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Freshly Ground Pepper
  • 2 ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt

Sriracha Aioli

  • ¾ C Mayonnaise Kewpie, Hellman's/Best Foods, or Duke's
  • 2 tablespoon Sriracha or sambal oelek or gochujang
  • 4 Green Onions chopped

Pickled Banh Mi Vegetables

To Assemble

  • 10 Sesame or Brioche Burger Buns
  • ⅓ C Toasted Sesame Oil
  • 1 Cucumber sliced thin
  • 1 bunch Cilantro roughly chopped, tough stems removed
  • 3 Jalapeños sliced thin (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Make pickled vegetables at least a day ahead for maximum flavor. Put 3 Carrots (julienned) and 5 Radishessliced) in mason jar or other container with a tight fitting lid. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Kosher Salt, shaking to coat. Let rest 10 minutes, then add remaining ingredients: ½ C Rice Wine Vinegar, 1 ½ tablespoon Agave. Shake again, cover and refrigerate for up to a month.
  • Combine all ingredients for sriracha aioli (¾ C Mayonnaise, 2 tablespoon Sriracha, 4 Green Onions) and set aside. Can be made up to a week in advance.
  • Combine all ingredients for burger patties (2 lb Ground Pork, 1 bunch Fresh Thai Basil chopped, 10 cloves Garlic minced, 8 Green Onions sliced, 2 tablespoon Sugar, 2 tablespoon Corn Starch, 2 tablespoon Fish Sauce, 1 tablespoon Freshly Ground Pepper, 2 ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt) in a large mixing bowl.
    Using a muffin sized disher, separate into 10 evenly sized patties, smooshing them slightly.
  • Grill on medium-high for about 5-6 minutes per side, or until the inside reaches 160F with an instant read thermometer.
  • While patties are cooking, lightly brush inside of 10 Sesame or Brioche Burger Buns with ⅓ C Toasted Sesame Oil. When burgers are almost finished, grill buns oil side down until toasted and golden brown.
  • Assemble the banh mi burgers, spreading sriracha aioli on the bun, topping with a few slices of 1 Cucumber, burger patty, a few sprigs from 1 bunch Cilantro, 3 Jalapeños (if using) and mostly drained pickled veggies. Enjoy!

Notes

Storage & Reheating
  • The sriracha mayonnaise can be made up to a week ahead.
  • Pickled veggies will keep for up to a month, so don’t be shy about getting a headstart. 
  • Burger patties can be made up to a day ahead, then placed in an airtight container with no air touching the meat to prevent oxidation. You can also prep and freeze them, using patty paper to wrap the patties, then placing them in a freezer-safe zip-top bag with all the air pressed out. They’ll keep for up to 2 months in the freezer. Defrost overnight in the fridge, then grill till the burgers reach an internal temperature of 165ºF. 
  • Cooked burgers will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to a month. Make sure to wrap them well and use a freezer-safe bag with all the air pressed out to avoid freezer burn. 
  • If possible, store the cooked burgers separate from the buns, sauce, and veggies to prevent the buns from getting soggy and stale. (Bread doesn’t do well in the fridge.)
  • To serve leftover Asian burgers, allow to defrost overnight in the fridge, then reheat in the microwave, in a pan on the stove, or in the toaster oven until the internal temp hits 165ºF.
Expert Tips
  • Beat grocery inflation by starting a small windowsill garden using your scraps. Save your radish roots and green onion butts to grow another bunch. Save a few large sprigs of basil to propagate new plants. 
  • The pickled veggies should be made at least a day in advance. This will give them time to soak up all the yummy flavor of the pickling liquid. 
  • The burger mix has some dry ingredients, including corn starch. Be sure to sprinkle the cornstarch on the mix last so it doesn’t get gummy sitting atop the pork, then immediately begin to mash up all the ingredients together. That said…
  • Don’t overmix the meat mixture, or it’ll turn out tough. Mix just until the ingredients are well dispersed. 
  • Be sure to toast those buns! The sesame oil imparts a ton of flavor, and the crunch factor of the bread is greatly improved.

Nutrition

Calories: 383kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 17gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 1126mgPotassium: 458mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 3382IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 45mgIron: 1mg
Keyword Cheap, Easy, Fast, Grilled, Grilling, Healthy, Pork, Summer
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