Malaysian Rendang Beef Burger
An aromatic Southeast Asian burger with coconut-lemongrass beef, quick rendang sauce, cucumber, and crispy shallots.
- Prep
- 20min
- Cook
- 22min
- Total
- 42min
- Serves
- 4
- Calories
- 800per serving, est.
By Time for Burgers, updated
Traditional rendang simmers beef in spiced coconut milk for hours. This burger borrows the aromatics instead: lemongrass, ginger and garlic are split between the patties and a 10-minute sauce of coconut milk, soy, fish sauce, palm sugar, sambal, star anise and cinnamon.
Brushing that sauce on during the last 2 minutes of cooking gives the patties a sticky, spiced coat without giving the sugar time to burn. Cool cucumber, crunchy fried shallots and cilantro go on top, and the rest of the sauce sits on the table for dipping.
Malaysian Rendang Beef Burger
Prep 20 min, cook 22 min, total 42 min. About 800 calories per serving.
timeforburgers.com/recipes/malaysian-rendang-beef-burger
Serves 4.
Ingredients
Instructions
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In a bowl, combine ground beef with half the minced lemongrass, half the ginger, half the garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix gently and form into 4 equal patties, making a slight indentation in the center of each.
For the rendang sauce: Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add remaining lemongrass, ginger, and garlic, sautéing for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Add coconut milk, soy sauce, fish sauce, palm sugar, chili paste, star anise, and cinnamon stick to the saucepan. Simmer for 8-10 minutes until slightly thickened and aromatic. Remove star anise and cinnamon stick.
Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook patties for 4-5 minutes per side, brushing with rendang sauce during the last 2 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer in the center of a patty reads 160°F (71°C).
Toast buns in the same skillet until golden.
Assemble burgers: spread rendang sauce on bottom buns, add cucumber slices, place beef patties, top with fried shallots and fresh cilantro, then crown with top buns. Serve with extra rendang sauce on the side for dipping.
Tips
- Mince the lemongrass as finely as you can, using only the pale lower part. Coarse pieces stay woody and chewy inside the patty.
- Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer. Coconut milk that boils hard can split and turn greasy.
- Soy sauce and fish sauce both add salt, so season the patties lightly and taste the sauce before you brush it on.
- Pull out the star anise and cinnamon stick as soon as the sauce thickens; left in longer, the anise takes over.
Substitutions
- Brown sugar for palm sugar: same amount, with a slightly darker, molasses edge.
- Ground chicken instead of beef: cook it to 165°F (74°C) and lean on the glaze, since chicken is leaner and milder.
- Gluten-free: tamari instead of soy sauce, a gluten-free bun, and a fish sauce whose label lists no wheat.
- Canned crispy fried onions for fried shallots: a little sweeter, with the same crunch.
Make ahead & storage
The rendang sauce keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge; rewarm it gently with a splash of water if it has thickened. Cooked patties keep 3 to 4 days and reheat in a covered skillet to 165°F (74°C). Add the cucumber, shallots and cilantro only when you serve.
