Thai Lemongrass Pork Burger with Basil and Sriracha Mayo
A fragrant pork burger with lemongrass, ginger, and Thai basil, topped with pickled vegetables and spicy sriracha mayo.
- Prep
- 15min
- Cook
- 14min
- Total
- 29min
- Serves
- 4
- Calories
- 810per serving, est.
By Time for Burgers, updated
Only the pale lower part of each lemongrass stalk goes into these patties, minced as fine as you can get it. Peel away the dry outer layers first; tough fibers left in make the burger stringy instead of fragrant. The lemongrass joins ginger, garlic, fish sauce and soy in the pork.
Between the fish sauce and soy, the meat is already well seasoned, so go easy on extra salt. On top go cucumber and carrot pickled in sweetened rice vinegar, a two-ingredient sriracha mayo and whole Thai basil leaves, which taste of anise and pepper.
Thai Lemongrass Pork Burger with Basil and Sriracha Mayo
Prep 15 min, cook 14 min, total 29 min. About 810 calories per serving.
timeforburgers.com/recipes/thai-lemongrass-pork-burger-basil-sriracha
Serves 4.
Ingredients
Instructions
Tap a step to keep your place.
In a small bowl, combine cucumber and carrot with 2 tbsp rice vinegar and 10 g sugar. Let pickle for 10 minutes while preparing the burgers.
In a large bowl, combine ground pork, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, 2 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp soy sauce, and 1 tsp sesame oil. Mix gently until just combined. Season with salt and pepper, then form into 4 equal patties, about ¾ inch thick.
Mix ¼ cup mayonnaise with 1 tbsp sriracha sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook patties for 5-6 minutes per side until an instant-read thermometer in the center of a patty reads 160°F (71°C) and the patties are nicely caramelized.
Toast brioche buns cut-side down in the same skillet until golden brown.
Assemble burgers: spread sriracha mayo on both bun halves, place patties on bottom buns, top with pickled vegetables, ¾ oz fresh Thai basil leaves, then crown with top buns.
Tips
- Bruise the lemongrass with the back of a knife before mincing. It chops more easily, and the pieces release more of their oil into the pork.
- Fry a teaspoon of the mix and taste it before shaping. With 30 ml fish sauce and 15 ml soy sauce, the pork may need no extra salt.
- The patties are 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick. Once the first side is well browned, turn the heat to medium so the centers reach 160°F (71°C) before the outside burns.
Substitutions
- Ground chicken or turkey instead of pork: leaner and milder. Add 15 ml oil to the mix and cook to 165°F (74°C).
- Italian basil or mint instead of Thai basil: Italian basil is milder, and mint gives a cooler, sharper bite.
- Lemongrass paste from a tube: about 30 ml replaces the 2 stalks. It's less bright but skips the mincing.
- Gluten-free: use tamari instead of soy sauce and gluten-free buns, and check the fish sauce label.
Make ahead & storage
Mix and shape the raw patties up to 1 day ahead and keep them covered in the fridge. Once cooked, they keep 3 to 4 days; reheat in a covered skillet to 165°F (74°C). The pickled vegetables are best within 2 days, before they go limp.
