This Vietnamese Lemongrass Pork Banh Mi Burger is a spin off the Vietnamese classic Banh Mi sandwich. Minced lemongrass in the pork patties give it incredible flavor alongside the pickled carrot and radish, topped with fresh cilantro, basil leaves and sliced jalapeno for a spicy kick!
{This post is part of an awesome burger grill giveaway hosted by GirlCarnivore for #BurgerMonth but the burger epicness is all my own}
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For this special occasion, I’m sharing my Vietnamese Lemongrass Pork Banh Mi Burger recipe. This burger is a twist on the popular Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwich. Minced lemongrass is mixed right into the pork patty to give it bursts of flavor. The patty is topped with thinly sliced cucumber, cilantro, basil, pickled carrot and daikon radish, and sliced jalapeno for a spicy kick.
What brings all of these flavors together is the sauce that the burger patty sits on. It is creamy and zesty, and features an unexpected ingredient!
How to Make Vietnamese Lemongrass Pork Banh Mi Burgers
The first step to making this Banh Mi Burger is to prepare the Picked Carrot and Daikon Radish as it needs to sit for at least an hour before using. This can keep in your fridge for up to a month, so you can make this well ahead of time.
Place 1 cup of julienned carrots and 1 cup of julienned daikon radish in a jar. Tip: I used an OXO lemon zester to make long strips of the carrot and daikon. You can also use a julienne blade.
Fill the jar with 1 cup of distilled white vinegar and 3/4 cup water, then add 1/4 cup of sugar. Cover the jar tightly with the lid, then gently shake to mix all the ingredients. Allow to brine for at least 1 hour before placing on your Banh Mi burgers.
Slice only the white portion of 3 stalks of lemongrass, then finely mince the lemongrass slices.
Discard the green portion of the lemongrass stalks, or if you wish, you can save them to make lemongrass tea.
Add the minced lemongrass to 1 pound of ground pork, followed by 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar.
Mix thoroughly until all the ingredients are combined.
Divide the ground pork into 4 equal portions, then form them into patties. As they will shrink when cooked, be sure to form the patties so that they are slightly larger than the hamburger buns. For easy handling, place the formed patties on to parchment paper cut into squares.
After the patties are formed, top them with a dash of salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Heat cooking oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
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Carefully place the patties on to the skillet and allow to sear (without touching!) for about 1 minute on each side until fully cooked.
The Secret Sauce
This sauce is not found in the traditional Banh Mi but does a really great job in tying all of these fantastic flavors together for this burger. It’s so creamy yet zesty! And it doesn’t get any easier – simply combine 1/4 cup mayonnaise with 1/4 cup thousand island dressing.
The mayonnaise tames the zesty flavor of the thousand island dressing so that it doesn’t overpower the rest of the fantastic flavors of the burger, and also adds a nice creaminess.
Building the Vietnamese Lemongrass Pork Banh Mi Burger
As soon as you have prepared all of your ingredients, follow these steps to build your Banh Mi burger:
- Bottom burger bun (buttered and toasted)
- Sauce
- Lemongrass pork patty
- Sliced cucumber
- Basil leaves
- Cilantro
- Pickled carrot and daikon radish
- Sliced jalapeno
- Top burger bun (buttered and toasted)
ENJOY!
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Vietnamese Lemongrass Pork Banh Mi Burger
Ingredients
Picked Carrot and Daikon Radish
- 1 cup julienned carrot
- 1 cup julienned daikon radish
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup sugar
Sauce
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup thousand island dressing
Lemongrass pork patties
- 1 lb ground pork
- 3 stalks lemongrass white portion only, minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
Burger toppings
- 4 hamburger buns buttered and toasted
- 12 slices cucumber
- 2 cups basil leaves
- 1 1/2 cups cilantro leaves
- 1 jalapeno sliced
Instructions
Picked Carrot and Daikon Radish
- Place julienned carrot and julienned daikon radish in a jar. Fill the jar with vinegar, water, and sugar.
- Cover the jar tightly with the lid, then gently shake to mix all the ingredients. Allow to brine for at least 1 hour before placing on your Bahn Mi burgers.
Sauce
- Combine mayonnaise with thousand island dress. Mix well.
Lemongrass pork patties
- Add the minced lemongrass, brown sugar, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the ground pork.
- Mix thoroughly until all the ingredients are well combined.
- Divide the ground pork into 4 equal portions. Form them into burger patties slightly larger than the hamburger buns. Place the formed patties on to parchment paper cut into squares for easier handling.
- Top the patties with a dash of salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- Heat cooking oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- Carefully place the patties on to the skillet and allow to sear (without touching!) for about 1 minute on each side until fully cooked.
Building the Bahn Mi burger
- Smear the sauce over the bottom bun, then place the pork patty over the sauce.
- Top with sliced cucumber, basil, cilantro, pickled carrot and daikon radish, sliced jalapeno, then the top burger bun.
Nutrition
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Christie
Saturday 19th of May 2018
These look so crunchy delicious and packed with flavors!! I'm definitely making those veggies. I have been wanting to try bahn mi veggies. And the flavors in that pork sounds divine!
Char
Saturday 19th of May 2018
Thank you, Christie! I hope you enjoy it! :D
Mary Rae Fouts
Friday 18th of May 2018
This looks fabulous, Char! Lemongrass is one of my "secret ingredients" for its soft flavor and wonderful aroma. I have needed ingredients on tomorrow's grocery list. Will serve with my homemade sourdough sandwich rolls. Looking forward to keeping the simple dressing in the fridge for use when making sandwiches and deviled eggs.
I prefer lemongrass sautéed, so plan to gently sauté it in a bit of oil before adding it to the pork, along with sautéing in-season minced fresh green (spring) garlic in place of the garlic powder. I already have the pickled veggies in the fridge, so this meal will be both delicious and easy to make. Love your recipes and recipe ideas!
Char
Saturday 19th of May 2018
Thank you, Mary!! :D I hope that you will enjoy this burger! We definitely did. :)
Kecia
Friday 18th of May 2018
This burger looks incredible! So fresh and delicious!
Char
Friday 18th of May 2018
Thank you, Kecia!! :)