Pork Banh Mi Burger

Our Favorite Vietnamese Sandwich, All Dressed Up for BBQ Season

Are you as obsessed with Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches as we are? We are so in love with the unique combination of savory, salty, tangy flavors and chewy, crunchy textures that a single bite of banh mi delivers. That airy, chewy baguette to the crisp crunch of pickled daikon and carrots, to a sharp kick of chili heat, to the porky filling, we gobble these French-accented Vietnamese beauties up every chance we get. Despite our love for them, they’re not a sandwich we make at home very often—they’ve usually been relegated to the world of takeout for us. Until Bon Appetit shared a recipe for banh mi-spiced pork meatballs that got us thinking outside the takeout box! Thus, this juicy, sriracha mayo-slathered banh mi burger was born. It’s easy to whip up at home and it hits the spot whenever our banh mi cravings strike.

Banh Mi Burger: It All Starts With the Patty

Any great burger—and this banh mi burger is a great one—starts with a well-seasoned ground meat patty. Our ground meat of choice here is pork, a nod to the fact that Vietnamese banh mi most often include pork in some form or another. We season that ground pork with all of those herby, savory banh mi flavors we love so much:

• Fresh basil
• Fresh garlic
• Scallions
• Fish sauce
• Sriracha
• Sugar
• Cornstarch

Banh Mi Burger: But We’re Really Here For The Toppings

Now you’ve got a banh mi burger patty that is absolutely jam-packed with flavor. It’s time to prep a few toppings! Because you know that banh mi is all about the toppings. Crunchy, tangy pickles, tongue-numbing slivers of chili pepper, and verdant leaves of cilantro, too. Here’s everything we cram onto our banh mi burger bun:

• Sriracha mayo. Easy enough to make at home—it’s just sriracha and mayo stirred together with some scallions.
• These Vietnamese pickled veggies are one of our must-have toppings. They’re quick to make and good on so many things.
• Cucumber. For even more crunch, and a welcome cooling quality.
• Fresh cilantro. Herby and fresh—a total must!
• Jalapeños. Optional, but if you’re a heat-lover, you’ll want to add these for sure. There’s nothing quite like the assertive bite of a raw jalapeño paired with the rich, juiciness of this pork burger. Highly recommend.

How To Make Banh Mi Burgers:

Banh mi burgers are a great dinner to serve to friends—do all the prep work ahead of time, and when dinner time rolls around, all you’ll need to do is fire up the grill. Here’s how we’d make these burgers for company:

1. Up to a week ahead of time: make the sriracha mayo!
2. Three days ahead of time: make those pickles we mentioned.
3. A few hours ahead of time: mix and form the ground pork patties.
4. Right before your friends arrive: prep all the jalapeños, cucumbers and buns.
5. When everyone’s hungry: grill the burgers—ground pork is done when you see an internal temp of 160°F—and serve with all the fixings.

Tools You’ll Need:

• A grill or large cast iron skillet.
• A large mixing bowl.
• A sharp knife
• Instant read meat thermometer

More Burger Recipes To Try

Because a burger can be so much more than just a burger.

• Lamb Burger With Harissa Mayo and Pickled Red Cabbage
• Mediterranean Turkey Burger
• Bacon Burger with Guacamole
• Classic Cheeseburger with Secret Sauce

Good Burger, Huh?

We’re really big fans of a good, old-fashioned classic burger, so any sort of fancification has to yield a crazy, crazy delicious burger or we’re just left wondering why we didn’t just go ahead and make a normal burger. We hope you’re as into this banh mi burger as we are—if you try it, show us your handiwork! Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!