Easy Thai Burgers with Peanut Sauce

These amazing Thai burgers with spicy (or not) peanut sauce and tangy slaw are one of my favorite burgers of all time! Plus, they are so easy + fast to make at home!

How are we feeling about today’s recipe post?

Come on, we’re all friends. You can be honest.

If you love Thai-style food, and even better, if you ALSO love yourself a good burger, these easy Thai burgers are going to quickly become your thing. I can feel it.

They are amazing. Seriously one of the best burgers of my life. And I should know.

I’ve eaten a lot of burgers in my day, and this whole post came about because of a Thai turkey burger I had at a local restaurant that pretty much rocked my world.

For any locals, it all happened at Boise Fry Company.

The kids and I met Brian there for lunch one day a couple summers ago after a library visit (the library is conveniently located across from Boise Fry Co).

And since every single last one my posterity opted for the classic bison burger with regular fries, I felt I needed to represent our family by showing some experimental taste buds.

So I boldly went with the Thai turkey burger (which in the interest of full disclosure I would have ordered no matter what)…and purple fries.

That Thai burger changed my burger-loving life. And I’ve been dreaming (and trying) to recreate it since, especially since it is a “special” and is rarely on the menu there.

There aren’t a lot of secrets here.

You’ve got yourself a soft, squishy bun (toast it!) for which you can go all out homemade or grab some from the store.

That bun is topped with a juicy, intensely flavorful burger (meat options below in the notes of the recipe!), and then a healthy amount of delicious peanut sauce (spicy or not!) is spooned on top followed by a heap of tangy carrot and cabbage slaw.

So many flavors. So many textures. And so many, many reasons to be happy.

I mean, I really thought these jalapeno turkey burgers couldn’t be beat as my favorite burger of all time.

But I’m sorry to say these Thai burgers have ruined every burger in my future.

As a lover of Thai flavors in general, I feel like it’s only time those flavors joined with a burger for a maximally delicious meal.

Can’t wait to hear what you think about these burgers!

If you are on the fence, I’m over here giving you a gentle nudge in the direction of try-something-new! and maybe another nudge toward live-a-little! in the hopes that you’ll love them as much as I do.

Honey Lime Fruit Salad
Fresh veggies
Chips

One Year Ago: Instant Pot Smoky Honey Cilantro Chicken {Bonus: Slow Cooker Directions}
Two Years Ago: Brownie Batter Puppy Chow {or Muddy Buddies}
Three Years Ago: Double Chocolate Greek Yogurt Cookies
Four Years Ago: Blueberry and Almond Baked Steel Cut Oats
Five Years Ago: Refried Beans {Made in the Slow Cooker and Fat-Free}

Yield: 5-6 servings

Easy Thai Burgers with Peanut Sauce

Total Time:55 mins

Prep Time:40 mins

Cook Time:15 mins

Ingredients:

Burgers:

• 2 pounds ground meat (see note; can use a combination of ground beef, ground pork or ground turkey)
• 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh ginger (or ginger paste)
• 3 green onions, white and green parts finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce (use more for added spiciness)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (I use coarse, kosher salt)
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (I use coarsely ground pepper)
• 5-6 burger buns, split and toasted (optional)

Peanut Sauce:

• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 5 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy suace
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce (use more for added spiciness)
• 2 teaspoons finely minced fresh ginger (or ginger paste)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced (about a teaspoon)

Tangy Slaw:

• 1 cup grated carrots (about 3-4 ounces)
• 1 cup shredded purple cabbage (about 3-4 ounces)
• 1 green onion, white and green parts finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice or rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (can probably use an oven broiler or skillet to pan fry the burgers).
2. For the burgers, add the ground meat, ginger, green onions, chili garlic sauce, salt and pepper to a food processor and pulse until combined. Alternate method: use an electric stand or handheld mixer OR make sure the green onions and ginger are very finely chopped and combine very well with your hands. Shape the meat mixture into 5-6 patties about 1/2-inch thick and slightly larger in diameter than the buns you are using (they’ll shrink a bit while cooking).
3. For the peanut sauce, whisk or blend all the ingredients together. The sauce can be made several days in advance and refrigerated.
4. For the slaw, in a medium bowl, toss together the carrots, cabbage and green onion. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice (or vinegar), oil, sugar and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss the vegetables with the dressing and set aside until serving. The slaw can be made several hours (or up to a day) in advance.
5. Grill/cook the burgers until desired doneness (if using ground pork or ground turkey, cook until well done). Assemble the burgers on buns topped with peanut sauce and slaw.

Notes:

I’ve made these burgers several times – once with 100% ground beef, another time with half ground beef/half ground pork, and another time with 100% ground turkey. Much of the deliciousness will depend on the quality of meat you use. Stay away from any type of ground beef packaged in plastic-wrapped tubes. In my experience, the meat is usually mushy and falls apart as burgers. All of the meat variations I’ve tried have been delicious, but my favorite has probably been the ground beef/ground pork blend. 

As written, we didn’t find the burgers or the peanut sauce overly spicy, but if you are worried about heat, you can cut down the chili garlic sauce a bit more (don’t leave it out entirely, though – it adds great flavor!) OR you can up the amount for a spicier version. 

All images and text ©Mel’s Kitchen Cafe.

Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (burger and peanut sauce inspired by Cuisine at Home August 2018, slaw from my own brain)