Bánh Mi Burger

Inspired by Vietnamese bánh mi sandwiches, this Bánh Mi Burger is loaded with pickled carrots, pickled radishes, cucumbers, cilantro, pickled jalapeños, and spicy sriracha mayonnaise (and a sprinkling of Maggi seasoning sauce). 

May is National Burger Month! This post is part of an awesome burger grill giveaway hosted by GirlCarnivore.

I did receive a few goodies from sponsors, but the best stuff is reserved for our readers. There are four prize packages–one per week–and you can enter at the end of this post or over at the official Burger Month page and see all of the bodacious burgers from all of our participants.

What is Bánh Mi? 

Bánh Mi is a Vietnamese sandwich created by street vendors almost a century ago. The sandwiches were inspired by the French snack of bread spread with pâté. They evolved into a combination of meats, pickle, fresh vegetables, mayonnaise and sauces, all on a crispy baguette. 

Because I live close to Little Saigon, I am lucky enough to have Bánh Mi sandwich shops everywhere, including one owned by the Vietnamese Madonna! 

Besides the bread and the ubiquitous Maggi seasoning, one of the key elements of these sandwiches is pickled vegetables. 

For this burger, I made quick pickled carrots, radishes, and red onions. I also added some store bought pickled jalapeños. You could also include pickled snow peas, shallots, and cabbage. 

Next, I made a spicy sriracha mayo, which I schmeared on sliced and hollowed out rolls. 

I also sprinkled the mayo with a few drizzles of Maggi seasoning sauce. 

What is Maggi Seasoning? 

Amazingly, Maggi Seasoning is something I've kept in my pantry forever to add some color and flavor to gravies and meat sauces. I had no idea that it was such a key ingredient in bánh mi. It evidently was created in Switzerland in the 1880s and was introduced to Vietnam by the French colonizers. 

And then there's the bread.

The secret to good bread for bánh mi is that it has to have thin but crispy crust, and a soft and tender crumb. If you'd like to try making your own, here is a recipe.

If you don't want to bake your own, you can use Mexican bolillo rolls, Kaiser rolls, hoagie rolls, or supermarket style French or Italian rolls. You don't want a super crusty artisan-style bread.

Be sure to hollow out the rolls that you use. You can save the bread you tear out of the middle of loaf for bread crumbs.

After you smear the bread with the mayo and sprinkle it with the Maggi seasoning, add a seasoned and cooked burger, and top with some of the pickled veggies.

Next, add the pickled carrots and the fresh cucumbers.

Top the burger with a pile of cilantro....

And then top with the top of the bread, which has also been smeared with the sriracha mayo and sprinkled with Maggi seasoning.

These burgers were pretty awesome. I love the flavors from the pickles and fresh veggies, and the spicy mayo is a sauce I will spread on all of my burgers from now on.

P.S. I could eat the pickled red onions right out of the jar with my fingers straight from the refrigerator (perhaps I did...).

P.P.S. I've got two great bánh mi sandwich recipes you should try. First, try this Maggi Steak Bánh Mi sandwich with daikon and carrot pickle. If you're feeling adventurous, you must try this Caramel Shrimp Bánh Mi sandwich. So delicious.

Here's the fabulous Burger Month Giveaway! Be sure to enter because the prizes are epic.

Bánh Mi Burger Recipe

Yield: 4 burgers

Author: Karen Kerr

Inspired by Vietnamese bánh mi sandwiches, this Bánh Mi Burger is loaded with pickled carrots, pickled radishes, cucumbers, cilantro, pickled jalapeños, and spicy sriracha mayonnaise (and a sprinkling of Maggi seasoning sauce).

ingredients:

For the Spicy Sriracha Mayo

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons sriracha sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

For the Carrot Pickle

• 1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/2 cup water

For the Pickled Radishes

• 3 large radishes, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/2 cup water

For the Pickled Red Onions

• 1 medium red onion, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced. 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 2/3 cup distilled white vinegar

For the Burgers

• 1 pound ground beef
• Salt, pepper, and granulated garlic
• 4 burger rolls, preferably bánh mi style, hollowed out
• Maggi seasoning sauce
• Pickled jalapeño peppers
• 2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
• Chopped cilantro, including stems

instructions:

How to cook Bánh Mi Burger Recipe

To Make the the Spicy Sriracha Mayo

1. Mix the mayonnaise, sriracha, sugar, and soy sauce. Refrigerate until ready to assemble the burger. 

To Make the Carrot Pickle

1. Toss the carrots with the salt and 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Massage the carrots with the salt and sugar for about 3 minutes. 
2. Rinse the carrots with water and drain. Transfer to a jar. 
3. Stir together the rest of the sugar with the vinegar and water until the sugar dissolves. Pour over the carrots in the jar. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. 
4. The carrots will be good for up to a month. 

To make the Radish Pickle

1. Toss the radishes with the salt and 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Massage the radishes with the salt and sugar for about 1 minute.
2. Rinse the radishes with water and drain. Transfer to a jar.
3. Stir together the rest of the sugar with the vinegar and water until the sugar dissolves. Pour over the carrots in the jar. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

To make the Red Onion Pickle

1. Pack the onion slices into a 2-cup jar. 
2. Combine the salt, sugar, water, and vinegar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and them remove from the heat. 
3. Pour the mixture over the onions. Let sit, uncovered, until cooled. 
4. Cover and refrigerate overnight. 
5. These will last up to a month. 

To make the Burgers

1. Season the ground beef with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. 
2. Divide the beef into four equal portions and form each portion into a patty. 
3. Heat a griddle or grill over medium heat, and cook the beef, about 4 to 5 minutes per side, until cooked to desired doneness. Remove the patties to a plate, tent with foil, and let rest for five minutes. 
4. Spread the spicy mayo over both sides of the bread and sprinkle with Maggi seasoning. 
5. Place a patty on top of one half of the bread. 
6. Add the pickled and fresh veggies, and top with the other half of the bread. 
7. ENJOY! 

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2019/05/banh-mi-burger.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

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This giveaway is open until June 5th!