Turn ho-hum ground chicken into something juicy and exotic by adding bold Asian ingredients and cooking it up on the grill. Topped with pickled carrots, cilantro leaves, crunchy lettuce, and a smear of spicy mayo, these burgers channel the complex textures and flavors of the Vietnamese banh mi sandwich. For extra spice, sprinkle on some thinly sliced jalapeños.
What to buy: Look for chile-garlic paste or sambal oelek in the Asian section of your supermarket. We like the ones made by Huy Fong Foods (with the rooster on the jar).
Purchase ground chicken that is all dark meat or a mixture of white and dark meat for the juiciest possible burger.
Game plan: The pickled carrots and chile mayonnaise can be made up to a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. You could even make your own mayonnaise for the spicy mayo.
If you’re grilling outside, toast the rolls right on the grill while the cooked patties are resting. If you’re grilling inside using a grill pan, toast your rolls in the oven, because the moisture left in the pan from cooking the burgers will make the rolls soggy.
This recipe was featured as part of our Burger Bonanza!
For the chile mayonnaise:
For the burgers:
To assemble:
