I was pulling out the regular burger toppings for a quick dinner and saw that we had left over Peanut Sauce from earlier that week - and inspiration hit. I sliced up a red onion and set it pickleing, adjusted the slaw that I was already making to make it spicy and threw some ginger into the burger before I pressed it into patties. Oh my, our favorite spiced up spin on grill night was born and Thai Burgers have firmly planted themselves on our regular dinner rotation!

Best bit is that you don’t have to go to any specialty markets to make this dish. Don’t be scared off by the different toppings, all of them can be made ahead of time and hold really well for a few days in the fridge!

Let’s dive in, gather your ingredients and start the video. We can make dinner together.

Thai Burgers

*makes 4, 1/4 lb Burgers

Burger Patties:

1 lb ground beef
1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and zested (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
1 small shallot, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 egg - if you using a low fat content ground beef through in an egg to help it bind together
4 Pub Style Buns

Pickled Onions

1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup + Rice Vinegar, enough to fully cover the sliced onoin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

Spicy Slaw

1 small head of cabbage, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, julienned
1 cup mayonaise
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt to taste
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 + Tablespoons Sriracha, to add more if you like it spicey!

Peanut Sauce

1/2 cup peanut butter
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce, more to taste just be ware soy sauce has a tendency to make it overly salty!
1/8 cup rice vinegar
2 teaspoons lime juice, or 1/2 of a fresh lime squeeze
1 Tablespoon Sriracha, more to taste!
2 Tablespoons water, plus more to thin if needed

Directions

- Begin with the Burger Patties. Place the ground beef in a mixing bowl. Add in the minced shallot, zested ginger, salt and pepper and mix together. Add in that egg if you’re using a low fat ground beef. It will help it stay together as you grill. Press into 4 patties, using parchment paper to keep the patties from sticking. Check out the video for tips on this! Cover the patties with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated until ready to grill.

- Now get those onions pickling. These taste even better the longer they sit in the vinegar. We keep an ongoing jar of them in our fridge just for these dinners! Thinly slice the red onion and place in a glass mason jar or ceramic bowl. Cover the sliced onions with the rice vinegar. Then add in the salt and sugar. Stir, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving - or for a couple days if you’re making these ingredients ahead of time!

- Next Up, the Spicy Slaw. Thinly slice the cabbage and Julianne the carrot. Adding more cabbage or carrot to have a balanced ratio. Mix the dressing ingredients and set aside. For a crunchier slaw toss the cabbage with the dressing just before serving. This salad does hold up well in the fridge for a day or two, the cabbage gets a little softer as it sits together.

- Lastly the sauce that brings it all together! Microwave the peanut butter for 30 seconds to a minute to soften it. This will make it easier to stir it all together. Add in the remaining ingredients, stir and taste! Add more water to thin as needed.

Now let’s build the burgers - While the burger patties are grilling, toast your pub buns. Then spread on the peanut sauce, add on the burger patty and top with slaw, pickled onions and more peanut sauce to your liking.

Serve with roasted yam rounds and lemonade for a spiced up grill night!

Want even more help hosting your next dinner? Check out Kelly’s Cookbook, Dinner Changes Everything. The recipes and menus give you everything you need to fill your table with a feast and your heart with joy.