Thai Burger
This Thai Burger recipe is a delicious turkey burger with the flavors of Thailand, served with a simple Sweet Thai Chili Aioli that adds even more flavor and moisture to the burger. These amazing Thai Burgers are packed with fresh herbs and easy to make at home.
These Thai turkey burgers are bursting with Thai flavors–healthy, light and delicious! They are easy to make and packed with loads of intense flavor, with two cups of fresh herbs–on the table in less than 30 minutes. I love a quick recipe that is full of flavor and easy to make with a Thai burger sauce!
Thai Burger
Turkey burgers are notorious for becoming dry and rubbery after cooking. Often, the texture is stiff and the flavor is disappointing, even with condiments. This recipe, with an added egg yolk, chili paste, and vibrant herbs and spices, ensures you end up with the most flavorful, juicy turkey burgers of your life. There is also a simple Sweet Thai Chili Aioli that adds even more flavor and moisture to the burger.
In addition to the bright, zesty flavors, this Thai burger recipe features a Sweet Thai Chili Aioli that takes the whole burger to the next level. Grab a napkin, because with the delicious, sweet aioli dripping off your burger, you’ll need it!
Why I love this recipe
- Delicious, semi-healthy, and inexpensive.
- Make and freeze ahead.
- Simple and scrumptious!
- On the table in 30 minutes.
Gather these ingredients:
Thai Burger:
- Egg
- Salt and black pepper
- Turmeric
- White pepper
- Chili and garlic sauce
- Ginger
- Fresh herbs: green onion, basil, cilantro, mint
- Ground turkey or chicken
- Avocado, olive oil, or grapeseed oil
Thai Burger Sauce (Sweet Thai Chili Aioli) :
- Mayonnaise (preferably kewpie mayonnaise, but regular will work)
- Sweet Thai chili sauce
- A pinch of salt to taste
Toppings:
To balance the spice and heat from the burger, here are some delish toppings.
- Fresh tomato
- Ciabatta rolls (or other, sturdy bread roll)
- Iceberg lettuce
- Pickled red onion (or fresh)
- Pickled jalapeno
- You can also add pickled veggies (like cucumber and carrots)
How do you make traditional Thai Burgers?
- Combine the mayonnaise and sweet Thai chili sauce. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- In a small bowl, combine the egg yolk, honey, salt, black pepper, turmeric, white pepper, chili paste, ground ginger, and herbs; mix until combined, and set aside.
- In a wide bowl, spread the ground turkey into (roughly) a single layer, drizzle the egg yolk spice mixture over, and mix until just combined. Don’t over-mix into a paste-like consistency, but rather just gently mix until the spices are mostly disbursed.
- With wet hands, shape the meat into balls and flatten into six (roughly 5 oz) patties; place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-heigh heat. Add the oil. Once shimmery, add the patties and cook until the inside has reached 165 degrees F. Note: The sugar will cause the exterior of the patty to brown quickly, so lower the heat a little if the outside is browning too much.
- Remove from heat and keep warm.
- Serve with Sweet Thai Chili Aioli, fresh tomato slices, toasted Ciabatta rolls, iceberg lettuce, pickled red onion (or fresh), and pickled jalapeño.
Tips and substitutions:
- There are so many chili sauces that can be used in this recipe. Here I use a Vietnamese Huy Fong Chili Garlic Sauce. I’m sure you’ve seen this iconic, plastic jar at the supermarket with the green top and vibrant red contents. Huy Fong makes Sambal Oelek (chili paste without garlic) and Siracha that can be used as a substitute. However, there are other brands and varieties of Sambal Oelek pastes that can be used as well.
- Other substitutes include Harissa chili paste, Italian Calabrian chili paste, gochujang, Nam Prik Pao (Thai Chili Paste), Peruvian Aji Amarillo Paste, and even Thai red curry paste. Obviously, the flavor will vary depending on the type of chili paste that you use, but the burger will still be delicious!
- NOTE: If you’re sensitive to spice, consider halving the amount of chili paste, or substituting one Tbsp for tomato paste. Trader Joe’s has Harissa, gochujang, and Calabrian chili paste. Other stores include Fred Meyer, Whole Foods, World Market, and Amazon.
- Chili paste can be used for so much! Try adding it to marinades, dressings, sauces, broth, and more.
- Make them low-carb by serving in lettuce wraps and go totally bread-free.
- Use ground beef, chicken, or turkey!
How do you serve a Thai Burger?
Serve these tasty turkey burgers at your next family barbecue, or simply whip some up any day of the week. From start to finish, these delicious burgers take 30 minutes to prepare. You can even freeze them!
- Serve the burger over Asian slaw, as a main course salad.
- Create Burger Bowls (no buns).
- Add pickled onions, microgreens, or avocado.
- Make them “mini” and serve them on a mini burger board.
I hope you enjoy these Thai-inspired turkey burgers as much as we have! Let us know what you think in the comments below!
More burger recipes to try:
Get the Recipe:
Thai Burger
Ingredients
Turkey burger:
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 Tbsp honey or sugar
- 2 ½ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 2 Tbsp chili and garlic sauce, *See note for substitutions*
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 2 c packed herbs, green onion, basil, cilantro, mint, minced *Note: use just the green tops of the green onions because the whites can be very sharp in flavor
- 2 lb ground turkey or chicken
- Avocado, olive oil, or grapeseed oil for frying
Sweet Thai Chili Aioli:
- ½ c mayonnaise, preferably kewpie mayonnaise, but regular will work
- ¼ c sweet Thai chili sauce
- A pinch of salt to taste
Burger toppings:
- Fresh tomato
- Ciabatta rolls, or other, sturdy bread roll
- Iceberg lettuce
- Pickled red onion, or fresh
- Pickled jalapeno
Instructions
- Combine the mayonnaise and sweet Thai chili sauce. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- In a small bowl, combine the egg yolk, honey, salt, black pepper, turmeric, white pepper, chili paste, ground ginger, and herbs; mix until combined, and set aside.
- In a wide bowl, spread the ground turkey into (roughly) a single layer, drizzle the egg yolk spice mixture over, and mix until just combined. Try not to over-mix into a paste-like consistency, but rather just gently mix until the spices are mostly disbursed.
- With wet hands, shape the meat into balls and flatten into six (roughly 5 oz) patties; place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-heigh heat. Add the oil. Once shimmery, add the patties and cook 4-5 minutes per side, or until the inside has reached 165 degrees F. Note: The sugar will cause the exterior of the patty to brown quickly, so lower the heat a little if the outside is browning too much.
- Remove from heat and keep warm. Serve with Sweet Thai Chili Aioli, fresh tomato slices, toasted Ciabatta rolls, iceberg lettuce, pickled red onion (or fresh), and pickled jalapeño.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
