Spicy Thai Burger with Sweet Chili Mayo
This spicy Thai-inspired burger has a juicy burger patty mixed with cilantro and Thai chilies. It’s then topped with sweet chili mayo, plus pickled cucumber and carrots for that perfect tangy crunch. It’s got just the right balance of heat and sweetness, a total flavor bomb.
Reader Marilou says: “I made this and followed the recipe!! It was delicious! Very easy to make!” ★★★★★
I love exploring different flavor combinations for burgers, and this Spicy Thai burger is a trifecta of flavors that all go well together. Burgers are similar to tacos in that you can get creative with the toppings and flavor profiles.
How to Make
In the video below, the burger patty looks much lighter than the one pictured in the post. I used ground turkey in the video and ground beef in the pictures.
I thought both were good and absorbed the flavors nicely. However, I used an 80/20 ground beef that was a little juicier than the ground turkey.
The Thai flavors will come through in the patty with an easy marinade. It’s very similar to what I use in my Thai Chicken Wings.
Start by blending cilantro, garlic, Thai bird’s eye chili, and soy sauce. I used a small food chopper, or you can finely dice everything.
A little warning, Thai bird’s eye chili’s are a lot spicier than a jalapeno. If you don’t want the burger to be that spicy, use a jalapeno instead.
Once everything is blended, add it to your ground meat, mix just until incorporated, and place in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up. This helps form the burger patties a little easier, especially if you are using ground turkey.
Form your burger patties larger than the bun you are using since they will shrink during cooking. I highly suggest getting a digital meat thermometer if you don’t own one.
I prefer my ground beef to be cooked at 155 degrees F, but the ground turkey should be fully cooked to 165 degrees F. The burger patties can be cooked on the grill or in a cast iron skillet on the stove.
Toppings For the Burger
I wanted some acidity and crunch to balance the spice and heat from the burger. I shaved cucumber and carrot strips, placed them in a small jar, and added some leftover pickle juice.
If you don’t have leftover pickle juice, mix vinegar with a teaspoon of sugar until it dissolves and use that instead. I put them in the fridge for about 30 minutes, and they got a nice acidity to them. I also wanted a sweet mayo to round out all the flavors. I mixed equal parts mayonnaise and sweet chili sauce.
Toast the buns just until they are golden brown. You can spread butter on them if you like. Put a layer of sweet chili mayo on each bun, then layer with lettuce, the Thai burger patty, pickled cucumbers and carrots, and the top bun.
Here are some side dish options to pair with the burger:
Spicy Thai Burger with Sweet Chili Mayo
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Equipment
- Grill or Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground Beef or Turkey
- ½ cup Cilantro Leaves and Stems
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Thai birds eye chili I only used one, and it has a good amount of heat. For less heat, use a jalapeno.
- 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- Salt and Pepper
- 1 Cucumber
- 1 Carrot
- ½ cup Pickle Juice Substitute vinegar with a little bit of sugar
- 2 tablespoon Mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon Sweet Chili Sauce
Instructions
- Add Cilantro (leaves and stems) to a food chopper or processor, along with garlic cloves, Thai birds eye chili, and soy sauce. Pulse till everything is incorporated and chopped up.
- Add mixture to your ground meat, mix just until incorporated, and place in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up. Especially if you are using ground turkey, this helps to form the burger patties a little easier.
- Using a peeler, peel long thin strips of cucumber and carrot. Then place in a jar with pickle juice and refrigerate for 30 minutes. If you don't have pickle juice then mix vinegar with a little sugar and quick pickle the cucumber and carrots.
- Combine mayonnaise and sweet chili sauce, keep in refrigerator until ready to use.
- Form 4 burger patties, larger than the bun size, season the patty lightly with salt and pepper. Cook on a grill or cast iron skillet. I cook ground beef to around 155 degrees F and ground turkey to 165 degrees F. Use an instant read thermometer on the patties.
- Toast buns on grill or pan, you can add butter if you like. Spread sweet chili may on both sides of the buns. Layer lettuce on the bottom, then burger patty, top with pickled cucumber and carrot ribbons, and top bun.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only and depends on ingredients and amounts used. Thai Caliente makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
This looks like an amazing take on a burger! Love the idea of the pickled veggies on top. Will need to try soon!
Thank you, Sara! It add a nice crunch and acidity to the spicy burger! 🙂
I made this and followed the recipe!! It was delicious! Very easy to make!
Thank you for your comments, Marilou! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂 Do you mind leaving a star rating, I appreciate it!
5 starts.
I forgot to also say that my husband started to take out the picked cucumber and carrots saying “ i don’t ever put that on my Hamburger” but insisted that’s what the recipe says! So he did and he loved it! Even went back for seconds!
That’s Awesome, glad he ended up liking them! I appreciate the rating 🙂
Love to try this. I need to know the amount of vinegar and sugar for the pickling
Hi Keith, my apologies, I’ve included the measurements for the pickling juice. Use 1/4 cup of rice vinegar, 1 tbs of sugar, and a pinch of salt. Mix until the sugar dissolves. Add the peeled carrots and cucumbers to a mason jar and give it a good shake, then let sit in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes or while the burgers are cooking. Enjoy!