This is a ground pork burger seasoned with fish sauce, garlic, and ginger, topped with quick-pickled daikon and carrots, Kewpie mayo, cucumber, and fresh cilantro on a crusty baguette-style bun. The whole thing comes together in 45 minutes, and most of that is hands-off pickling time. If you want something more interesting than a standard weeknight burger without a long ingredient hunt, this one delivers.
What makes this version work
Two things matter here. First, the pickle timing: 20 minutes in the rice vinegar brine is the minimum, but if you start the daikon and carrots the moment you walk in the door, they’ll be properly tangy by the time the patties are off the heat. Don’t skip squeezing out the excess liquid before you pile them on — a wet burger bun falls apart fast. Second, the fish sauce goes directly into the meat, not on top. It seasons the pork all the way through and keeps the patties juicy even at the required 160°F (71°C) internal temperature. Skip adding any extra liquid binders to the mix — they make the patty soft and hard to flip cleanly.
If something goes sideways
- Patties are sticking to the grill or pan: The fish sauce and sugar in the mix can cause sticking if the surface isn’t hot enough before the patty goes on. Let the grill or skillet fully preheat on medium-high before adding the meat, and don’t try to move the patty for the first 2 minutes.
- Bun goes soggy before you finish assembling: Toast the cut sides of the bun until they’re genuinely crisp, not just warm. The mayo layer also acts as a moisture barrier — spread it all the way to the edges so the bun has some protection from the pickled vegetables.
- Daikon smells sharp or sulfurous: Raw daikon has a strong smell that softens once it’s in the brine. If yours is particularly pungent, rinse the julienned pieces under cold water for 30 seconds before adding the vinegar mixture.
- Patties are cooking unevenly: Ground pork patties vary in thickness at the edges. Press a shallow dimple in the center of each patty before cooking — it helps them stay flat rather than puffing up in the middle and leaving the edges undercooked.
- Can’t find baguette-style buns: A standard brioche bun works, but toast it longer and harder than you think you need to. Without the crust of a baguette roll, it needs that extra structure to hold the pickled vegetables without collapsing.
Keeping and reheating
Store cooked patties and pickled vegetables separately in the fridge. Patties keep for up to 3 days; reheat in a covered skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of water until they reach 160°F (71°C) again — the microwave works but dries them out. The pickled daikon and carrots actually improve after a day in the brine and will keep refrigerated for up to a week. Assembled burgers don’t store well; the bun gets soggy within an hour. For freezing, wrap raw uncooked patties individually and freeze for up to 2 months — thaw overnight in the fridge before cooking.
Vietnamese Banh Mi Burger
Ingredients
Pickled Vegetables
- 1 cup daikon radish peeled and julienned
- 1 cup carrots peeled and julienned
- ½ cup rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
Burger Patties
- 500 g ground pork or chicken for a lighter option
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp ginger freshly grated
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp ground black pepper freshly ground
- 4 pieces burger buns preferably crusty baguette-style
- ½ cup mayonnaise Japanese Kewpie recommended
- 1 small cucumber thinly sliced
- 1 bunch cilantro fresh
- 2 pieces green chilies sliced; optional for added kick
Instructions
- Pickle the Vegetables: In a bowl, combine the julienned daikon and carrots. Mix with rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Let it sit for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are tangy and slightly soft.
- Prepare the Burger Patties: In a mixing bowl, combine ground pork, fish sauce, minced garlic, ginger, sugar, and black pepper. Form into four equal-sized patties, ensuring they are slightly larger than the buns as they will shrink during cooking.
- Cook the Patties: Heat a grill or skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the patties for 3-4 minutes per side, until browned and cooked through. An internal temperature of 70°C (160°F) ensures safety.
- Assemble the Burgers: Lightly toast the burger buns to achieve a slight crisp. Spread a generous amount of mayonnaise on the inside of the buns. Layer with the cooked patty, pickled vegetables, cucumber slices, fresh cilantro, and green chilies if using. Top with the other half of the bun.
Notes
Nutrition
Your questions, answered
Can I use ground chicken instead of ground pork?
Yes, ground chicken works as a direct swap. Cook chicken patties to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) — they should not be pink in the center at all. Because ground chicken is leaner, the patties can dry out faster, so watch the cook time closely and pull them off the heat as soon as they hit temperature.
Where do I find Kewpie mayonnaise?
Most large grocery stores carry it in the international aisle, and Asian grocery stores always stock it. If you can’t find it, regular full-fat mayo works fine — Kewpie is richer and slightly tangier because it uses only egg yolks and rice vinegar, but the difference won’t break the recipe.
Do I have to use daikon, or can I substitute something else?
Regular red radishes or even thinly sliced turnip will pickle in the same brine and give you a similar crunch. The flavor is a little sharper than daikon but still works well against the pork patty.
My grocery store only has standard hamburger buns. Is that okay?
It’s fine — toast them firmly so they hold up to the pickled vegetables. The crustier the surface you can get, the better the burger holds together.
Can I make the patties ahead of time?
Yes. Mix and shape the patties up to 24 hours ahead and keep them covered in the fridge. This actually helps them hold their shape better during cooking since the fish sauce has time to work into the meat evenly.
How do I know the patties are cooked through without a thermometer?
Get a thermometer — ground pork and chicken both need to hit a specific internal temperature for safety, and color alone isn’t reliable. An instant-read thermometer costs around $10 and removes all the guesswork.
If you liked this one
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