2poundsground meat, see note; can use a combination of ground beef, ground pork or ground turkey
2tablespoonsfinely minced fresh ginger, or ginger paste
3green onions, white and green parts finely chopped
2teaspoonschili garlic sauce, use more for added spiciness
½teaspoonsalt, I use coarse, kosher salt
¼teaspoonblack pepper, I use coarsely ground pepper
5-6burger buns, split and toasted (optional)
Peanut Sauce:
½cupcreamy peanut butter
5tablespoonsfresh lime juice
3tablespoonshoisin sauce
1tablespoonlow-sodium soy sauce
1tablespoontoasted sesame oil
1tablespoonhoney
1teaspoonchili garlic sauce, use more for added spiciness
2teaspoonsfinely minced fresh ginger, or ginger paste
2clovesgarlic, finely minced (about a teaspoon)
Tangy Slaw:
1cupgrated carrots, (about 85-113 grams)
1cupshredded purple cabbage, (about 85-113 grams)
1green onion, white and green parts finely chopped
2tablespoonsfresh lime juice or rice vinegar
1tablespoonoil
1teaspoonsugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (can probably use an oven broiler or skillet to pan fry the burgers).
For the burgers, add the ground meat, ginger, green onions, chili garlic sauce, salt and pepper to a food processor and pulse until combined. Alternate method: use an electric stand or handheld mixer OR make sure the green onions and ginger are very finely chopped and combine very well with your hands. Shape the meat mixture into 5-6 patties about 1/2-inch thick and slightly larger in diameter than the buns you are using (they'll shrink a bit while cooking).
For the peanut sauce, whisk or blend all the ingredients together. The sauce can be made several days in advance and refrigerated.
For the slaw, in a medium bowl, toss together the carrots, cabbage and green onion. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice (or vinegar), oil, sugar and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss the vegetables with the dressing and set aside until serving. The slaw can be made several hours (or up to a day) in advance.
Grill/cook the burgers until desired doneness (if using ground pork or ground turkey, cook until well done). Assemble the burgers on buns topped with peanut sauce and slaw.
Notes
Meat Variations: I've made these burgers several times - once with 100% ground beef, another time with half ground beef/half ground pork, and another time with 100% ground turkey. Much of the deliciousness will depend on the quality of meat you use. Stay away from any type of ground beef packaged in plastic-wrapped tubes. In my experience, the meat is usually mushy and falls apart as burgers. All of the meat variations I've tried have been delicious, but my favorite has probably been the ground beef/ground pork blend. Adjusting the Spiciness: as written, we didn't find the burgers or the peanut sauce overly spicy, but if you are worried about heat, you can cut down the chili garlic sauce a bit more (don't leave it out entirely, though - it adds great flavor!) OR you can up the amount for a spicier version.