These Banh Mi Burgers feature everything you love about the classic banh mi sandwich. Seasoned homemade chicken burgers are topped with spicy mayo, pickled daikon and carrots, jalapeno, cilantro, and cucumber. Every bite is juicy, spicy, and tangy!
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Vietnamese chicken banh mi burger
These Banh Mi Burgers are all about the seasonings and crisp toppings. Forget about the ketchup, cheese, and pickles; a banh mi chicken burger is bursting with bright umami flavors, a bit of spice, and tangy pickled vegetables. They’re unlike any burger you’re used to!
Chicken burgers are usually my burger of choice because they’re so light and fresh. That’s one of the reasons I chose to make this banh mi burger recipe with ground chicken, but it’s also:
- A lighter choice compared to beef and pork
- Mildly flavored
- Easy to season
- Complimentary to the spicy, tangy toppings
If you’ve been lucky enough to try my Air Fryer Chicken Banh Mi or Chicken Meatball Banh Mi, then you’re bound to love these burgers. Each one features the classic toppings, like jalapenos, cilantro, quick pickled daikon and carrots, cucumbers, and spicy mayonnaise. It’s a crisp, refreshing, and slightly spicy burger with a wealth of vibrant flavors.

What is banh mi?
Banh mi is a type of Vietnamese sandwich. It’s a popular street food that features meat stuffed into a French roll or baguette, then topped with pickled vegetables, spicy peppers, cilantro, and cucumber. The sandwich first originated in Saigon, but quickly gained popularity throughout Asia and western countries.
What is traditional banh mi made of?
A traditional banh mi sandwich has pate, pork, or chicken on a French roll or baguette. The meat is then topped with pickled daikon and carrots, spicy chili peppers, cucumber, cilantro, and mayonnaise.

Ingredients and substitutions
- Ground chicken – The chicken burgers will be richer with flavor when made with dark meat. Don’t forget that this recipe is flexible! Go ahead and substitute ground pork or ground beef for chicken if you want.
- Herbs and seasonings – Cilantro, scallions, garlic, and ginger expertly flavor the chicken patties.
- Fish sauce – This umami-forward condiment captures the flavors traditionally found in a Vietnamese-inspired chicken marinade. If you don’t want to use fish sauce, replace it with soy sauce or tamari.
- Sriracha mayonnaise – This spicy burger spread is even better when it’s made with Japanese mayonnaise (like Kewpie Mayo) because it’s richer, but regular or homemade mayo works too.
- Burger toppings – Jalapeno, cilantro, quick pickled daikon and carrots (Đồ Chua), and cucumbers are a must on a Vietnamese banh mi as well as these burgers.
- Brioche buns – Or use regular hamburger buns or French rolls to recreate the feel of a classic banh mi.

How to make banh mi burgers
Perfectly seasoned chicken burgers are the star of the show. I like how chicken is a lighter choice compared to more traditional pork or beef, but this recipe is flexible, so feel free to use the meat of your choice.
Here’s how it’s done:
- Pickle the vegetables: If you haven’t already, pickle the daikon and carrots. Follow my quick and easy Vietnamese Quick Pickled Carrots and Daikon recipe!
- Make the chicken burgers: Mix the ground chicken, cilantro, scallions, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, sesame oil, and kosher salt together in a bowl. Form into 4 evenly sized patties, making an indent with your thumb in the middle of each (to prevent them from bulging).
- Cook the burgers: Cook the chicken burgers in an oiled cast iron skillet over medium high heat. You’ll know they’re done when the internal temperature reaches 165ºF.
- Prep the toppings: Make the spicy mayo by mixing the mayonnaise, sriracha, and green onions together in a bowl. Slice the jalapeno and cucumbers, and trim the cilantro.
- Assemble the banh mi burgers: Spread the sriracha mayonnaise on the top and bottom burger buns. Add the cilantro and cucumbers to the bottom, then top with the chicken patty. Top the burger with pickled vegetables and jalapenos. Add the other burger bun, then enjoy!

Tips and variations
- If you love spicy food – Infuse some heat into the chicken burgers by mixing Thai green chilis or red pepper flakes into the ground meat.
- Wet your hands when forming the patties – This will prevent the meat from sticking!
- Don’t skip the indent – Press your thumb into the top of each chicken burger to make a small indent. This will prevent the burgers from shrinking or bulging as they cook.
- No time to make DIY chicken burgers? Use storebought chicken burgers instead. They won’t be as flavorful but the toppings should make up for it.
- Serving suggestions – Serve the burgers next to a big helping of french fries, cabbage slaw, Asian cabbage salad, cucumber salad, or spring rolls.
Make ahead tips
No, you don’t need to spend hours preparing these banh mi chicken burgers. Save time by making the burgers and toppings ahead of time:
- Pickled daikon and carrots: Pickle and store the veggies for up to 3 weeks in the fridge.
- Ground chicken burgers: Mix the ground chicken with the seasonings and keep it covered in the fridge for up to 1 day. You can also freeze the formed and cooked or uncooked patties for up to 3 months.
- Spicy mayonnaise: Store the sriracha mayo in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Looking for more delicious burger recipes?
- Caprese Salad Burgers
- Cheeseburger Stuffed Mini Peppers
- Mediterranean Burger Salad
- Instant Pot Cheeseburger Soup
Did you try these Banh Mi Burgers? Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below and giving this recipe a rating! Don’t forget to take a picture tag me on Instagram or use #lenaskitchenblog to be featured in my stories! I love seeing what you come up with!

Banh Mi Burgers
Ingredients
Burgers
- 1 pounds ground chicken, preferably dark meat or swap with ground pork or beef
- ⅓ cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil, or any light oil for cooking
Sriracha Mayonnaise
- ½ cup Kewpie mayonnaise, or use regular mayonnaise
- 3 teaspoons Sriracha, more to taste
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
Assemble Burgers
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced
- ½ bunch cilantro, divided
- 1 cup Vietnamese Quick Pickled Carrots and Daikon
- 2 small cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 4 brioche buns, lightly toasted
Instructions
Burgers
- Make the pickled daikon and carrots ahead of time.
- Preheat a cast iron skillet to medium hgh heat.
- In a mixing bowl add ground chicken, cilantro, scallions, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, sesame oil and kosher salt. Mix well to combine. Divide into 4 pieces. Flatten to form into 4 equal patties. Using your thumb, add a indent with it, this helps to prevent your burger from bulging when cooking.
- Cook for 4 minutes per side. The internal temperature should be at 165F using a meat thermometer. Let the burgers rest for a few minutes.
Prep the Burger Toppings
- Make the sriracha mayonnaise by mixing the mayo with sriracha and green onions. Slice the jalapeño, prep the cilantro by trimming some of the stems. Cut the cucumbers.
- Cut the buns in half and toast.
Assemble Burgers
- Add sriracha mayonnaise to both sides of the buns. Then add the culantro and cucumbers, patties, top with pickled daikon and carrots, and jalapeños. Enjoy.
Matt from NH
I made this for the fourth time tonight and it continues to amaze me. I have used both fish sauce and soy in its place and I feel they are equally excellent. The last time I misread and added 1 Tbs of olive oil to the mixture. It made the burgers outrageously moist, greasy but healthy. Thanks for such a flavorful recipe.