Tired of boring hamburgers? Not anymore with these Sweet Chili and Pineapple Thai Burgers with a sweet chili aioli and pineapple salsa.

Sweet Chili and Pineapple Thai Burgers with sweet chili aioli and pineapple salsa

One of my favorite smells during the summer is fire. I know that probably sounds a little destructive, but I’m talking campfires and grilling where fire is your friend. I can recall hanging out around those flames then having that smokey smell linger on my clothes and hair. You almost want to bottle it forever (in fact, I believe there is a candle that smells like a campfire). When I smell the grill going off, I immediately think of hamburgers, which brings me to today’s recipe of Sweet Chili and Pineapple Thai Burgers. I was invited to share a recipe during #BurgerWeek with NoshOn.It where I’m joining over 40 other bloggers to share burger recipes all week. You even have a chance to win some awesome grill prizes from Broil King. So if you’re looking for more than just your average hamburger, keep reading for my favorite Thai burger recipe.

When I was invited to share a unique burger recipe, I didn’t want to do a classic American burger. What flavors can I introduce to stand out? Pretty much my philosophy is when in doubt, add sweet chili sauce, so I thought about a Sweet Chili Aioli. Then soon I was going down the Thai route with lemongrass and a pineapple salsa.

An aioli is a condiment that is very similar to homemade mayonnaise but with olive oil and garlic where as mayonnaise uses a neutral-tasting oil and no garlic. As you’ll notice, there is a raw egg yolk in the recipe. Most people have healthy enough immune systems to be ok (how often have you gotten sick from raw cookie dough?), but I do caution to eat at your own risk. If you feel that the raw egg yolk will be an issue, you can easily whisk together sweet chili sauce and safe-to-eat mayonnaise. It won’t be a true aioli, but the flavor will be very similar.

The pineapple salsa is a variation of my mango salsa. I thought about how often I eat coleslaw on my sandwiches – why not top my beef with some refreshing salsa? Since pineapple is sweet, I added a jalapeno to balance with some heat.

Sweet Chili and Pineapple Thai Burgers

Name: Sweet Chili and Pineapple Thai Burgers
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup diced pineapple; 1 whole green onion (roughly 1/4 cup chopped); 1 medium jalapeno pepper (roughly 1/4 cup chopped); 2 tablespoons lime juice (roughly 1 lime); 1 teaspoon basil paste or fresh chopped basil; 1 garlic clove; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 egg yolk, room temperature; 1/2 cup olive oil; 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce ( homemade or store bought); 1/2 pound ground beef, thawed; 2 teaspoons lemongrass paste; 1 tablespoon basil paste or fresh chopped basil; 1 teaspoon soy sauce; 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 4 hamburger buns

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Tired of boring hamburgers? Not anymore with these Sweet Chili and Pineapple Thai Burgers with a sweet chili aioli and pineapple salsa.

Ingredients

Pineapple Salsa

1 cup diced pineapple
1 whole green onion (roughly 1/4 cup chopped)
1 medium jalapeno pepper (roughly 1/4 cup chopped)
2 tablespoons lime juice (roughly 1 lime)
1 teaspoon basil paste or fresh chopped basil

Sweet Chili Aioli*

1 garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk, room temperature
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sweet chili sauce (homemade or store bought)

Burgers

1/2 pound ground beef, thawed
2 teaspoons lemongrass paste
1 tablespoon basil paste or fresh chopped basil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 hamburger buns

Instructions

Pineapple Salsa: In a large bowl, mix together the pineapple, green onion, jalapeno pepper, lime juice, and basil. Chill in the refrigerator while you finish making the burgers.
Sweet Chili Aioli: In a food processor with a blade attachment, add the garlic and salt. Process until the garlic is finely minced. Add the yolk and pulse a few times until combined (10-15 seconds).
With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil in a thin stream until completely combined (don't add too much at once or the mixture may break). Add the sweet chili sauce and process another 30 seconds. Chill in the refrigerator while you finish making the burgers.
In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, basil, and soy sauce. Form four patties, roughly 1/2-inch thick.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet until hot**. Add two of the patties and cook 3 minutes. Flip and cook another 3-5 minutes until desired doneness. Remove from the pan. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil if needed and repeat with the remaining two patties. Serve each patty on a bun topped with the salsa and aioli.

Notes

Consuming raw eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness. Eat at your own risk. Alternatively, you can combine some safe-to-eat mayo with sweet chili sauce for a mock aioli.

Want more? Try out these recipes:

Homemade Sloppy Joe Sandwiches

Maple BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

Guinness Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Herbed Cream Cheese Grilled Bell Pepper Boats

Sweet Chili Sauce

Homemade Ketchup and Mustard (with no corn syrup)

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