Try these mouthwatering pork burgers topped with a zesty slaw made with crunchy cabbage and a kick of sriracha.
The inspiration from this burger came from my love of salt and pepper shrimp and salt and pepper calamari. I just adore the combination of salt, pepper and garlic and thought to myself, that would make a fantastic burger.
And then I thought, you know what would make that burger even better? A creamy, spicy slaw piled on top. I just love slaw on a burger. It’s creamy, tangy, crunchy, its the perfect texture and flavor combination with burgers.
But if you think you don’t like coleslaw, I challenge you to give this one a try. It’s not the goopy, mayo drenched coleslaw of days gone by. This one is a little creamy, a little spicy and all kinds of delicious.
Let’s talk about what you’ll need to make it.
Pork Burger and Spicy Slaw Ingredients:
There are essentially two recipes in this post: the pork burger and the slaw.
For the slaw you’ll need:
- COLESLAW MIX (without dressing): You only want the cabbage and the carrots here. Alternatively, you can slice green or red cabbage into shreds and use that.
- MAYONNAISE: The creamy base that will make up the dressing.
- RICE VINEGAR: Rice vinegar is made with, you guessed it, rice. Fermented rice to be exact. It’s a bit sweeter and more mild than distilled vinegar. If you don’t have any you can substitute , white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- SRIRACHA SAUCE: Where the “spiciness” of the slaw comes from.
- SESAME SEEDS: Add a little nutty flavor and a little bit of crunch.
- GREEN ONION: Adds a pop of color and a slight oniony flavor to the slaw.
- SALT AND PEPPER
For the Pork Burgers you’ll need:
- GROUND PORK: Make sure that it’s ground pork and not ground sausage. You don’t want any of the extra seasonings.
- GARLIC: And lots of it!
- SALT AND PEPPER
- BURGER BUNS: I like to use sesame burger buns with these but you can use whichever kind of bun you have on hand.
Step by Step Photos and Instructions:
No grill needed! These Pork Burgers are made right in a cast iron (or other heavy bottomed) skillet.
- STEP #1: Whisk the mayonnaise, rice vinegar, sriracha, sesame seeds, salt and pepper together in a bowl. Fold in coleslaw mix and green onion. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- STEP #2: When ready to cook the burgers, combine pork, garlic, salt and pepper together in a bowl. Use your hands to mix well. Divide into 4 equal sections and form into patties. Make the patties a little bigger than the burger buns because they will shrink when cooking.
- STEP #3: In a pan, cook the patties 3 – 4 minutes on both sides or until cooked through. Reserve 1 tablespoon of pan drippings.
- STEP #4: In the same pan that you cooked the patties in, toast the kaiser buns until golden brown, about 2 minutes.
- STEP #5: To assemble a burger, place the pork patty on the bottom bun. Top with sriracha slaw and top bun. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve.
Storage and Leftovers:
One of the great things about this, especially the slaw is that it makes great leftovers. I might even say that the slaw is better the next day. Keep any leftover burger patties and slaw in the refrigerator. Eat within a few days.
Looking for a classic side dish for your burgers? Try these:
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Learn how to make crispy, crunchy perfectly fried onion rings that rival those from your favorite restaurant. Great as a side dish or burger topper!
Note: Originally published in 2013. Updated in 2025.
Servings
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 4 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
- 1 green onion (sliced )
- 1 1/2 pound ground pork
- 8 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- olive oil
- 4 hamburger buns
Instructions
Whisk the mayonnaise, rice vinegar, sriracha, sesame seeds, salt and pepper together in a bowl. Fold in green cabbage and green onion. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- When ready to cook the burgers, combine pork, garlic, salt and pepper together in a bowl. Use your hands to mix well. Divide into 4 equal sections and form into patties. Make the patties a little bigger than the burger buns because they will shrink when cooking.
- In a pan, cook the patties 3 - 4 minutes on both sides or until cooked through. Reserve 1 tablespoon of pan drippings.
- In the same pan that you cooked the patties in, toast the kaiser buns until golden brown, about 2 minutes.
- To assemble a burger, place the pork patty on the bottom bun. Top with sriracha slaw and top bun. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve.
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I am so happy to hear you enjoy this burger! It’s one of my faves for sure!
Made this several times and enjoyed each one. Once for my daughter and her husband. They gave it a thumbs up also. Followed both recipes to the letter with no weird modifications. Definitely outside the box and just as definitely delicious.
I like the idea of a sweet taste! I might have to try that next time. I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it!
We like our slaw a little on the sweet side, so I used Mircacle Whip in place of the mayo, also added more sriracha! Excellent burger!
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So happy you enjoyed it!
oh girl, this is so killer. I didn’t have any cabbage on hand, but wanted to make this for a late supper and used romaine instead. It’s so good.
I’m making this tonight & just finished prepping the slaw. I can tell (taste) that it’s going to be fabulous!
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Slaw… on a burger…
OMG I WANT IT.
Ooops. Sorry for the screaming.
I love slaw on my burger… I’m SO down with this!
well, I happen to looooooooove pork and garlic so sign this girl up!!!
Pork works really well as a burger and slaw is the magic ingredient that puts all together, especially a spicy version like this.