an array of beautiful breads…
While at Knead Fest this weekend, I met local baker Natalie Higgins who owns Kyu◦Si. She and her sister Kim were selling an array of beautiful breads and sweets at Selden Market, and I just had to nab her pandesal.
Pandesal is a sweet bread roll essential to Filipino cuisine, much like the American dinner roll is to Sunday supper. The ones Natalie sold were large and inspired me to have burgers this weekend! So, I used them to create a Southeast Asian twist on a chicken burger.
These pandesal chicken burgers are based on an old Blue Apron recipe I made some years ago, but I made several changes. My version includes chives, a lot more ginger, a lot more garlic, and satay seasoning. I am also using pandesal as the hamburger bun instead of the original potato rolls.
Pandesal is a sweet bread roll essential to Filipino cuisine, much like the American dinner roll is to Sunday supper…
Also new to the recipe is the addition of provolone cheese for a pleasant balance of texture and another layer of funky flavor. I ground the chicken breasts myself, which I prefer to do because I can purchase the breasts in bulk and pay a lot less for the meat.
It may seem like the recipe calls for a lot of ginger and garlic, but the flavors are actually well balanced and the garlic doesn’t linger on your breath. The spice levels are adjustable based on how much sriracha you like. I also love the hint of cilantro at the end. These were served with a standard salad, but feel free to eat them with fries.
These were arguably the best burgers I made this summer! Thanks Natalie!

Pandesal Chicken Burgers
Ingredients
For the Burgers
- 1 LBS Chicken Breasts chilled or partially frozen, or 1 LBS of pre-ground chicken
- 3" Ginger finely chopped or minced
- 6 Garlic Cloves finely chopped or minced
- 1 small bunch Fresh Chives or Green Onion chopped
- 1 TSP (5g) Sriracha Sauce, or more depending on how spicy you want the burgers
- 3 TBSP (40g) Soy Sauce
- 1 TBSP (15g) Sesame Oil
- ½ TSP (3g) Satay Seasoning, or salt and pepper to taste
For the Sauce
- ¼ Cup (60g) Mayonnaise
- ¼ Cup (60g) Hoisin Sauce
For the Toppings
- 4 Large Pandesal Rolls sliced in halves or any variety of hamburger buns.
- 4 slices Provolone Cheese
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 Tomato sliced
- Mixed greens for salad
Instructions
Make the Burgers
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In a small skillet, heat 2 TBSP of butter or vegetable oil and sauté the chives, garlic, and ginger on low heat until bright in color and aromatic. This should take no more than 5 minutes.
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Take the aromatics off the heat and put them into a large mixing bowl.
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In the same large mixing bowl, add the satay seasoning or salt and pepper (to taste), the sriracha, soy sauce, and sesame oil and mix until well combined. Set aside.
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If grinding your own chicken breasts, combine the meat in a food processor and pulse in 2-3 second bursts until a chunky mass forms. Do not over process.
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Place the ground chicken into the same mixing bowl as the spices and seasonings, and carefully mix everything together with a rubber spatula. Do not mix too much or else the meat will become mushy and difficult to handle.
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With a large spoon, carefully create four chicken patties. In a large skillet, heat 2 TBSP of butter or vegetable oil and cook the patties on medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes on one side. Flip each patty over and place a slice of provolone cheese on each patty. Cook the other side for another 3-5 minutes and allow the provolone to melt. Take the burgers off the heat and set aside in a warm place.
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In the same skillet, toast the sliced sides of the pandesal rolls until browned to your taste. Set them aside.
Make the Sauce
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Mix together the hoisin sauce and mayonnaise until fully incorporated. Set aside.
Assemble the Burgers
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On the bottom slice of the pandesal, layer it with a chicken burger topped with provolone, hoisin-mayonnaise mix, tomato, cilantro leaves, and the top of the bun.
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Serve the burger with a side of salad. Use the remaining hoisin-mayonnaise mix as a salad dressing.
Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Notes:
- Since the soy sauce is already salty, you may not need to add any salt to the burgers.
- Use Potato Buns or Brioche Buns as a substitute for pandesal if you can’t find it.
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