I'm grateful for a lot of things, but living in the days of gas grills is a major perk. I remember watching my dad throw charcoal in the old potbelly Weber and then waiting, waiting, and waiting! Of course the flavor is even more outstanding than using gas, but as a busy mom, I generally lean towards quick and convenient. They may look similar to the fajita burgers I did last week, but the flavors couldn't be more different!


There's nothing like a good-old juicy American burger, but stuffing it full of Asian flavor is a great way to change things up. Since we have burgers about once a week over here, it's essential to make it seem like we aren't eating the same meal over and over again!


If you've never had Chinese 5-Spice, it's heavily flavored with anise which reminds me of fennel and licorice. Very different than your average Italian spices. You can find it in your average grocery store spice section.

The Asian slaw is simple but gets a lot of intensity from garlic and ginger. My mouth is still tingly in a very pleasant way. I'm sure you could use powdered ginger, but I beg you, get the real deal this time!


Chinese 5-Spice Burgers with Asian Slaw
Yield: 4 burgers

1 small carrot, trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces, and julienned (matchstick size pieces)
1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
1 scallion (green onion), green parts thinly sliced into rounds
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1/2-inch knob of ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
3/4 teaspoons liquid aminos, tamari, or soy sauce
Pinch of sea salt
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 hamburger buns

In a small bowl, combine the carrot, bell pepper, scallion, garlic, ginger, mayonnaise, liquid aminos, and sea salt to taste.

In a medium bowl, sprinkle ground beef with Chinese 5 spice powder and salt. Evenly distribute with your hands, but don't over mix. Divide into four equal portions and flatten into patties.

Preheat a grill on medium and allow to heat for 10 minutes. Alternatively, prepare a sturdy pan (cast iron is ideal) over medium heat with a tablespoon of fat.

Grill burgers until desired doneness. My ideal time is 5 minutes, flip, and 4 more minutes. Stovetop time may vary. If you want to grill the buns, throw them over indirect heat for a few moments just before the burgers are done.

Serve on a bun and top with a healthy serving of slaw.