I competed at the 2025 National Hardware Show Celebrity Burger Cookoff in Las Vegas and won $5,000 with this Thai Inspired Cheese Stuffed Burger with Thai Basil Mint Chimichurri and Spicy Mayo.
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I was invited to represent Monument Grills at the National Hardware Show Cookoff in March 2025. Teams had 90 minutes to grill up a burger slider and appetizer for a star-studded panel of judges.
Judges included Chuck Matto (Chuck’s Flavor Train), Tony Ramirez (TFTI), Chef Chris Binotto, Kathryn Emery, Dan Correa and Rob Conrado Jr.
We had to prepare everything on site and present seven servings to the judges and dozens of samples to the crowd. I turned in bite-size Filipino-inspired BBQ chicken on an ube waffle and this Thai-inspired burger.
What makes this a $5000 burger
When creating this recipe, I knew I had to wow the judges with their first bite. So I set out to create the following:
- A juicy patty
- Perfect bun to meat ratio
- Texture
- Layers of flavors
- And ooey gooey melted cheese
Unlike most burgers that are grilled and then piled on a bun with condiments, the $5000 burger is different.
The cheese is stuffed in a hollowed-out bottom bun and a heavily seasoned pork patty is placed on top.
Then, the patty and bun are grilled together. Once the meat is cooked through, it’s topped with a unique chimichurri and spicy mayo.
What the judges had to say
When announcing the winner, Chuck’s Flavor Train said: “My jaw dropped to the floor when I took a bite of this.”
The $5,000 Burger
Ingredients
Thai Inspired Burger Patty
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp dark brown sugar
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 1 tbsp shallot, minced
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 1 lime, zest and juice
- 1/2 serrano pepper, minced
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp MSG
Additional Ingredients
- 6 hard rolls, see notes below
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Thai Basil Mint Chimichurri
- 1/2 serrano pepper, minced
- 8 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp shallot, minced
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh Thai basil, chopped
- 1 lime, zest and juice
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Spicy Mayo
- 1/3 cup Kewpie Japanese Mayo
- 1 tsp Melinda's Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce
- pinch kosher salt
Instructions
Make Patties
- In a large bowl, combine all of the pork patty ingredients until well blended.
Prepare Buns
- Using a serrated knife, slice the top 1/3 off of each roll. Use your hands to pull the centers out of the bottom half of each bun, leaving about a 1/2 inch rim.
- Fill the cavity with shredded mozzarella cheese, packing it in.
- Divide the seasoned meat into 6 portions. Roll into a ball and flatten into a patty. Press on top of the bottom half of the roll, covering all of the cheese.
Grill Burgers
- Heat the grill to medium low heat. Place the burgers on the grill meat side down. Cook for about 20 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 160-165F degrees.
Make Chimichurri Sauce
- Place the chimichurri ingredients in a medium. Stir well.
Make Spicy Mayo
- In a small bowl, mix together the mayo and sriracha. Add a pinch of salt to taste.
Final Touches
- Once the burgers are almost cooked through, flip the burgers over to help melt the cheese and cook for a few more minutes. Add the top portion of the buns to the top rack on the grill to toast.
- To assemble, smear spicy mayonnaise on the top bun. Add a spoonful of chimichurri on top of the patty. Place the top bun on top and enjoy.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients
- Ground Pork: You can grind your own from pork shoulder or look for ground pork in the meat department.
- Fish Sauce: This is key to the umami bomb. You’ll find it in the Asian section of your grocery store.
- Brown Sugar: I always use dark brown sugar.
- Fresh Ginger
- Shallot
- Fresh Garlic
- Limes
- Serrano Chili: If you want a burger with less heat, take out the seeds or use a jalapeno pepper.
- Cilantro
- Mint
- Thai Basil: This is not the same as Italian basil. It has more of an anise flavor. Look for it at Asian groceries or Sprouts.
- Rice Wine Vinegar
- Olive Oil
- Japanese Mayonnaise: It’s important to use Japanese mayo. It’s richer because it’s made with egg yolks.
- Sriracha Sauce: I used Melinda’s Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce.
- Kosher salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, MSG
- Hard Rolls: I found these in the bakery section of my Smith’s/Kroger grocery store. They feel crusty on the outside, but they’re soft on the inside. Don’t use regular hamburger buns. They’re too soft.
- Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Substitutions: You can also make this with ground bork, which is a blend of ground pork and ground beef.
See the full recipe card above for servings and a full list of ingredients.
How to prepare the cheese stuffed bread and burger
- STEP ONE: In a large bowl, combine the ground pork with fish sauce, brown sugar, ginger, shallot, garlic, serrano pepper, zest and juice of one lime, salt and MSG.
- STEP TWO: Using a serrated knife, slice the top 1/3 off of each roll. Use your hands to pull the centers out of the bottom half of each bun, leaving about a 1/2 inch rim.
- STEP THREE: Fill the cavity with shredded mozzarella cheese, packing it in.
- STEP FOUR: Divide the seasoned meat into 6 portions. Roll into a ball and flatten into a patty. Press on top of the bottom half of the roll, covering all of the cheese.
- STEP FIVE: Heat the grill to medium low heat. Place the burgers on the grill meat side down. Cook for about 20 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 160-165F degrees.
PRO TIP: Check on the burgers to make sure the buns aren't burning. If your grill has hot spots, you may need to adjust where the burgers are cooked on the grill.
- STEP SIX: Make the chimichurri in a medium bowl by stirring together the chili, garlic, shallots, cilantro, mint, Thai basil, lime zest and juice, salt, black pepper and pepper flakes. Add in the vinegar and olive oil.
- STEP SEVEN: Make the spicy mayo by mixing together the mayo and sriracha in a small bowl. Add a pinch of salt to taste.
- STEP EIGHT: Once the burgers are almost cooked through, flip the burgers over to help melt the cheese and cook for a few more minutes. Add the top portion of the buns to the top rack on the grill to toast.
- STEP NINE: To assemble, smear spicy mayonnaise on the top bun. Add a spoonful of chimichurri on top of the patty. Place the top bun on top and enjoy.
How to serve a winning burger
When serving up a burger to judges during a cookoff, you want to time it so the burger is still as hot as possible. You also want the bun to have crunch to it and not get soggy.
This is also a good tip for when you want to serve it up to friends and family.
To do this, keep the burgers and buns warm and wait to add the mayo and chimi until right before serving.
Storage
If you have leftovers of the $5000 burger, it’s best to store the burgers and buns separate from the mayo and chimichurri. Store them all in airtight containers in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Reheat the burgers in the microwave and then top with the chimi and mayo.
GCG Pro Pitmaster Tips
- Mince your shallots, ginger, garlic in peppers so they’re not too large
- Taste the chimi and spicy mayo and adjust to your liking
- Pack as much cheese as you can in the bottom bun
- Seal the bottom bun with the meat so the cheese doesn’t escape
- Use a digital meat thermometer to test the meat’s internal temp
Christie, you freakin’ nailed this burger! Wonderful alternative to traditional ground beef sliders. Bun to meat to cheese ratio was on point! The sriracha mayo was a genius touch and Thai chimichurri was brilliant. Used ciabatta rolls as I couldn’t find hard rolls at my local HEB store. They were a good substitute imho. Toasted up great, crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. Best slider I’ve ever had!
Thanks for the amazing feedback! I’m so glad you were able to recreate it.