Korean Kimchi Burger

5 from 2 votes

Ditch the ketchup and mustard and try something special with this Asian-inspired Korean kimchi burger recipe. The creamy kimchi sauce to go with is delish!

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, German, Korean

Servings:

Calories: 637kcal

Author: Joss Dyckson

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Burger

1 pound ground beef
⅓ cup kimchi drained and chopped (reserve the juice)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
salt and pepper

For the Creamy Kimchi Sauce

½ cup mayo
2 tablespoons kimchi juice the liquid from the jar of kimchi
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce

To Serve

4 burger buns
arugula leaves or your favorite lettuce for burgers
1 small cucumber thinly sliced
1 tomato sliced

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, chopped kimchi, sesame seeds and soy sauce. Don’t overwork the mixture to avoid a tough burger.
Shape into 4 patties. Season on both sides with salt and pepper.
Heat a large non-stick frying pan or grill pan to medium heat and add 1 tablespoon canola oil. Once the oil is hot, fry the patties for 3-5 minutes per side, until fully cooked.
Mix the kimchi sauce ingredients together. You can also do this ahead of time and reserve in the fridge.
Toast the open side of the buns on the grill pan, until lightly golden-brown.
Assemble the hamburger buns with the beef patties, vegetable toppings and kimchi sauce. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

To avoid a greasy or heavy burger, look for freshly ground beef that is lower in fat content.
Don't overmix the ground beef when forming the patties or they can become tough.
Always remember to toast your buns so that they do not become soggy from the sauce.
Try to keep the patties the same thickness so that they cook in the same amount of time. You can weigh them or use a cookie cutter to help with consistency.
If you're going to add cheese, I would go with something mild and melty like mozzarella. I've also tried one of my favorites, Monterey Jack, and that works too.
Store the leftover toppings, burger patties and buns separately. Toppings and burgers patties can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 to 4 days. The kimchi sauce can last longer, in a covered container in the fridge, for up to 2 months.
You can freeze the raw burger patties for up to 3 months and then cook from frozen.

Nutrition