Bulgogi Burger

Bulgogi Burger

Bulgogi Burger

This is another great example why we must globally legalize marijuana. Without it, I wouldn’t of come up with this recipe. I’ve seen Korean fusion restaurants with their own version of a kimchi burger. What is lacking from all of their recipes is the focus on the burger patty. All of them use basically-seasoned ground beef. I wanted to have the prime focus being on the meat instead of just the fancy toppings. So I seasoned my ground beef with all of the ingredients used to make beef bulgogi: shallots, garlic, ginger, Korean pear, carrots, green onions, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine, sesame seeds, and sugar. There’s a lot going on with the complex flavors. I promise that this extra work to make this burger will be worth it in the end.
You can grill or pan fry the burgers. I don’t have a grill, so I prepared them on my griddle. If you are a glutton, turn the burger into 2 patties. They’ll take about 6 minutes a side to cook through for medium With all the ingredients used to make them, they’ll be close to 10oz each. Ideally, 3 patties is probably the best route to go. So, toast the buns, griddle the burgers.
For the kimchi provolone topping, I sautéed some kimchi until the liquid is cooked out, leaving it crispy. I topped it with some provolone; kind of creating this melty kimchi cheese patty. That gets topped on the burger. I also created a mayonnaise with gochugaru pepper flakes. You could also use gochujang paste instead of flakes.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Fusion, Korean
Keyword: Beef, East Asian, Fusion, Korean, main course
Author: Alex Gorgos

Ingredients

  • 1 lb 85% lean ground beef
  • 1 shallot finely chopped
  • 1 garlic cloves finely minced
  • 2 tsp ginger grated
  • 1 green onion finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp Korean pear grated
  • 2 tbsp carrots grated
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp rice cooking wine
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 tsp sesame seeds
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tbsp butter
  • large hamburger buns

Toppings

  • green leaf lettuce
  • 1/2 cup kimchi chopped
  • 3 slices provolone cheese

Gochugaru Mayonnaise

  • 3 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp gochugaru pepper flakes

Instructions

  • Mix together the burger ingredients.
    Korean, fusion, main course, beef
  • Form into patties of your desired size. Let rest for 15 minutes to allows the ingredients to commingle.
    Korean, fusion, main course, beef
  • Melt the butter on a griddle over medium high heat. Toast the buns for a couple of minutes.
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  • Add your burger patties to the griddle.
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  • 2 large patties will take about 6 minutes a side for medium. 3 patties will take 5 minutes a side. 4 patties will take 4 minutes. Only flip once. Remove from the pan. Let rest for 5 minutes.
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  • Add the kimchi to the griddle. Sauté for 3-4 minutes.
    Korean, fusion, main course, beef
  • Make a bed out of the kimchi. Lay the provolone on top of the kimchi.
    Korean, fusion, main course, beef
  • Once the cheese starts to melt, separate into two kimchi patty-like shapes. Turn off the heat.
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  • Mix together the mayonnaise and gochugaru pepper flakes.
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Burger Assembly

  • Spread the gochugaru mayo across the top side of the bun. Lay the lettuce on the bottom side of the bun.
    Korean, fusion, main course, beef
  • Place the burger patties on the lettuce. Place the mound of kimchi and provolone on top of the burger.
    Korean, fusion, main course, beef
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A work of art.
Korean, fusion, main course, beef
Make an extra large batch of the gochugaru mayo to dip your tots or fries in.