Korean Bulgogi-Style Beef Burger

About This Recipe

This burger takes the sweet-savory marinade used for bulgogi — soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, a little pear or sugar for sweetness — and mixes it directly into ground beef instead of using it as a marinade for sliced meat. The result is a patty that tastes like bulgogi in burger form: deeply savory, slightly sweet at the edges from caramelization, and fragrant with sesame and garlic.\n\nThe part that actually makes this work is not overmixing the meat. Bulgogi seasoning includes a fair amount of liquid (soy sauce, sesame oil), and if you overwork it into the beef the patties turn dense and bouncy instead of tender. Mix just until combined, then handle the patties as little as possible when shaping and flipping.\n\nA quick-pickled cucumber and a gochujang mayo bring acidity and gentle heat that cut through the richness of the beef — both come together in the time it takes the patties to rest after cooking.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 600 gground beef(80/20)
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2 tbspsoy sauce
• 1 tbspbrown sugar
• 1 tsptoasted sesame oil
• 2scallions(finely chopped)
• 4burger buns(toasted)
• 1Persian cucumber(thinly sliced)
• 2 tbsprice vinegar
• 1 tspsugar(for the quick pickle)
• 0.33 cupmayonnaise
• 1 tbspgochujang
• 4 leaveslettuce

Instructions

1. 1

   Quick-pickle the cucumber

   Toss cucumber slices with rice vinegar and sugar. Let sit at room temperature at least 15 minutes while you prepare everything else.

2. 2

   Make the gochujang mayo

   Stir mayonnaise and gochujang together in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside.

3. 3

   Mix the patties

   Combine ground beef, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and scallions in a bowl. Mix gently with your hands just until combined — overmixing makes the patties dense.

   Wet your hands before shaping the patties so the mixture doesn't stick, and press a shallow dimple in the center of each so they cook flat instead of doming.

4. 4

   Cook the burgers

   Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook patties 4-5 minutes per side until deeply browned and cooked through (internal temp 160°F/71°C), resisting the urge to press down on them.

5. 5

   Assemble

   Spread gochujang mayo on both cut sides of the toasted buns. Layer lettuce, the patty, and pickled cucumber, then close and serve immediately.

Variations

• •

  Add a slice of melted provolone or American cheese for a Korean-American cheeseburger mashup.

• •

  Top with kimchi instead of the quick-pickled cucumber for a sharper, more fermented tang.

• •

  Use ground pork instead of beef for a slightly sweeter, richer patty.

Storage

Refrigerate cooked patties separately from buns and toppings for up to 3 days. Reheat patties in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through, then reassemble fresh.

Frequently Asked Questions