Spicy Korean BBQ Burger
A beef burger with gochujang glaze, kimchi, cucumber, and creamy mayo for a spicy Korean-style flavor.
- Prep
- 12min
- Cook
- 10min
- Total
- 22min
- Serves
- 4
- Calories
- 860per serving, est.
By Time for Burgers, updated
Gochujang is thick and sweet, and it burns if it goes on too early. That's why the glaze waits for the last 2 minutes, when the patties are nearly done, then gets brushed on generously so it bubbles and turns sticky without scorching. Soy sauce, honey, sesame oil and rice vinegar thin the chili paste enough to spread.
The toppings are there to answer the heat. Plain mayo, cold cucumber and chopped kimchi cover cool, crisp and sour, and green onion and toasted sesame seeds finish the stack on a sesame bun.
Spicy Korean BBQ Burger
Prep 12 min, cook 10 min, total 22 min. About 860 calories per serving.
timeforburgers.com/recipes/spicy-korean-bbq-burger
Serves 4.
Ingredients
Instructions
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In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tbsp gochujang, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 2 tsp rice vinegar, and minced garlic to make the glaze.
Season ground beef with salt and pepper, then form into 4 equal patties with a slight indentation in the center.
Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook patties for 4-5 minutes per side, until an instant-read thermometer in the center of a patty reads 160°F (71°C).
During the last 2 minutes of cooking, brush the patties generously with all of the gochujang glaze, allowing it to caramelize slightly.
Toast sesame buns until golden, then spread ¼ cup mayonnaise on bottom buns.
Assemble burgers: place glazed patties on mayo-spread buns, top with chopped kimchi, cucumber slices, and green onions, sprinkle with 10 g toasted sesame seeds, and crown with top buns.
Tips
- Brush half the glaze on, flip, then brush the rest on the second side. Each side gets about a minute against the pan to caramelize.
- Lower the heat to medium once the glaze goes on. Honey and gochujang go from sticky to black in under a minute at full heat.
- Squeeze the chopped kimchi over the sink before piling it on. Otherwise its brine runs down and soaks the buns.
- Press a shallow dimple into each patty. The 170 g patties dome as they cook, and a flat top holds the glaze instead of shedding it.
Substitutions
- Milder glaze: cut the gochujang to 30 ml and add 5 ml more honey. It stays sticky with noticeably less heat.
- Ground pork, or half beef and half pork: juicier and a little sweeter. Cook to the same 160°F (71°C).
- Gluten-free: use tamari instead of soy sauce and gluten-free buns, and check the gochujang label, since many brands contain wheat.
Make ahead & storage
The glaze keeps up to 1 week in a sealed jar in the fridge. Cooked patties keep 3 to 4 days; reheat them in a covered skillet over medium heat to 165°F (74°C). Add the cucumber and kimchi only when assembling, so the buns stay dry.
