This recipe has taken the typical Bulgogi marinade ingredients and turned them into a glaze for the burger. Add a quick pickled onion as a topping and leaf lettuce which is typically served with Bulgogi and you got yourself the perfect recipe for Korean Bulgogi Burgers. Then top it with a mayo made up of the same ingredients used to make Kim Chee, a spicy fermented cabbage classically found in most Korean restaurants. Enjoy!
For a more detailed procedure (with photos) scroll past the recipe card.
Korean Bulgogi Burgers w/Spicy Pepper Mayo
Ingredients
For the Meat
- 1 lb ground Pork
- 1 tsp Chili Flakes
- 1 tsp Ginger, grated
Pickled Onion
- 1/2 Red Onion, quartered and sliced thin
- 1/2 Cinnamon Stick
- 1/4 tsp Chili Flakes
- 1/4 cup Rice Vinegar
- 1/4 cup Water
- 1Tbsp Honey
Burger Glaze
- 2 Tbsp Sweet Soy Sauce
- 2 tsp Soy Sauce
- 2 tsp Rice Vinegar
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp Ginger, grated/chopped
Tangy Red Pepper Mayo
- 1.5 tsp Gojuchang
- 1 tsp Rice Vinegar
- 1/4 tsp Honey
- 1/2 tsp Apple Juice
- 1/2 tsp Sesame Oil
- 2 Tbsp Mayo
To Serve
- White Cheddar Cheese
- 4 Burger Buns
- Leaf Lettuce
Instructions
Pickled Onion (make ahead)
- Put sliced onion in a heat proof container.
- In a small saucepan, heat the rest of the ingredients to boiling.
- Take off heat and pour over onions, let sit and cool to room temperature.
Tangy Red Pepper Mayo
- Mix everything but the Mayo together, make sure everything is well incorporated.
- Fold in the mayo and let sit until ready to use.
Burgers
- Turn on the grill to high heat, and let heat for 10 minutes.
- Mix pork with chili flakes and ginger, form into 4 equal sized patties and place on a plate in the fridge until ready to grill.
- In a small bowl, mix all glaze ingredients.
- Turn grill down to medium low heat, place burgers on grill and cook for about 5 minutes per side with the barbecue lid down.
- Next, turn the barbecue on low and brush glaze onto each burger. Flip and glaze the other side, repeat this step two more times leaving about 30 seconds to 1 min per side.
- Put burgers on top rack, and top with cheese.
- Cut then grill buns until lightly browned. Remove everything from grill.
- Spread the mayo on both sides of the buns, place burger on buns, top with onions then lettuce. Serve immediately.
Notes
We tried these burgers without cheese and they still taste great, but with the aged cheddar they are amazing!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 600Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 117mgSodium: 878mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 1gSugar: 14gProtein: 36g
We are not certified nutritionists and make no claims to be so. The nutritional information given here is intended for informational purposes only. These nutritional calculations are rounded numbers dependant on the certain ingredients and amounts in the recipe and are by no means perfect.
Ingredients for Bulgogi Pork Burgers
- Ground Pork: Lean works best
- Chili Flakes
- Ginger: Fresh is better than dried
- Garlic
- Red Onion
- Cinnamon Stick
- Rice Vinegar
- Honey
- Sweet Soy Sauce
- Soy Sauce
- Gojuchang: a Korean red pepper paste, found in Korean or Asian supermarkets.
- Apple Juice
- Sesame Oil
- Mayo
- White Cheddar Cheese: We used an aged white cheddar.
- Burger Buns: Your favourite buns!
- Leaf Lettuce: Green or red leaf lettuce, or any favourite lettuce.
Substitutes for the Recipe: Korean Bulgogi Burgers
Ground Pork – Use Ground Beef
Fresh Ginger – Use half of the amount of dry ginger powder
Cinnamon Stick – Ground Cinnamon, use 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
Gojuchang – Use Sriracha (although it will not taste the same, it does add the heat necessary)
Rice Vinegar – Use White Wine Vinegar
White Cheddar Cheese – Use Any type of cheddar cheese
How to make Korean Pork Bulgogi Burgers
There are three parts to this recipe, but don’t be overwhelmed, each part is quite simple to put together and so worth it!
Pickled Onion
This can be made ahead and will last for a week in the fridge, but needs to be made at least 2 hours before serving. Start by slicing a red onion as thinly as you can, and place it in a heatproof container, or bowl.
In a small saucepan or pot, add a cinnamon stick (or 1/2 tsp of powder), the chili flakes, rice vinegar (or white wine vinegar), water and honey. Bring it to a boil, which won’t take very long, then quickly pour it over the onion.
Set aside until ready to use. If making a day or two ahead, place a lid on top and let sit in the fridge. As the liquid cools, it slowly pickles the onion, this is called a quick pickle.
Tangy Red Pepper Mayo
This can also be made ahead, it will last in the fridge for about 3 to 5 days. First, mix the Gojuchang, rice vinegar, honey, apple juice and sesame oil. The honey will seem like it won’t mix in at first, but the vinegar will break it down, and it will become a sauce pretty easily.
Add the mayo last, and mix thoroughly until incorporated. Taste the mixture and add salt according to your liking. Set aside until ready to use.
Pork Burgers
Turn on your grill to high heat while you prepare the burgers.
In a large bowl, mix the ground pork, chili flakes and ginger. Form meat into 4 equal sized burger patties. Making sure there is even thickness throughout each patty.
The size of your burger should always reflect the size of your bun. We always make the burger patty a little bit bigger than the burger bun, since when meat cooks, it shrinks. The best burgers have an even amount of meat to bun ratio, perfecting this is not a tough skill, but very rewarding!
Set the patties on a plate and put in the fridge to help them set. Meanwhile, make your glaze by mixing together sweet soy sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, minced garlic and ginger.
Turn your grill down to medium-low heat, and place burgers on the grill. Cook for about 5 minutes with the lid down, flip each burger patty over and close the lid for another 5 minutes.
With a pastry or grill brush, glaze the burger patties, and let cook on low heat with the lid open. Glaze on each side of the patties twice, letting it cook for about 1 minute per side.
When cooked through fully, place burgers on the top rack and cover with cheese. Cut your buns and grill, making sure to watch them carefully, they will burn quickly. If the cheese isn’t melted by the time the buns are cooked, turn the grill off, shut the lid and wait a minute, the residual heat will warm the cheese through.
To Assemble the Burgers
Spread the mayo on both sides of the buns, top with a burger patty. Place the pickled onion on top of the patty, then a lettuce leaf. Top with the bun and enjoy! Serve with Kim Chee if you wish, and leave a comment on what you think of these amazing burgers.
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