andrejthechef
USABurgerDinner

Korean Bulgogi-Style Burger

A beef burger seasoned with a sweet soy-garlic bulgogi marinade, topped with quick-pickled carrots and cucumbers and a gochujang mayo.

prep
25 min
cook
8 min
total
33 min
serves
2
level
medium
Bulgogi-style beef burger on a brioche bun with pickled vegetables and gochujang mayo

This fusion burger came out of LA’s Koreatown food truck scene around 2010, after Roy Choi’s Kogi BBQ truck proved Korean-American cooking could draw crowds. The patty gets the bulgogi treatment: soy, brown sugar, Asian pear, garlic, ginger and sesame, worked right into the beef.

The build matters as much as the meat. Quick-pickled carrots and cucumbers cut the sweetness, and a gochujang mayo brings the heat. Make both before the patties hit the pan.

method

  1. Mix the marinade ingredients together and combine with the ground beef.

  2. Refrigerate the meat for at least 1 hour.

  3. Make the quick pickles. Toss the julienned carrots and cucumbers with the rice vinegar, sugar and salt, and let them sit for 30 minutes.

  4. Stir the gochujang mayo ingredients together.

  5. Form the meat into two 8 oz patties.

  6. Cook the patties in a hot skillet with the neutral oil, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

  7. Rest the patties for 3 to 5 minutes.

  8. Stack on the brioche buns with the pickled vegetables and the gochujang mayo.

chef's tips

  • Grated Asian pear is a classic bulgogi move. It sweetens and tenderizes the meat at the same time.
  • The marinade has sugar in it, so watch the heat. You want a deep crust, not a burnt one.
  • Drain the pickles well before stacking or the bun goes soggy.
  • Rest the patties. The juices settle and the burger holds together better.