Luxurious Korean BBQ Burgers with Gochujang Slaw
This is a burger unlike any other. The smoky Korean BBQ flavor topped with the creamy gochujang slaw is a winning combination. Not to mention, this burger and delicious slaw are sandwiched between two buttery buns, grilled to perfection. You will make this burger again and again.
One of my favorite places to go with my Mom was to the Blue Stove. It was a little restaurant inside of Nordstrom’s at the mall. It was a Tapas style establishment. In case you don’t know, Tapas means small plates and they’re typically meant to be shared. We would order about 6 different dishes from the menu and share everything. It was a very beautiful and classy and quiet atmosphere and it always felt like such a treat when we would go there for lunch.
It felt very fancy and special whenever we would go and I will cherish the memories that I made at their lovely little tables for the rest of my life. Sadly, the Blue Stove is no longer. I’m glad that I had the opportunity to dine there for a few lunches with Aidan before they closed their doors. Aidan loved the experience of going with his Mother as well… hopefully haha.
One of the most silky and flavorful dishes that they had on their menu was a Korean-style pulled pork with some sort of wonderful slaw. I’ve always missed their amazing menu. I was brain storming different variations I could try to change things up a little with my favorite go-to burger recipe.
I thought of the Korean pulled pork from the Blue Stove and I really wanted to infuse some of that nostalgia into a new burger recipe for the family test kitchen. This burger was a smash hit from day 1 and I am so excited to share it here with you today. This burger has the perfect amount of heat and the creaminess of the slaw is a very unexpected burger element. It all comes together to make this an exceptional stand out dish.
Don’t forget that what you serve on the side of a burger is just as important as the burger itself. My Simple Sensational Homemade Spicy Potato Wedges are crispy on the outside and soft, fluffy and buttery on the inside.
Should I be grilling or pan-frying my burger?
This burger was made the first time on the grill. It was a beautiful fall evening and unseasonably warm. Anthony is an expert griller so everybody’s burgers were grilled to perfection, per usual. However, winter weather in Massachusetts is as unpredictable as the mood of a toddler. It can be uncharacteristically amazing and cooperative OR it can be unreasonably difficult and refuse to do anything to put even the slightest smile on your tired and unamused face.
That being said, I have also made this burger several times indoors due to the cold. It has come out just as amazing every time so I say pan-frying or grilling are both excellent options so it’s just a matter of preference.
How long should I cook my burger for?
The cook time of your burger depends on how well done you would like it, how thick the burger is and how hot your cook surface is. For that reason, I would recommend using a meat thermometer when cooking. Follow the internal temperature guidelines below. Please note: The FDA recommends cooking burgers until their internal temperature reaches 160°F.
When cooking, you want to fry about 4 burger patties at a time. Make sure that they are separated. Fry for about 3 minutes on the first side until there is a slight char. Flip the patty and lightly push down slightly to flatten with your spatula. Follow the temperature guidelines and suggested cook times below so that your burger is prepared to your liking.
Medium-rare: 130°F (6 minutes)
Medium: 140°F (7-8 minutes)
Medium-well: 150°F (9 minutes)
Well done: 160°F (10 minutes)
What is the best ground beef to use for this burger?
I strongly recommend that you use an 80/20 beef. The additional fat content of this meat is essential in giving you a moist and juicy burger. 80/20 ground beef will definitely provide you with the tastiest burger.
How to make Luxurious Korean BBQ Burgers with Gochujang Slaw:
In a mixing bowl, combine ground beef, gochujang, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, dried parsley, dried oregano and sesame oil. Mix with hands until well combined. Take care to not overmix the hamburger meat. You will form 7-8 burgers out of the meat. Portion the meat into equal amounts for each burger you will be making. To make the patty, take the hamburger meat and press down in between the palms of your hand to flatten. Continue to flatten while turning the meat until a circular shape is reached. The burger patty should be roughly 3/4 inch thick on the outside. Try to have the middle at about 1 inch thickness as you will slightly flatten during the cooking process.
In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the light mayonnaise, gochujang, rice wine vinegar and sriracha. Add the remaining gochujang slaw ingredients and stir until fully combined. Set aside in the refrigerator to chill until ready to serve.
Heat a pan sprayed cast-iron skillet on medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the hamburger patties. Do not add more than 4 patties to the pan so that you don’t overcrowd the burgers. Fry according to the cook times and temperature guidelines included above. Once the first batch is cooked, transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with the second batch.
While frying the hamburgers, heat a separate pan sprayed frying pan on medium heat. Each set of buns will use roughly ½ tablespoon of butter. Slather the desired amount of butter on each side of the buns. You will grill your hamburger buns, top and bottom for about 1 minute on each side or until golden brown.
When ready to assemble, lay the Korean BBQ burger on the bottom bun. Cover with 1-2 tablespoons of the gochujang slaw. Cover with top bun and serve.
What is your favorite burger? I love to hear about different variations. Let me know in the comments below. As always, I very much appreciate you supporting Spice and Sugar Mama!
Luxurious Korean BBQ Burgers with Gochujang Slaw
Ingredients
- 2 Pounds Ground beef
- 3 Tablespoons Gochujang
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1 Teaspoon Dried parsley
- 1 Teaspoon Dried oregano
- 1 Teaspoon Sesame oil
- 7-8 Hamburger buns
- 3-4 Tablespoons Butter
Gochujang Slaw
- 1 Cup Light mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons Gochujang
- 2 Tablespoons Rice wine vinegar
- 1 Teaspoon Sriracha
- 1 Cup Cabbage (red or green), shredded
- ½ Cup Carrots, shredded
- 3 Tablespoons Purple onion, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh mint, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh deseeded jalapeño (optional), chopped
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine ground beef, gochujang, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, dried parsley, dried oregano and sesame oil. Mix with hands until well combined. Take care to not overmix the hamburger meat. You will form 7-8 burgers out of the meat. Portion the meat into equal amounts for each burger you will be making. To make the patty, take the hamburger meat and press down in between the palms of your hand to flatten. Continue to flatten while turning the meat until a circular shape is reached. The burger patty should be roughly 3/4 inch thick on the outside. Try to have the middle at about 1 inch thickness.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the light mayonnaise, gochujang, rice wine vinegar and sriracha. Add the remaining gochujang slaw ingredients and stir until fully combined. Set aside in the refrigerator to chill until ready to serve.
- Heat a pan sprayed skillet on medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the hamburger patties. Do not add more than 4 patties to the pan so that you don't overcrowd the burgers. Fry according to the cook times and temperature guidelines included above. Once the first batch is cooked, transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with the second batch.
- While frying the hamburgers, heat a separate pan sprayed frying pan on medium heat. Each set of buns will use roughly ½ tablespoon of butter. Slather the desired amount of butter on each side of the buns. You will grill your hamburger buns, top and bottom for about 1 minute on each side or until golden brown.
- When ready to assemble, lay the Korean BBQ burger on the bottom bun. Cover with 1-2 tablespoons of the gochujang slaw. Cover with top bun and serve.
This sounds so delicious. Anything with both ground beef and cabbage has my name written all over it!
They are very silky and hearty and yummy 🙂 Thank you for checking out the blog!