Korean-inspired beef burgers made with a savoury ssamjang and sesame-seasoned beef patty, topped with melted cheese and tangy kimchi ketchup, and served with crispy lotus root.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
Cuisine: Korean-inspired
Course: Main Dish
Tags: Korean Burgers · Beef Recipes · Kimchi · Ssamjang · Lotus Root · Burger Recipes
Ingredients
For the Burgers
- 500g beef mince
- 4 burger buns
- 1 iceberg lettuce, sliced
- 1 tomato, sliced
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 4 slices of cheese
For the Burger Mix
- 2 spring onions
- 4 cloves garlic
- ½ inch ginger, peeled and sliced
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 4 tbsp ssamjang
- 1 tsp pure sesame oil
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- Pinch of ground black pepper
For the Lotus Root Crisps
- 1 piece lotus root, approximately 10cm, peeled and very thinly sliced
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Salt, for seasoning
For the Kimchi Ketchup
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 onion, finely sliced
- 380g tomatoes, sliced
- 100g kimchi, finely sliced
- 1 tbsp kimchi juice
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- Pinch of salt
Method
1. Prepare the burger mixture
Add the spring onions, garlic, ginger, light soy sauce, ssamjang, sesame oil, brown sugar and black pepper to a food processor.
Blend until a smooth paste forms.
Add the mixture to the beef mince and combine thoroughly.
2. Shape and cook the burgers
Divide the beef mixture into 4 equal portions and shape into burger patties.
Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat.
Cook the patties for approximately 3–4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.
Add a slice of cheese to each burger towards the end of cooking and allow it to melt.
3. Make the kimchi ketchup
Heat a little oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
Add the garlic and onion and sauté for 3–4 minutes, until softened.
Add the tomatoes and kimchi.
Cook gently for 10–15 minutes, allowing the mixture to reduce and thicken.
Add the kimchi juice, sugar, white wine vinegar and a pinch of salt.
For a chunky ketchup, leave as it is.
For a smooth ketchup, transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.
4. Make the lotus root crisps
Heat approximately 2.5cm of vegetable oil in a frying pan to 175°C.
Carefully add the thinly sliced lotus root.
Shallow-fry for 2–3 minutes on each side, until golden and crisp.
Transfer to kitchen paper to drain.
Allow to cool slightly, then season with salt.
5. Assemble the burgers
Lightly toast the burger buns.
Layer the lettuce, tomato and sliced onion onto the bottom bun.
Add the beef burger and melted cheese.
Top with kimchi ketchup and extra kimchi if desired.
Place the top bun on the burger.
6. Serve
Serve the burgers immediately with the crispy lotus root on the side.
