Bulgogi Beef Burgers
From the Fast section of our SkinnyAsia 2 cookbook.
We’ve taken the sweet, savoury flavours of Korean bulgogi and turned them into a seriously good burger.
These Bulgogi Beef Burgers start with juicy beef patties flavoured with our homemade bulgogi sauce, pear, ginger, garlic, spring onion and sesame. Then we layer them into toasted buns with lettuce, creamy gochujang mayo and our fresh and crunchy Cheat’s Cucumber Kimchi.
Best of all, they’re ready in around 30 minutes.
What is Bulgogi?
Bulgogi is a popular Korean dish traditionally made with thinly sliced beef marinated in a sweet and savoury sauce.
The flavour usually combines ingredients such as soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic and fruit such as pear, which helps add sweetness and tenderness.
For our burger version, we’ve taken inspiration from those flavours and worked them through a juicy beef patty, then used even more of the bulgogi sauce to make the gochujang mayo.
What ingredients you will need
The complete recipe, quantities and methods are in SkinnyAsia 2, but here’s a look at some of the key ingredients:
For the Bulgogi Sauce:
- Garlic
- Fresh ginger
- Soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos
- Brown sugar or coconut sugar
- Gochujang – You can buy gochujang with different levels of heat. The Woolworths one is spicier but gluten-free. The Coles one is quite mild. You can also make your own.
- Mirin – gluten-free if required. Can’t find it? Use rice wine vinegar + 1 tsp brown sugar.
- Sesame oil
For the burgers:
- Beef mince
- Pear or apple
- Spring onion
- Sesame seeds
- Egg
- Breadcrumbs
- Mayonnaise
- Burger buns
- Lettuce
- Cheat’s Cucumber Kimchi
Don’t Skip the Bulgogi Gochujang Mayo
Before the bulgogi sauce goes into the beef patties, we reserve some and mix it with mayonnaise, gochujang and fresh lime juice.
The result is a creamy, sweet, savoury and slightly spicy burger sauce that ties everything together.
You can adjust the amount of gochujang depending on how much heat you like.
Choosing the Right Gochujang Heat Level
Not all gochujang is the same heat level. Depending on the brand, you may find mild, medium, hot or very hot varieties, so it’s worth checking the packaging before adding it to your Rosé Tteokbokki.
The recipe gives you a range of 20–50 g gochujang so you can adjust the sauce to your taste.
For a milder, family-friendly Tteokbokki:
Start with 20 g gochujang. The cream, tomato paste, honey and mozzarella also help soften the chilli heat.
For medium heat:
Try around 30–35 g gochujang.
For a stronger gochujang flavour and more heat:
Use up to 50 g, depending on the heat rating of your gochujang.
How to Check How Spicy Your Gochujang Is
Some Korean gochujang packaging uses a heat-level scale to show how spicy the paste is. Check the front or back of the tub for a chilli or heat indicator.
If you’re using a brand you haven’t tried before, taste a tiny amount first. Gochujang is concentrated, so you only need a little to get an idea of the heat.
Which Gochujang Should I Buy?
Look for Korean gochujang (fermented red chilli paste) in the Asian section of larger supermarkets or at an Asian or Korean grocer.
If you’re cooking for children or anyone sensitive to chilli, choose a mild gochujang where possible.
If you need the recipe to be gluten free, check the ingredients carefully. Gochujang ingredients vary between brands and not all varieties are gluten free.
Where Can I Buy Gochujang?
Gochujang paste is becoming much easier to find in Australia. Look for it in the Asian or international foods aisle at major supermarkets, as well as Asian and Korean grocery stores. You can also buy it online.
The Gochujang Paste found in Coles is quite mild in flavour but isn’t gluten-free. The Gochujang Paste found in Woolworths is much hotter but is gluten-free.
Gochujang is traditionally sold in a red tub, but you’ll also find it in jars, bottles and squeeze packs depending on the brand.
Gluten-free tip: Not all gochujang is gluten-free, so always check the ingredients and allergen information if you need a gluten-free option.
Can I make my own Gochujang?
Absolutely! We have a guest recipe from Brooke to make your own dietary friendly Gochujang Paste.
Stovetop or Air Fryer?
Both!
For the stovetop method, cook the patties gently in a frying pan until browned and cooked through.
Or pop them into the air fryer at 200°C for around 13 minutes, turning halfway.
It’s an easy option when you don’t want to stand over the stove.
Dietary & Recipe Variations
We’ve included plenty of ways to adapt the Bulgogi Beef Burgers.
EGG FREE
Simply omit the egg.
LOW CARB
Swap the breadcrumbs for almond flour, omit the pear or apple and use the suggested alternatives for mirin and sugar. Serve the burgers in lettuce cups instead of buns.
SUPER SKINNY
Use chicken mince, halve the sugar and sesame oil and use low-fat mayonnaise.
PALEO
Use our homemade Gochujang Paste from the website, almond flour instead of breadcrumbs and the included mirin alternative. Serve in lettuce cups.
VEGETARIAN
Make the patties with a combination of crumbled tempeh or extra-firm tofu and sautéed Swiss brown mushrooms.
LOW FODMAP
We’ve included alternatives for the garlic, sauces, sugar and gochujang. Use gluten-free breadcrumbs, green apple and only the green part of the spring onion.
HALVED / DOUBLED
The recipe can be halved or doubled, with specific Thermo cooker adjustments included in SkinnyAsia 2.
How to Build the Ultimate Bulgogi Beef Burger
Lightly toast your burger buns, then spread the gochujang mayo on both sides.
Layer with lettuce, the juicy Bulgogi Beef Patty and plenty of Cheat’s Cucumber Kimchi.
That fresh, tangy crunch is the perfect contrast to the rich beef and creamy sauce.
Get the Recipe
The complete Bulgogi Beef Burgers recipe, including homemade bulgogi sauce, gochujang mayo, Thermo cooker and conventional methods, stovetop and air fryer instructions and all dietary variations, is available in SkinnyAsia 2.
From the Testing Team
- Lauren H. – All I can say is wow!!!! These are bloody amazing.
- Angie G. – Absolutely delicious
Made 5 burger patties, cooked 6 min each side on medium heat. Perfectly cooked, juicy and very tasty The burger sauce was delish !! Cheats Kimchi went well with the burgers, was tasty and a little spicy yum yum - Shauna D. – I really enjoyed these, especially that mayo
Made four patties which were huge. - Sarah M. – I can’t exclaim this enough… LITERALLY THE BEST. I never in a million years would have ordered this but it’s just blown me away!
- Amanda E. – Omg!! These are phenomenal!!!! I absolutely loved it! Everything just goes together so well!!! The actual sauce should be its own recipe!! I want it on wings!! The mayo is AMAZING!! Love
- Bron P. – I oven baked my patties 25 mins 180 degrees (flipped after 15mins), served in yogurt rolls. I made 8 patties approx 95-100g ea. All tasters loved these burgers and there are no leftovers!
- Susan R. – OMG! Loved these. Served on GF brioche buns with kimchi I already had. Juicy and oh so tasty.
- Chantell L. – What an amazing burger best I have had in a long time
- Kylie W. – The Mayo is delicious, very morish! The burger patty is now my equal top burger along with Persian Lamb patty. The patty, mayo & cucumber = delicious. I ate this 6 hours ago and can not stop thinking about it. I plan to have it for my lunch tomorrow, first time i am excited to go to work on a Monday
- Kaz M. – Had this with lettuce wraps
OMFG these are soooooo good!! 15/10! 
- Tanya H. – These were fabulous! Low carb version without pear or apple and use almond flour instead of breadcrumbs. Used my gochujang and monkfruit sweetener. Made 5 burgers. Held together beautifully, texture perfect and taste sensational!! Loved these! Everyone had it with bread rolls, I ate mine with broccoli and beans
- Sarah C. – Made these for the first time last night and my husband, who loves a burger, loves the skinny smash burgers and always orders burgers out, said this was one of the best burgers he had ever had. The flavours were next level good. I wasn’t sure about an Asian style burger but I could not have been more wrong. This one will be so popular!
- Jess A. – Omg omg omg!!!! Just wow!!! This. Is. Friggen. Amazing!!! The flavour is absolutely divine. This is gonna be a hit. I got 5 150g patties which is perfect for us.
Some other Thermomix Burger recipes you might love:
Want to know more about SkinnyAsia 2 cookbook?
SkinnyAsia 2 is a collection of Thermomix & Conventional cooking recipes. All of our cookbooks have a strong focus on Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Nut-free, Egg Free, Low Carb, Paleo, Vegetarian and Low FODMAP.
Ingredients
- 500 g beef mince
- egg
- bi-carb soda
- breadcrumbs
- brown sugar
- gochujang paste
- mirin
- salt
- sesame oil
- soy sauce
- toasted sesame seeds
- whole egg mayonnaise
- fresh ginger
- garlic
- fresh lime juice
- pear or apple
- spring onion
- cracked black pepper
Instructions
- This recipe is exclusive to the SkinnyAsia 2 cookbook.
Can I cook Bulgogi Beef Burgers in the air fryer?
Yes. Cook the patties at 200°C for 13 minutes, turning halfway, or cook them on the stovetop if you prefer.
What should I serve on a Bulgogi Beef Burger?
We love them on lightly toasted buns with lettuce, gochujang mayo and Cheat’s Cucumber Kimchi. For a low-carb or Paleo option, serve the patties in lettuce cups instead.