Simple Korean Kimchi BBQ Burgers

Simple Korean Kimchi BBQ Burgers: Years ago, I had a vegan Korean BBQ burrito in Los Angeles. The burrito had jackfruit to replace the steak, and I still think about it when I’m figuring out what to have for lunch. Jackfruit is pretty pricey and hard to come by in Brooklyn, but whenever I get nostalgic for that burrito, I make these spectacular burgers. They combine the signature sweet Korean BBQ sauce with a “beefy” veggie burger and spicy kimchi (a sort of hot Korean sauerkraut usually made with napa cabbage, radishes, and green onions) to create a dinner just as good as those burritos. Plus, you’ll hopefully have some leftover kimchi as a side for lunch the next day.

MAKES 4 BURGERS

$2.68 PER SERVING

Ingredients for Simple Korean Kimchi BBQ Burgers recipe

Burger

2 cups Lightlife Gimme Lean Burger or Match Vegan Meats Burger
1 green onion, diced
1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
½ teaspoon ginger paste
1 tablespoon soy sauce or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
Dash of vegan liquid smoke
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 clove garlic, minced

BBQ Sauce

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
2 tablespoons soy sauce or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
Dash of vegan liquid smoke
1 tablespoon Sriracha or Thai chili sauce
¼ cup applesauce
2 teaspoons agave nectar
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
¼ teaspoon ginger paste
1 clove garlic, minced

To Assemble

2 tablespoons sesame oil
4 whole wheat hamburger buns
1 cup vegan kimchi (read labels to make sure yours is vegan; some contain fish sauce)

How to make Simple Korean Kimchi BBQ Burgers ?

Make the burger: In a large bowl, use your hands to mix together the vegan beef, green onion, molasses, ginger paste, soy sauce, vegan liquid smoke, onion powder, and garlic until blended. The molasses is really sticky, so this is kind of messy and weird, but it’s totally worth it. Promise.

Form the mixture into 4 patties about the size of your hand. Place them on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the BBQ sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together all the BBQ sauce ingredients. Set aside.

In a cast-iron skillet or frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil over medium heat. Working in batches, fry the burgers until lightly crispy around the edges, then reduce the heat to low and brush the burgers with BBQ sauce. Flip and coat the burgers a few times to get a nice saucy patty, but watch out for the hot oil. Repeat with the remaining burgers, adding the remaining oil after the first batch.

Toast the burger buns while the burger patties are cooking.

Serve each burger in a toasted bun with lots of kimchi on top.