If you're looking for a fun and new way to enjoy a burger, these kimchi burgers are IT. Made with ground beef that's chopped and topped with American cheese, it's inspired by a chopped cheese, with a Korean inspired twist.

Personally, I love a good burger. Growing up, it was always a treat to go to McDonald's. My go-to was either a big mac or a quarter pounder (chicken nuggets were also a contender). So making these kimchi burgers is a fun way to change things up and you can easily make these at home. For this recipe, we're using ground beef rather than patties, and there's no need to shape the ground beef into patties. We're going for a chopped cheese type burger. These are messy but so, so flavourful and fun.

For this recipe, I was inspired by one of my favourite spots in Toronto, Seoul Shakers. They make a delicious kimchi chopped cheese. After I first tried them, I was hooked and knew I had to make a version of it at home.

Ingredients

One thing I love about these homemade kimchi burgers is that they're low in ingredients and relatively affordable to make at home.

Here's what you'll need. See substitutions near the end of this post for alternatives.

• mayonnaise
• gochujang: a red chili paste that is savoury, spicy and a little sweet. You can easily find this at well stocked grocery stores, Asian grocery stores, online or even make your own. There are tons of brands to try, I chose to show this one as it's most readily available.
• chopped pickles
• rice vinegar
• ground beef (70/30 lean to fat ratio): I find 70/30 works very well. If you want something leaner, go for 80/20.
• American cheese: this melts so well and has that authentic taste which reminds you of fast food which is why I like it for these burgers. Feel free to use sliced cheddar instead if you prefer.
• iceberg lettuce
• kimchi
• white onion
• soft hamburger buns: potato buns are great here.

What is a Chopped Cheese?

If you're wondering what is a chopped cheese, or chop cheese as it's also referred to, it's a type of sandwich originating from New York City.

It's found in bodegas and is made on a grill with ground beef (usually frozen beef patties that are chopped up), onions and American cheese.

It's similar to a cheesesteak and was in fact inspired by a cheesesteak sandwich, although made much cheaper by using ground beef instead of steak.

Hajji's Deli is considered the origin of chopped cheese in Harlem, NYC.

The reasons behind why it was invented and by whom specifically (like so many food items and recipes) is still a bit of a mystery. If you want to learn more, check out this article which discusses it in more detail. It's a good read!

How to Make Kimchi Burgers

First up, we're going to make the gochujang sauce. This stuff tastes so great in these kimchi burgers and really brings out the kimchi flavour even more.

In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, gochujang, pickles and rice vinegar. Taste and adjust for salt and set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook until browned and cooked through. Use a spatula to break it apart and chop the ground beef up.

Once the beef is cooked through, remove from the heat and place cheese slices over top. Drizzle a small amount of water in the skillet to steam it up and cover with a lid. This allows the cheese to steam and melt really well.

Spread a thin layer of the sauce on the bottom bun and then divide the iceberg evenly. Use a spatula to place the ground beef and cheese onto the prepared bottom bun.

Top the meat and cheese with the kimchi and white onion.

Spread another thin layer of the sauce on the inside of the top bun and place the bun on top of the burger. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Tips for Making the Best Kimchi Burgers

• Chop the kimchi: you want to roughly chop the kimchi so it can be topped on the burgers and stays put.
• Toast the buns: this helps them get less soggy and it just tastes better lightly toasted.
• Ground beef: for more flavour (and fat), a 70/30 blend is great. If you want to reduce the fat, by all means, you can use 80/20 ratio instead. I always recommend purchasing the best quality beef you can.
• American cheese: for that classic and authentic fast food style burger, American or processed cheese is the way to go. If you really don't want to use it, opt for sliced cheddar instead.
• Melt the cheese: you want the cheese to be added right after the beef has cooked. Just go ahead and place it on top and then drizzle a small amount of water in the skillet. Cover with a lid and let it steam a bit. This results in a tasty, melted cheesy burger.
• Buns: opt for soft buns, like a potato bun. These taste the best with this type of burger in my opinion.

Substitutions

• Rice vinegar: use white vinegar, apple cider vinegar or even a little lemon juice if you need.
• American cheese: use thinly sliced cheddar instead.
• Iceberg lettuce: iceberg is the best choice for this type of burger because of the high water content and the crunchiness from it. You can use green leaf lettuce or Boston if you prefer.
• Slider buns: feel free to serve these on some soft slider buns for smaller burgers.
• No gochujang: if you want a more classic big mac type sauce, try my recipe for a big mac style sauce here.

These kimchi chopped cheese burgers are such a fun and delicious recipe to share with friends and/or family. No, they're not an everyday food item, but when you do indulge in them, it's best to go all out and really enjoy it (in my opinion anyways).

And they're perfect for plopping onto a platter for game day. Just watch how fast they disappear.

I hope you love these kimchi burgers as much as we do.

More Burger Recipes to Try

• Jerk Chicken Burgers with Slaw
• Juicy Jalapeño Turkey Burgers with Cheese
• Best Ever Veggie Burgers with Rice
• Falafel Burgers with Beet Tahini
• Cheeseburger Salad Bowls with Big Mac Sauce
• Healthy Salmon Burgers with Wasabi Aioli

If you make these kimchi burgers please share with me, by tagging me on Instagram or leave a comment and/or review below. I truly love seeing and hearing form you!

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