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Simple Korean Kimchi BBQ Burgers from Mastering the Art of Vegan Cooking
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4.67 from 3 votes

Simple Korean Kimchi BBQ Burgers

MAKES 4 BURGERS $2.68 PER SERVING 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.
Course: Burger
Servings: 4 burgers
Author: Annie and Dan Shannon | Mastering the Art of Vegan Cooking

Ingredients

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)

Instructions

  • 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.

Notes

*Adjustments: I omitted the liquid smoke because I didn't have it, used pure maple syrup instead of agave, and used whole wheat pretzel buns.
Excerpted from the book MASTERING THE ART OF VEGAN COOKING by Annie and Dan Shannon. © 2015 by Annie and Dan Shannon. Reprinted by permission of Grand Central Life and Style. All rights reserved.