Hambagu Recipe ( 和風ハンバーグ – Japanese Hamburger Steak )

Hambagu is a Japanese hamburger steak. So many countries eat Hamburg steak with a bun or roll but in Japan, we just eat it by itself and of course the flavor is very Japanese. So juicy and it will melt in your mouth!

 

 

This was one of my favorite dinner dishes when I was little and it is still one of my favorites. I used to make Hambagu with my mom to impress the rest of the family.

Everyone loves it and the process for making Hambagu is fun for kids.

 

What is Hambagu? ( meaning )

Hambāgu (ハンバーグ) or Hambāgu Steak (ハンバーグステーキ) is a Japanese hamburger steak. This is the one of the most popular dishes in Japan. Yes, it did not originate in Japan. The big difference between other country’s hamburger steak and ours is that we serve with rice rather than buns or rolls.

Also, Hambagu is on the menu lots of restaurants. Every restaurant has different ways of preparing the dish, with lots of different tastes. In this recipe, I will introduce the quick and easy recipe that I have been using!

 

Variations of Japanese Hamburger Steak

As I mentioned, a lot of varieties of Hambagu exist.

For example,

Once you know the basics on how to make Hambagu, then you can make your own original dishes with it!

 

Use of Both Ground Beef and Ground Pork

This is the tricky part. Hambagu is made from both ground beef and ground pork. But I know it’s difficult to find this combination in the states. There is a mixed package in grocery stores in Japan we call it Aibiki Niku(合いびき肉).

So when you cook, you have to make the mix by yourself. You can do the beef and pork 2:1 or 3:1(I recommend 2:1). Also, we often use this Aibiki Niku ratio for Menchi Katsu, Hambagu and Spaghetti Meat Sauce recipes.

 

6 Tips for making the best Hamburger Steak

Here are the 6 tips for making the juicy and tasty Hambagu!

 

Tip1 : The Ground Beef and Pork Ratio is 2:1

The meat we use for Hambagu is mixed ground beef and ground pork, to get the desired greasy but juicy flavor. The ratio is 2:1 (beef : pork) but you can change to your favorite ratio as you cook more. If you would like to have softer Hambagu, adding more ground pork helps.

 

Tip2 : Sauté or microwave onion

Before mixing up everything, you sauté or microwave the onion completely.

• If you sauté your onion, sauté with low-medium heat for 8-9 minutes until they get a little brown and soft.
• If you microwave your onion, microwave for 1:30 minutes and you’ll get soft onion.

The cooked onion will add sweetness to Hambagu!

 

Tip3 : Cool down the onion before mixing-in

Before you put the onion in a bowl to mix with the meat, please cool down the onion so that it is easy to mix everything together.

 

Tip4 : Toss the meat hand to hand

To reduce air inside the Hambagu, you toss the meat mixture from hand to hand like you’re playing catch with a ball. Do this a couple times in order to make sure the Hambagu maintains its shape and won’t crack.

 

Tip5 : Dent before you cook

When you make Hambagu, please put a small dent in the center of the meat. This helps because Hambagu will expand as it cooks.

 

Tip6 : Check if the Hambagu is done

To check Hambagu cooked perfectly, use a stick like in the below image. If the oil comes out clear then it is done but if the oil is white then you need to cook more.

 

Most often asked FAQ for Hambagu

There are 4 questions people often ask about Hambagu.

 

Q: Can you keep it as prep meal?

A: Yes, you can. To do that, cool down the Hambagu, wrap them individually with cling wrap, and then put them in a zip lock. In the freezer, it will be ok for a month. When you want to eat, please defrost in a microwave and add some sauce.

 

Q:What are the best sides for Hamburg?

Here are the ideas for Hambagu.

 

Q: Do you have recommendations for any other sauces?

Here are my ideas if you don’t want to/ can’t to make homemade Hambagu sauce.

 

Q: How to make the best Hambagu sauce?

In the recipe, I introduce the simple and easy way to make sauce but if you want to make more professional sauce here is how.

• Use red wine instead of water
• Add 1 tbsp unsalted butter

With just 2 changes from my recipe here, you can make the best sauce for Hambagu!

 

How to Serve Hambagu

Here is the Japanese Hambagu serving!

We serve Hambagu with homemade sauce(I am going to share in the recipe) and some vegetables. When you eat you want to eat some rice too!

 

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