Lomo saltado is a Peruvian stir-fry of marinated beef, onions, tomatoes, and soy sauce — and it turns out those flavors work extremely well stuffed into a brioche bun. This burger takes about 45 minutes start to finish and uses ingredients most people already have or can easily swap. The result is a genuinely different weeknight burger that doesn’t require a trip to a specialty store.
Smart swaps
- Sirloin steak: Flank steak or skirt steak work just as well — both slice thin easily and hold up to high heat. Even thinly sliced beef from a stir-fry pack at the grocery store is fine.
- Dark soy sauce: Regular soy sauce is a perfectly good substitute. If you only have low-sodium, add a small pinch of salt to the marinade to compensate.
- Red wine vinegar: White wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or even a squeeze of lime juice will do the same job of brightening the pan sauce.
- Provolone cheese: Mozzarella, Monterey Jack, or mild white cheddar all melt cleanly and won’t fight the other flavors. Skip a strongly aged cheese here — it overpowers the beef.
- Brioche buns: Any soft burger bun works. Potato rolls are a great budget option and hold up well to the juicy stir-fry topping.
- Yellow bell pepper: Any color bell pepper is fine, or leave it out entirely if you don’t have one on hand.
Before you start
The single most important thing here is pan temperature. Lomo saltado is a stir-fry, which means the skillet needs to be genuinely hot before the beef goes in — not just warm. If the pan isn’t hot enough, the steak steams instead of browning, and you lose the slightly crispy edges that make this topping worth eating. Get the oil shimmering and just starting to smoke before you add anything. The second thing that matters is working in batches if your skillet is small: crowding the pan drops the temperature fast and causes the same steaming problem. Cook the steak in a single layer, leave it alone for 30 seconds, then stir.
If something goes sideways
- The steak is tough and chewy: It was probably sliced too thick or cut with the grain. For the next batch, aim for slices no thicker than ¼ inch and cut across the grain of the meat.
- The pan sauce is too sharp or acidic: The vinegar didn’t reduce long enough. Let it simmer an extra minute or two uncovered, or stir in a small pinch of sugar to balance it.
- The filling is too wet and soaks through the bun immediately: The tomatoes released too much liquid. Next time, remove the seeds before adding the wedges to the pan, and don’t skip toasting the buns — a toasted surface slows soaking significantly.
- The onions are still crunchy after 5 minutes: The heat was too high and they’re browning on the outside without softening through. Drop to medium heat, add a tablespoon of water, and cover for 2 minutes.
- The cheese isn’t melting: Add the cheese slice to the steak while it’s still in the hot pan during the final toss, rather than after assembly. The residual heat from the filling melts it much more reliably than the bun alone.
Storage and reheating
Store the steak and vegetable filling separately from the buns in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Don’t assemble ahead — the buns go soggy fast once the filling is on them. To reheat, put the filling in a skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until hot through. A microwave works in a pinch — cover loosely and heat in 45-second bursts. The filling also freezes well for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Toast fresh buns right before serving.
Peruvian Lomo Saltado Burger
Ingredients
Burger Patty
- 0.5 kg sirloin steak sliced thinly
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce preferably dark
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 1 large red onion thinly sliced
- 1 large large tomato sliced into wedges
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper sliced into strips
- 0.5 cup red wine vinegar
- 4 medium burger buns preferably brioche
Garnishes
- 0.5 cup cilantro leaves
- 4 slice provolone cheese optional
Instructions
- Marinate the thinly sliced sirloin steak with soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce for about 15 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the marinated steak. Stir-fry until browned and slightly crispy at the edges, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add another tablespoon of olive oil. Add the sliced onions and sauté until softened and golden brown. This should take about 5 minutes.
- Add the tomato wedges and yellow bell pepper strips to the onions, cooking until they soften slightly, approximately 3 minutes.
- Pour in the red wine vinegar, letting it simmer until it reduces slightly and melds with the sautéed veggies and meat, about 2 minutes. Return the steak to the pan and toss with the veggies.
- Toast the burger buns in a dry skillet or under a broiler until they are golden brown and fragrant.
- Assemble the burgers by layering the steak mixture on the bottom halves of the buns, topping with a slice of provolone cheese if desired. Finish with fresh cilantro leaves for a burst of flavor and the top half of the bun.
Notes
- For heightened flavor, consider marinating the steak overnight.
- Swap out steak with Portobello mushrooms for a vegetarian variant.
Nutrition
FAQ
Can I use ground beef instead of sliced steak?
You can, but the texture and character of the burger will be quite different — it becomes a more standard patty rather than a stir-fry-style topping. If you go that route, mix the soy sauce and Worcestershire into the ground beef before forming patties, and cook to an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) since it’s ground meat.
How thin does the steak actually need to be?
Aim for about ¼ inch or slightly less. At that thickness the beef cooks through in 3 to 4 minutes at high heat and picks up good color without getting rubbery. Partially freezing the steak for 20 minutes before slicing makes it much easier to cut thin, even without a sharp knife.
Can I make this ahead for a cookout?
The filling can be made up to a day ahead and refrigerated — it actually tastes good the next day once the flavors have settled. Reheat it in a skillet right before serving and toast the buns fresh. Don’t assemble the burgers in advance.
Is the red wine vinegar really necessary, or can I skip it?
Don’t skip the acid entirely — it does real work cutting through the richness of the beef and soy sauce. If you don’t have red wine vinegar, use any other mild vinegar or a squeeze of lime juice instead; the quantity is small enough that the swap won’t noticeably change the dish.
What’s a good side dish that doesn’t require much extra work?
Frozen french fries are the obvious call — traditional lomo saltado is actually served with fries, so it fits. Oven fries or chips from a bag both work fine. If you want something lighter, a simple green salad with a lime dressing takes about 5 minutes and balances the savory filling well.
More burger recipes to try
- Hawaiian Teriyaki Burger
- Korean Rice Bulgogi Burger
- Teriyaki Whopper Jr Recipe
- Carl’s Jr Philly Cheesesteak Burger