This is a beef burger seasoned with soy sauce and sesame oil, topped with sharp cheddar, a pile of kimchi, and a fried egg with a runny yolk. It takes about 35 minutes start to finish, which makes it a solid weeknight option when you want something more interesting than a plain cheeseburger without spending your whole evening in the kitchen.
Ingredient notes
- Kimchi: Buy it from the refrigerated section of any Asian grocery or most large supermarkets. Aged kimchi (darker, more sour) works better here than fresh — it has more punch and holds up against the beef.
- Sesame oil: Use toasted sesame oil, not plain. The regular kind has almost no flavor. A little goes a long way; one teaspoon is the right amount for a pound of beef.
- Spicy mayo: Mix standard mayo with Sriracha to taste. Start with a 3:1 ratio and adjust. Gochujang stirred into the mayo instead of Sriracha gives a deeper, less vinegary heat if you have it on hand.
- Eggs: Medium eggs fit a standard bun better than large. Free-range is a fine choice if you have it, but any fresh egg works.
- 80/20 ground beef: Don’t go leaner. The fat keeps the patty juicy and helps it hold together without binders.
Why this recipe works
Two things matter most here. First, the soy sauce in the beef does double duty — it seasons the meat all the way through and adds a bit of umami that plain salt can’t match, so every bite of the patty has flavor, not just the crust. Second, the fried egg is cooked separately and added last, which means you can nail the timing on both the patty and the egg without either one sitting and overcooking while you wait on the other. Skip the egg in the mix — it makes the patty mushy. Keep them separate, assemble quickly, and the yolk breaks over everything the moment you press down on the bun.
What can go wrong
- Patties shrink and puff up in the middle: Press a shallow thumbprint into the center of each raw patty before it hits the pan. This counteracts the way ground beef contracts as it cooks and keeps the patty flat so toppings don’t slide off.
- The egg white is rubbery before the yolk sets: Keep the heat at medium rather than medium-high when frying the eggs. A lid placed over the pan for the last 30 seconds sets the white without touching the yolk.
- Kimchi makes the bun soggy fast: Drain the kimchi briefly on a paper towel before piling it on. Even 60 seconds of draining cuts the liquid enough to matter, especially if you’re plating for more than one person and there’s any lag between assembly and eating.
- Cheese doesn’t melt properly: The cover-and-melt step only works if the pan is still hot. If you’ve pulled the patty off the heat and the cheese isn’t melting, add a teaspoon of water to the pan and cover immediately — the steam finishes the job in under a minute.
- Patty is undercooked: Ground beef needs to reach 160°F (71°C) internal temperature. At 3–4 minutes per side on medium-high, most half-inch patties get there, but use an instant-read thermometer if you’re not sure — especially important since the egg and kimchi make it hard to judge doneness by color alone once the burger is assembled.
Fried Egg and Kimchi Burger
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef preferably 80% lean
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil toasted
- 1 cup kimchi thinly sliced
- 4 slices cheese sharp cheddar recommended
- 4 medium burger buns toasted
- 4 medium eggs free-range recommended
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 0.5 cup spicy mayonnaise mix mayo with sriracha to taste
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine 1 pound of ground beef with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil. Mix gently to blend without overworking the meat.
- Form the mixture into four even patties, ensuring each is slightly larger than the burger buns.
- Heat a grill or skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the patties for about 3-4 minutes on each side until they reach your preferred doneness. Add a slice of sharp cheddar cheese during the last minute of cooking and cover to melt.
- Remove the patties and allow them to rest for a few minutes. Meanwhile, toast the burger buns until golden.
- In a separate pan, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and fry 4 free-range eggs until the whites are set but the yolks remain runny, about 3 minutes.
- To assemble each burger, spread a generous layer of spicy mayonnaise on the bottom bun, place the cheese-covered patty, add a handful of thinly sliced kimchi, top with a fried egg, and cap with the toasted top bun.
Notes
Nutrition
Common questions
Can I make the patties ahead of time?
Yes — form the patties, stack them with parchment between each one, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Cold patties actually hold their shape better on a hot pan, so this is a useful head start on a busy night.
What if I don’t like runny yolks?
Cook the egg an extra 1–2 minutes until the yolk is fully set. The burger still works — you just lose the sauce effect the yolk provides, so make sure your spicy mayo layer is generous.
Can I cook this on an outdoor grill instead of a skillet?
Yes, the patties grill well over medium-high direct heat. Fry the eggs in a small cast-iron skillet set on the grill grate at the same time so everything finishes together.
Is there a way to make this less spicy?
Use plain mayo instead of spicy mayo and rinse the kimchi briefly under cold water before adding it to the burger. This cuts the heat significantly while keeping the fermented flavor mostly intact.
What bun works best?
A brioche or potato bun holds up better than a standard white bun because the egg and kimchi add a lot of moisture. Toast it until it’s golden — a soft untoasted bun will fall apart before you finish eating.
Can I use a different cheese instead of sharp cheddar?
Pepper jack melts well and adds extra heat that works with the kimchi. Provolone is a milder option if you want the kimchi to be the dominant flavor. Avoid anything crumbly like feta — it won’t melt over the patty.
If you liked this one
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- Korean Rice Bulgogi Burger
- Hawaiian Teriyaki Burger Recipe
- Spicy Jalapeño King Burger