Name: Bulgogi Rice Hamburger
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 3 cups sushi rice ((cooked)); 2 tbsp cilantro ((finely chopped)); 2 tbsp sesame oil; ¼ tsp salt ((to add taste)); 2 tbsp Furikake seasoning ((optional)); 1 tbsp lime juice; 1 tbsp soy sauce ((to brown the top rice)); 1 tbsp sesame oil ((brush lightly on top)); Bulgogi ((or your other favorite proteins))

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I love my brain sometimes. When it’s working right, it’s so creative….Of course, there are other times it simply balks at work and goes on vacation. Yesterday, it was hot at work and came up with a meal that is so good, my mouth still waters when I think of it.

Not only was it good, I’m still patting myself on the back for not only using odds and ends I had in the refrigerator and creating a sumptuous meal that would cost a fortune in any fancy restaurant but also for solving a major meal problem creatively.

Related recipe

Korean Bulgogi Beef Recipe

I’m on a quest to use leftovers so creatively you don’t realize you ate them the night before in a different form. I had a large bowl of rice, cilantro, mushrooms and a bowl of bulgogi beef leftover in the refrigerator that I had to use soon.

It was easy since you use the same marinade and process to make them. I wanted to make bulgogi beef burgers but didn’t have buns and don’t like to use the oven in the summer. My second thought was a stir fry style meal, but I saw the homemade kimchi and that was my inspiration—no bake rice burger buns!

Rice Wont Stick Together?

The biggest problem I faced was getting the rice to stick together like a bun so I added some sesame oil and 1 tbsp of cornstarch then I crisp the outside for more of a bun-like appearance. But if you’re using the sushi rice, this is not an issue.

That actually helped my brain make the leap to the mini 3-inch cheesecake spring molds since cat food cans lightly danced across my mind for the mini cheesecake before I broke down and bought the forms.

I mixed a bit of sesame oil and a pinch of salt, Furikake seasoning, cilantro and squeeze some lime then packed each form and allowed the mixture to brown on one side before I removed the form. BIG HINT: Wear a mitt that allows you to manipulate your finger.

I made three types of rice burgers. One had the bulgogi beef, one had the bulgogi mushrooms and the third one had a mixture of the two.

Just use one rice bun for the bottom, add a slice of lettuce and then the bulgogi meat or mushroom, top it with some kimchi or your favorite veggies and then another rice bun. Scrumptious!

Few tricks to perfecting your rice buns

1 Sticky rice is the key

Make sure to use sushi rice or glutinous rice when cooking rice buns.

One tip I learned to get the stickiest rice: Don’t rinse the rice before cooking, yep! Don’t wash the rice because rinsing it washes off some of the starches that help the rice getting sticky and firm patties.

2 Adding flavors

We know that rice is tasteless however, adding salt and vinegar can make a difference. Or you can sprinkle Furikake seasoning to inject more flavors as well as folding sesame seeds make even better.

Credit: Muyo

3 Wet your hands

Since sushi rice is a bit sticky, wetting your hands while forming the mound will do the trick. Place a bowl of clean water next to you and dunk your hands over and over while working on your rice patties.

4 Use cooking oil + Soy to add more flavors

Brush the rice buns lightly with oil and soy sauce, then sear or char on a dry skillet or griddle. I like using sesame oil to get that earthy flavors.

Ingredients

For Cilantro Rice

- sushi rice (cooked)
- cilantro (finely chopped)
- sesame oil
- salt (to add taste)
- Furikake seasoning (optional)
- Squeeze of lime juice

Searing the rice patties:

- soy sauce (to brown the top rice)
- sesame oil (brush lightly on top)

Toppings:

Bulgogi (or other favorite proteins)

Step by step instructions

Prep the Cilantro Rice:

1 Mix sushi rice with sesame oil, 2 tbsp minced cilantro and add salt to taste. Set aside.

Prep the Rice Buns:

2 Using a three inch ring mold, press rice into the mold tightly to about ½ inch thickness.

The sesame oil should help bind the rice together slightly. But if using the sushi rice, this is not a problem.

Sear the Rice Buns:

3 Heat a non-stick pan on medium high heat.

4 Brush lightly the tops of the rice patties with sesame oil and soy sauce and place them into the pan.

5 Sear for few minutes till there is a thin layer of crust.

6 Carefully flip the rice patty with a spatula. Cook for another few minutes or until you’ll get a crispy top rice surface.

Assemble:

7 Place lettuce over rice burger patty. Add some bulgogi (or other meat available) and greens. Finally, top it off with another rice burger patty. Serve immediately.

Other interesting recipes:

One way to enjoy Bulgogi rice burger is to use the grilled or pan fried rice patties to satisfy my Mos Burger cravings.

Bulgogi Rice Hamburger

5 from 2 votes

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One way to enjoy Bulgogi rice burger is to use the grilled or pan fried rice patties to satisfy my Mos Burger cravings.

Servings:

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes