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Wafu Hambagu (Japanese Hamburger Steak)
4.7 from 58 votes

Wafu Hambagu (Japanese Hamburger Steak)

Wafu Hambagu is a Japanese-style hamburger steak combining ground beef and pork with sautéed onion, panko, and seasoning. The mixture is kneaded, shaped into oval patties, and cooked in oil. It is served topped with grated daikon radish and shiso leaves, accompanied by a ponzu-based sauce sweetened with sugar and optionally spiced with yuzu kosho, adding a citrusy and mildly spicy element.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
50 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 367 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese

Ingredients

  • ½ onion
  • 1½ Tbsp neutral oil (for cooking the onion)
  • ¼ cup breadcrumbs Japanese style panko
  • 2 Tbsp milk
  • ½ lb ground beef
  • ½ lb ground pork
  • 1 egg large, 50 g each without shell
  • 1 clove garlic (crushed or minced)
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp kosher salt Diamond Crystal brand
  • black pepper freshly ground
For Cooking the Patties
  • 1½ Tbsp neutral oil
For the Toppings
  • 3 inches daikon radish (use the top green part that‘s sweet and less bitter)
  • 2 shiso leaves or scallion/green onion for garnish, aka perilla, ooba
For the Sauce
  • ½ cup ponzu (you can make Homemade Ponzu Sauce)
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • ¼ tsp yuzu kosho for a citrusy, spicy kick; optional, Japanese citrus chili paste

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Gather all the ingredients. If doubling the recipe, please cook one batch at a time in the pan.
  2. Mince ½ onion.
  3. Heat 1½ Tbsp neutral oil in a frying pan and sauté the onion until golden brown. Transfer to a large bowl and let it cool.
  4. Mix ¼ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) and 2 Tbsp milk together.
  5. When the onion is cool, add the panko mixture, ½ lb ground beef, ½ lb ground pork, 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell), 1 clove garlic (minced or crushed), ¼ tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
  6. Mix all the ingredients together. Knead the mixture until sticky and pale in color.
To Shape the Patties
  1. Divide the mixture into 4 portions. Put a little bit of oil on your hands to keep the meat from sticking to them.
  2. Toss each portion of the mixture between your hands about 10 times to release the air inside the mixture (this will prevent the patties from breaking while cooking).
  3. Make oval-shaped patties. Make the top of the patties more round compared to typical hamburger patties that are flat on top. Cover the patties with plastic wrap and keep them in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before cooking so that the meat combines together.
To Prepare the Toppings and Sauce
  1. Meanwhile, peel 3 inches daikon radish and grate it finely. Squeeze most of the liquid out of the grated daikon (but leave some for moisture).
  2. Cut off the stem of 2 shiso leaves (perilla/ooba) and roll them up. Cut into julienned pieces. If you use scallion instead, slice it thinly.
  3. Now, make the sauce. (Keep the batches of sauce separate if you‘re doubling the recipe.) In a small bowl, combine ½ cup ponzu, ¼ tsp yuzu kosho (Japanese citrus chili paste), and 1 tsp sugar (per batch). Whisk it all together until the sugar is dissolved.
To Cook the Wafu Hambagu
  1. Heat 1½ Tbsp neutral oil in a frying pan over medium heat. (Cook one batch at a time if you‘re doubling the recipe.) When it‘s hot, gently place the patties in the pan. Indent the center of each patty with your fingers because they will rise and expand when heated. Cook the patties for about 3–4 minutes and do not flip until they are nicely brown.
  2. Flip the patties and cover to cook on medium-low heat for 4–5 minutes, or until the meat inside is cooked through.
  3. Add the sauce to the pan and increase the heat to medium high. Scoop the sauce over the meat with a spoon while cooking for about 2 minutes.
  4. Move the patties to serving plates. Reduce the sauce a little bit while skimming off the fat (to make a clear sauce). Pour the sauce into a small serving bowl.
To Serve
  1. Serve the Wafu Hambagu with grated daikon on top and garnish with shiso (or scallion). Pour the extra sauce on top at the table.

Nutrition Information

Calories 367kcal (18%) Carbohydrates 6g (2%) Protein 23g (46%) Fat 27g (42%) Saturated Fat 9g (45%) Polyunsaturated Fat 5g (29%) Monounsaturated Fat 11g (55%) Trans Fat 1g (50%) Cholesterol 126mg (42%) Sodium 734mg (31%) Potassium 391mg (8%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 2g (4%) Vitamin A 84IU (2%) Vitamin C 2mg (2%) Calcium 44mg (4%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 367

% Daily Value*

Calories 367kcal 18%
Carbohydrates 6g 2%
Protein 23g 46%
Fat 27g 42%
Saturated Fat 9g 45%
Polyunsaturated Fat 5g 29%
Monounsaturated Fat 11g 55%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 126mg 42%
Sodium 734mg 31%
Potassium 391mg 8%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 2g 4%
Vitamin A 84IU 2%
Vitamin C 2mg 2%
Calcium 44mg 4%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.