Grilled Korean Pork Burgers With Spicy Mayo

Meet Your New Fave Burger for Labor Day Grilling and Chilling!

I’m changing up my burger game by swapping ground beef for pork, and adding an Asian twist with spicy gochugaru and kimchi

The ground pork marinates in gochugaru powder, green onion, garlic and tamari to make it oh so tender and flavorful. Then it’s topped with spicy kimchi, and a tangy gochugaru mayo

Instagram Tutorial

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tina Marinaccio (@tina_integrative_dietitian)

What is Gochugaru?

Gochugaru is a Korean chili powder made from sun-dried peppers without the seeds. It’s a must for many Korean dishes. It packs some heat and smokiness, but it also has a sweetness to it. I prefer it to gochujang, a Korean hot pepper paste, because gochujang often has a bunch of additives like sugar and tapioca syrup, but ingredients will vary by manufacturer

What is Kimchi?

Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish made from cabbage mixed with gochugaru flakes. It is then fermented.

Is Kimchi Healthy?

Kimchi is fermented, so has beneficial bacteria that boosts immune function, decreases inflammation, and can help with weight loss, regularity, and supports heart health.

The Napa cabbage is high in fiber, can help lower cholesterol, and is an anti-cancer cruciferous veggie.

If you do not like ground pork, swap your favorite ground meat, including beef, turkey, or chicken.

The spicy mayo is a perfect all purpose sauce that you can use for the burger, fries, and even a dipping sauce for veggies.

Spicy Pork Korean Burger With Gochugaru Mayo

Makes 2 burgers

1# ground pork, preferably organic

2 tbsp gochugaru chili powder

1 ½ Tbsp tamari, preferably organic

½ cup green onion, slivered

2 cloves garlic, crushed

Spicy Mayo*

Optional: Kimchi for topping the burgers

*Mix ¼ cup of your favorite mayo with 1 tsp gochugaru and 1 tbsp brown rice vinegar

-In a bowl, combine gochugaru, tamari, green onion, and garlic

-Mix in pork until incorporated, form into two equal burgers, and let rest for one hour for flavors to combine

-Meanwhile, prepare the spicy mayo

-Heat grill to medium

-Brush burgers with sesame oi

-Grill, turning once, until pork achieves a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees F

-Place on a toasted bun or serve in lettuce wraps, topped with  Spicy Mayo and Kimchi