Wafu Hambagu is a scrumptious Japanese hamburger steak with comfort and flavor in every bite. We pan-sear the meat patties, then braise them in a citrusy sauce with ponzu and yuzu kosho. Top with grated daikon and shiso leaves for a refreshing final touch.
If you are not familiar with the Japanese term “Hambagu” (ハンバーグ), it basically a thick ground meat patty that’s cooked in a frying pan, instead of grilled, and always served with some kind of sauce and without a bun.
I’ve posted the typical Hambagu recipe with thick Worcestershire-base sauce on Just One Cookbook before, and today I want to introduce you to this delicious Wafu Hambagu (和風ハンバーグ) version with a Japanese seasoning sauce.
Table of contents
What is Wafu Hambagu?
Wafu Hambagu is Hambagu served with grated daikon and/or shiso leaves on top, along with a thin sauce which comes in a few variations. The thin sauce base can be made with dashi + soy sauce, Mentsuyu, or ponzu.
Today I used ponzu because the fragrance and citrus flavor from ponzu works really well with refreshing daikon, and together they refresh your palate while you’re enjoying the juicy meat. I love this sauce quite a bit and besides hambagu, this sauce can be used for steak and other meaty dishes.
Secret to Great Tasting Wafu Hambagu
The key for Japanese hamburger steak is always to use the combination of both ground beef and pork. This is the secret for juicy and flavorful meat patties.
If you use only ground beef, you will definitely taste the difference. Beef only patties are drier and has less flavor compared to ones that also includes ground pork.
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Wafu Hambagu (Japanese Hamburger Steak)
Video
Ingredients
- ½ onion
- 1½ Tbsp neutral oil (for cooking the onion)
- ¼ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
- 2 Tbsp milk
- ½ lb ground beef
- ½ lb ground pork
- 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell)
- 1 clove garlic (crushed or minced)
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
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 (perilla/ooba) (or scallion/green onion for garnish)
For the Sauce
- ½ cup ponzu (you can make Homemade Ponzu Sauce)
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp yuzu kosho (Japanese citrus chili paste) (for a citrusy, spicy kick; optional)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. If doubling the recipe, please cook one batch at a time in the pan.
- Mince ½ onion.
- 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.
- Mix ¼ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) and 2 Tbsp milk together.
- 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.
- Mix all the ingredients together. Knead the mixture until sticky and pale in color.
To Shape the Patties
- Divide the mixture into 4 portions. Put a little bit of oil on your hands to keep the meat from sticking to them.
- 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).
- 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
- 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).
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- Flip the patties and cover to cook on medium-low heat for 4–5 minutes, or until the meat inside is cooked through.
- 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.
- 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
- Serve the Wafu Hambagu with grated daikon on top and garnish with shiso (or scallion). Pour the extra sauce on top at the table.
Can I make this ahead of time and leave it in the fridge to cook the next day?
Hi, Minami. Thank you so much for reading Nami’s post and trying her recipe.
If you shape the Hambagu with clean gloves and then wrap it individually in plastic wrap, it should be fine in the fridge until the next day.
(No more than 24 hours)
They can also be cooked and frozen. It’s an excellent choice for Bento or meal preparation.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/meal-prep-freezer-friendly-bento-dishes/
We hope you found this information useful!
[…] can also grind it into a fine powder and use it as a binder for wafu hambagu, or […]
Thank you for the Chicken and Tofu recipe! This is an excellent healthy option.
Hi Des! Thank you for trying Nami’s recipes and for your kind feedback!
We are glad to hear you enjoyed the Tofu and Chicken Burger 豆腐ハンバーグ version. ☺️
https://www.justonecookbook.com/chicken-tofu-hamburger-steak/
Happy Cooking!
Hello Nami, i really wanna try your regular hambagu steak recipe and also the wafu one. For both recipes, you’ve used different amounts of panko and beef while same amount of milk and egg. Was the patties resulted in the same juiciness & flavorful level despite all the differences? Or those recipes indeed need a different adjustment? Thankss
Hi Luciana! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe!
It’s just the variations. 🙂
She takes detailed notes while she tests recipes, and each recipe is the result of her finalized work. Sometimes she may use more or fewer ingredients to make similar recipes. Would you please try both and see if you like one over the other one? We hope you find your favorite.
こんにちわ なみ
The wafu is a clear hit. It’s tasty like those you are able to get on restaurant.
The homemade ponzu make it even better.
The reason for making own ponzu you can get the taste as you want and together with some French fries and the daiko/carrot salad makes the dish very good.
Next time we try goma broccoli salad with or a mix of both. Happy cooking😁
Hi Lars! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and thank you for your kind feedback! 🙂
This is a favorite recipe in our house. Tonight, I’m making it for the third time. Thank you for sharing, Nami!
Hi Katherine!
Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback!
We are so happy to hear this is your favorite recipe.😊