Cheese Stuffed Japanese Hamburger Steak (Hambagu)

Add a rich and melty surprise to your hambagu with this Cheese-Stuffed Japanese Hamburger Steak. Pan-seared until juicy and tender, these ground meat steaks are smothered in a most flavorful demi-glace pan sauce. Believe me, every bite is a revelation!

One of my son’s favorite dishes is hambagu, Japanese hamburger steak. Since he was small, he has consistently requested this dish when I ask him what he wants to eat. I’ve created various versions of hambagu, from Japanese Stewed Hamburger Steaks to Wafu Hambagu with Ponzu Sauce. Today, I’m excited to share the recipe for Cheese Stuffed Japanese Hamburger Steak (チーズ入りハンバーグ).

What is Japanese Hamburger Steak?

Japanese Hamburger Steak, or we call it Hambāgu (ハンバーグ) or Hambāgu Steak (ハンバーグステーキ), is a popular dish enjoyed both at home and at Yoshoku (Japanese-style western food) restaurants. It’s a steak made from ground meat and usually served with rice rather than buns.

I have a classic Hambagu recipe on my site, but this version is stuffed with beautifully stretchy and melty golden cheese for those who enjoy the extra indulgence. 🙂

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy to make: The process is simple and doable for a weeknight meal, requiring just one hour of your time. Don’t be intimidated by the steps in my recipe instructions—they’re helpful tips to ensure perfection!
• 100% satisfying: Enjoy high-quality protein and colorful veggies all on one plate. That’s dinner for the win!
• Kids and date night friendly! Made with tender ground beef and pork, these “steaks” are perfect for small children. In fact, hambagu is always listed as one of the popular dishes among kids in Japan. Yet, it also makes such a romantic meal to serve on a date night. Don’t you think?

How to Make Cheese Stuffed Japanese Hamburger Steak

The Ingredients You’ll Need

• Onion
• Ground beef and pork combination – Use a 2:1 or 3:1 beef-to-pork ratio.
• Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) – In a pinch, you can use pieces of bread.
• Milk – You can use any type of milk here; This is to add moisture to the panko.
• Egg
• Provolone cheese – You can use any other melted cheese; I used one slice for 4 hamburger steaks based on my family’s preference; use more if you like it extra cheesy.
• Seasonings: Nutmeg, salt, ground black pepper, and red wine.
• For the hambagu sauce: unsalted butter, ketchup, tonkatsu sauce (you can make my Homemade Tonkatsu Sauce recipe), and red wine.

The Cooking Steps

1. Mince the onion, sauté until tender, and let it cool.
2. In a large bowl, combine the onion, ground meat, panko, milk, egg, and seasonings. Knead together until the mixture is sticky and pale.
3. Shape the meat mixture into oval patties, stuff them with cheese, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. In a frying pan, cook both sides of the patties. Then, steam them with red wine.
5. Remove the cooked patties from the pan. In the same pan, prepare the demi-glace sauce using pan juice, ketchup, tonkatsu sauce, red wine, and butter.
6. Serve the hambagu with the demi-glace pan sauce.

Substitute Tips

• Ground beef and pork combination – Hambagu is typically made with this combination, but you can also use 100% beef, pork, or even ground chicken/turkey. Different types of ground meat yield distinct textures and juiciness, in addition to flavor differences. Do not skip the binding agents—the egg and panko.
• Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) – I highly encourage you to get the panko made by Japanese brands (see here) instead of American brands because they are different. You can buy it on Amazon. In a pinch, you can use pieces of bread.
• Cheese – Refer to the cheese section below for details.
• Nutmeg – I know, it’s a surprising spice in Japanese cuisine, but hambagu always includes nutmeg in the meat mixture! While optional, skipping it would mean missing out on a beautiful aroma that enhances the flavor.
• Red wine – We use red wine for two purposes: Steaming the patties and adding depth to the sauce. If you don’t drink wine, buy these mini wine bottles for cooking. It’s so convenient and I keep both white and red wines in my pantry.
• Ketchup – You could use tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, and sugar.
• Tonkatsu sauce – If you cook Japanese food, I hope you already have this Japanese condiment in your pantry or refrigerator. If not, you can try making it yourself with several condiments.

What Types of Cheese Should We Use

I used the provolone cheese that I had in the refrigerator. You can any other melted cheese such as Gruyere, Monterey Jack, Cheddar, Havarti, Swiss, Fontina, Muenster, etc.

If you want to showcase stretchy cheese, use mozzarella! However, it is very mild-flavored, so consider combining it with other flavored cheeses,, like Gruyere.

I used only one large oval slice for four hamburger steaks, as my family prefers it this way. I tested it with two slices previously, but they found it to be too much. It really comes down to taste preference, so feel free to adjust.

What to Serve with Japanese Hamburger Steak

• Sauteed green beans – Blanch the green beans and sauté them with butter, salt, and freshly ground black peppers.
• Sauteed carrots – Boil the carrots with butter, a little bit of sugar, and freshly ground black pepper.
• Crispy Baked Potato Wedges

Storing Tips

• To refrigerate: Keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3 days.
• To freeze: Put the patties in an airtight container and freeze for up to a month. If you freeze multiple pieces, use a sheet of parchment paper to prevent them from sticking to each other.
• To reheat: Defrost the hamburger steaks overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave with lower power (to make sure the inside is warm). You can also reheat/steam the hamburger steaks in a frying pan lined with parchment paper (to avoid browning) and cover it with the lid.

Other Hambagu Recipes

• Japanese Stewed Hamburger Steaks (Nikomi Hambagu)
• Classic Japanese Hamburger Steaks (Hambagu)
• Wafu Hambagu with Ponzu Sauce

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Cheese Stuffed Japanese Hamburger Steak

5 from 4 votes

Add a rich and melty surprise to your hambagu with this Cheese-Stuffed Japanese Hamburger Steak. Pan-seared until juicy and tender, these ground meat steaks are smothered in a most flavorful demi-glace pan sauce. Believe me, every bite is a revelation!

Print Pin

Prep Time: 35 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Rest Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 55 minutes mins

Servings: 4 cheese hambagu steaks (4 oz patty each)

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

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For the Patties

• ▢ ½ onion (5 oz, 142 g)
• ▢ 1 Tbsp neutral oil
• ▢ ¾ lb ground beef and pork combination (2 to 1 (8 oz/4 oz) or 3 to 1 (9 oz/3 oz) is a good beef-to-pork ratio)
• ▢ ⅓ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• ▢ 2 Tbsp milk
• ▢ 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell)
• ▢ ½ tsp nutmeg
• ▢ ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• ▢ freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• ▢ 1 slice Provolone cheese (or any other melted cheese; I used 1 slice for 4 hamburger steaks for my family's preference; use more for more cheese inside)

For Cooking the Hambagu

• ▢ 1 Tbsp neutral oil
• ▢ 3 Tbsp red wine (for steaming; I use a bottle of mini wine; or substitute beef or chicken stock)

For the Sauce

• ▢ 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• ▢ 3 Tbsp ketchup (to taste)
• ▢ 3 Tbsp tonkatsu sauce (you can make my Homemade Tonkatsu Sauce recipe)
• ▢ 3 Tbsp red wine (I use a bottle of mini wine; or substitute beef or chicken stock)
• ▢ 3 Tbsp water

Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.

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Instructions

 

Before You Start…

• Please note that this recipe requires 30 minutes of inactive resting time (patties in the refrigerator) in addition to the total active cooking time.
• Gather all the ingredients. If doubling the recipe, please cook one batch at a time in the pan.
  

To Make the Patties

• Finely mince ½ onion (we call this cutting technique mijingiri in Japanese). Lay a half onion flat side down on the cutting board. With the knife edge toward the root end, make ⅛-inch horizontal slices to within ½ inch of the root end to keep it intact. Next, with the knife tip pointing toward the root end, make ⅛-inch vertical slices to within ½ inch of the root end.
  
• Finally, make perpendicular cuts down through the vertical slices you made. If you need to chop the onions finer, run your knife through them using a rocking motion. Hold down the tip of the knife; otherwise, the onions will go flying around the room.
  
• Heat a large pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add 1 Tbsp neutral oil. Then, add the onions.
  
• Sauté the onions until tender and almost translucent.
  
• Transfer to a large bowl and let it cool.
  
• Once the onions are cool, add the ¾ lb ground beef and pork combination to the bowl. Add ⅓ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), 2 Tbsp milk, and 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell). Then, add ½ tsp nutmeg, ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper as you like. Tip: You can make hambagu with 100% beef, but it will not be as juicy and tender as combining the two meats.
  
• Start mixing it all together with a silicone spatula or spoon.
  
• Then, switch to mixing by hand and knead the mixture until it‘s sticky and pale.
  
• Divide the mixture into 4 portions (4 oz, 113 g each) or 6 smaller portions. Scoop out one portion.
  
• Toss it from one hand to the other repeatedly about five times in order to release any air inside the mixture (see the video link above). Tip: Without releasing the air inside, the hamburger steaks will likely crack while cooking.
  
• Make an oval-shaped patty and place on a tray or plate. Repeat with the remaining portions. Then, prepare the cheese filling by dividing 1 slice Provolone cheese into 4 (or 6) portions.
  

To Add the Cheese Filling

• Pick up one patty and use your fingers to flatten the center a bit. Then, place one portion of cheese in the center of the patty.
  
• Use both hands to close the meat around the cheese filling. Seal the meat around the cheese and pat to reshape into an oval patty. Place on a tray or plate.
  
• Continue until you‘ve finished stuffing all the patties. Cover the patties with plastic wrap and keep them in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before cooking so that the meat combines well and the fat solidifies.
  

To Cook the Cheese Hambagu

• Heat a large pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add 1 Tbsp neutral oil. (Cook one batch at a time if you‘re doubling the recipe.) Place the patties gently into the pan.
  
• Indent the center of each patty with two fingers because the centers will rise with the heat.
  
• Cook the patties until browned on the bottom side, about 3 minutes. Then carefully flip and cook for another 3 minutes until browned.
  
• Add 3 Tbsp red wine and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 5–7 minutes to thoroughly cook the inside of the patties (adjust the cooking time depending on the thickness of the patties).
  
• Uncover and check that it‘s fully cooked by pressing the hamburger steak with the spatula. If clear juice runs out, then it‘s done. Increase the heat to medium to let the alcohol finish evaporating. When it’s almost finished, transfer the hamburger steaks to individual plates. Do not wash the pan as you will make the sauce next using the pan juices.
  

To Make the Red Wine Reduction Sauce

• To the same frying pan, add the sauce ingredients (for one batch): 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, 3 Tbsp ketchup, 3 Tbsp tonkatsu sauce, 3 Tbsp red wine, and 3 Tbsp water. Tip: Since some ketchup is sweeter than others, adjust the amount to taste. For the tonkatsu sauce, you can substitute Worcestershire sauce and sugar in a pinch.
  
• Mix well together and bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat. Let the alcohol evaporate.
  
• When the sauce thickens and you can draw a line on the bottom of the frying pan with a spatula, remove from the heat. Drizzle some sauce over the cheese-stuffed hamburger steaks.
  

To Serve

• Pour the remaining sauce in a small bowl or jar and bring it to the table for serving. We typically serve this dish with Steamed Rice, Homemade Miso Soup, and steamed vegetables or a salad. It‘s also delicious served with baked potato wedges or Japanese Potato Salad and Corn Potage (Japanese Corn Soup). Enjoy!
  

To Store

• Transfer the leftover hamburger steaks to an airtight container and let them cool completely. You can store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and the freezer for up to a month.

Nutrition

Calories: 423 kcal · Carbohydrates: 12 g · Protein: 19 g · Fat: 30 g · Saturated Fat: 11 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 5 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 11 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 119 mg · Sodium: 645 mg · Potassium: 387 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 8 g · Vitamin A: 268 IU · Vitamin C: 3 mg · Calcium: 89 mg · Iron: 2 mg

Author: Namiko Hirasawa Chen

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