Served with a red wine reduction sauce, this Japanese Hamburger Steak (Hambagu) is big on flavors. The meat is juicy and melts in your mouth. It‘s perfect to make in a hot frying pan either in the kitchen or on the grill!
I still remember vividly how my mom and I spent many evenings making Japanese Hamburger Steak or Hambagu (ハンバーグ). If I was home, she would call me around 4:30 PM and always encouraged my presence in the kitchen. Unless I was in the middle of a novel that I couldn’t stop reading, I didn’t mind helping her out most of the time. That’s how I learned to cook Japanese food from her.
What is Hambagu
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.
While researching facts about Hambāgu on Japanese Wiki, I learned that there is an American version of hamburger steak and it’s very similar to a dish called Salisbury Steak, which I’ve never tried before.
Variations of Japanese Hamburger Steak
The common theme for all these hamburger steaks is that they are made from a blend of minced beef and other ingredients.
There are many variations of Hambāgu in Japan, like Wafu Hambāgu (soy sauce-based sauce with grated daikon), Teriyaki Hambāgu, Demi-glacé Hambāgu, and more. You’ll also find different topping options, such as sautéed shimeji mushrooms and a fried egg.
Today I’m sharing the basic Hambāgu recipe with a delicious homemade sauce.
Use of Both Ground Beef and Ground Pork
Hambāgu in Japan is typically made from both ground beef and ground pork. Supermarkets in Japan sell a convenient package of both ground beef and ground pork (we call it Aibiki Niku 合いびき肉) so that we don’t have to buy the meat separately. The common ratio of Aibiki Niku is 7:3.
For this Hambagu recipe, you can decide the beef/pork ratio either 2:1 (8 oz/4 oz) or 3:1 (9 oz/3 oz).
We often use this Aibiki Niku for Menchi Katsu, Spaghetti Meat Sauce, Curry Doria (Rice Gratin), and Hambāgu recipes.
7 Tips to Make Perfect Hamburger Steak
To enhance the flavor of Hambāgu, below are a few important tips, which I learned from my mom. I also included a video on how to toss hamburger steak to force out the air pockets.
- Sauté onion slowly and then cool it down completely. The cooked onion will add natural sweetness to Hambāgu.
- Knead the mixture with your hand until it’s pale and sticky.
- Play catch, tossing meat mixture from your left hand to your right hand. Do this a couple of times in order to release the air inside. If you skip it, the hambagu will crack while cooking.
- Let the meat patties cool in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes to solidify fats and take them out right before cooking.
- Indent the center of each patty with 2-3 fingertips to avoid explosion or crumbling of the meat patties when you cook. The meat will expand during cooking, and the indentation will disappear.
- Use wine for steam cooking and the delicious sauce. If you can’t consume alcohol, use beef/chicken stock instead.
- Cook the red wine reduction sauce in the same pan. The rich grease left in the pan adds another layer of flavor to the already juicy Hambāgu.
How to Serve with Hambagu
Serve the Hamburger Steak with Crispy Baked Potato Wedges, steamed broccoli, and sauteed carrots. If you want to make it into a Japanese-style meal, serve this dish with steamed rice and Miso Soup. You will have a fancy and extra special dinner that doesn’t cost a bomb. This is exactly the kind of recipe that calls for a bottle of red wine and a reason to celebrate.
Other Japanese Hamburger Recipes You’ll Enjoy
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Japanese Hamburger Steak (Hambagu)
Video
Ingredients
For the Hambagu 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)
- ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ⅓ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell)
For Cooking the Hambagu
- 1 Tbsp neutral oil
- 3 Tbsp red wine (for steaming; I use this mini wine; or substitute beef or chicken stock)
For the Sauce
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 Tbsp ketchup (to taste)
- 3 Tbsp tonkatsu sauce (or make Homemade Tonkatsu Sauce)
- 3 Tbsp red wine (I use this mini wine; or substitute beef or chicken stock)
- 3 Tbsp water
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 Hambagu Patties
- Mince ½ onion finely (we call this cutting technique mijingiri in Japanese). Lay the cut onion flat side down on the cutting board. With the knife tip pointing toward the root end, make ⅛-inch vertical slices to within ½ inch of the root end. With the knife edge toward the root end, make ⅛-inch horizontal slices, again keeping the root intact.
- 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 ¾ lb ground beef and pork combination to the bowl. Add ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper as you like, and ½ tsp nutmeg. Tip: You can make hambagu with 100% beef, but it will not be as juicy and tender as combining the two meats.
- Add the ⅓ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), 2 Tbsp milk, and 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell).
- 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. 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 Hambagu
- Heat a large pan over medium heat. (Cook one batch at a time if you‘re doubling the recipe.) When the pan is hot, add 1 Tbsp neutral oil. 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 inserting a skewer; if clear juice comes out, 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 ingredients for the sauce (for one batch): 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, 3 Tbsp ketchup, and 3 Tbsp tonkatsu sauce. 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.
- Add 3 Tbsp red wine and 3 Tbsp water to the pan.
- 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 hamburger steaks.
To Serve
- Pour the remaining sauce into a small bowl or jar and bring it to the table for serving. We typically serve Steamed Rice, Homemade Miso Soup, Crispy Baked Potato Wedges, sauteed carrots, and steamed broccoli or a salad with this meal. Hambagu also goes well with Japanese Potato Salad and Corn Potage (Japanese Corn Soup).
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
Editor’s Note: The post was originally published on December 17, 2012. The content has been updated in August 2017. The post has been updated with a new video and images in June 2020.
Love this cookbook ! I have a question, you mention 1/4 of a tsp of salt in the list of ingredients then further down in the list of ingredients you call for 1 tsp of salt. Which is correct???
HI Dennis! I updated the recipe so you know which salt goes where. ¼ tsp salt for onion and 1 tsp for meat mixture. 🙂
Hi Nami, I can’t eat onion but I would like to make hambagu as close to authentic as possible, do you have any suggestions for substitutions? ありがとございます!
Hi Casi! I do, but I’m not sure if you can find ingredient…. it’s called Fu (wheat gluten) and you can tear it and mix it in with the meat. Basically, the onion helps the meat tender – so the meat won’t become too firm. Onion makes the patty more tender, not hard ball. You can also use more panko as “connector”. I’m not sure what type of onion you can’t eat, but maybe shallot or other parts of onion too, like green onion or leeks? Hope this helps!
Hi Nami, I follow a low FOPMAP diet so the tops of green onions and chives would be my options for onion products, however I do have a Japanese grocery available nearby and may be able to find Fu. I can tolerate small servings of wheat so I may have to switch to gluten free Panko to cut the amount of wheat in the recipe if I choose to use Fu. Either way, you’ve given me what I needed to know next time I make it! Thank you!
I see! Hope substitution will work. Enjoy! Let me know how it went 🙂
I was a little skeptical of the sauce recipe at first, because I never combined red wine and ketchup in any cooking, but it came out DELICIOUS! I really love this recipe and honestly will never make meatloaf or Salisbury steak again I will just make Hambagu!
Hi Christina! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and trusting my recipe. 😀 . I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thank you for your kind feedback. It made me so happy!! xo
Recently found your recipes. Family loved the Hamburger Steak! I personally loved the wine sauce! Thank you so much for sharing! I plan to try many more of your recipes. 🙂
Hi Lotuslove! Thank you so much for trying my Hambagu recipe! I’m really happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for your kind feedback. 🙂
If we don’t have ground pork, could we just use ground beef? Thanks! (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و
Hi Mia! You can do that definitely, but the texture (and of course the taste) will be different. With ground pork, the meat is much juicer and leaner. Hope that helps. 🙂
This was my first time ever making this meal; it was delicious! My husband (who is ハーフ) really enjoyed eating this meal, too! This is definitely going into my my meal plan rotation.
Hi Clarissa! I’m so happy to hear that you two enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback. 🙂
This looks so delicious! Do you think this will work well with a blend of ground turkey and pork? I can’t eat beef… Thank you!
Hi Carly! It will work, but the texture will be different (so as taste), but should be good! I have never tried that combination before. 🙂
Hello, nami
Finally I tried this hamburger, I accompanied it with japanese garlic fried rice and it was really good !!! Thanks for the recipes, Also at night I made mushi pan of cheese and corn were also a success.
However, I had a problem with the hamburger steak and after browning it for 5 min (step 10) and browning the missing side, I decided to cut a hamburger in half and it turned out to be raw !!! Then I had to cut them in half and finish them cooking, although they were delicious, the presentation was not the best.
What could have gone wrong?
I clarify that I use the same amounts of the recipe and portion the mixture in 4 (besides my fillets were less thick than in the photo.
In spite of everything, I hope to try the beef curry this weekend
Hi Ruth! Drool… I love this combination of garlic rice and hambagu, and I’ve done that many times. So delicious! Thank you for your kind feedback. I’m glad your cheese and corn mushi pan came out well too!
We do not need to cook the patties all the way at Step 10. Do you see Step 12 where I add the wine and cover? The steam cook is the real cooking time. Step 10 is to give nice sear (for taste and create some crust so steaming won’t break). So you don’t have to cook entire meat at Step 10. If you do that, the meat will be over cook with additional 5 minutes in the pan. Hope this makes sense? Hope you enjoy Beef Curry this weekend! xo
Hi, I made this last week and it turned out delicious! I served it with rice and Asparagus. The sauce was very yummy. I wish I would have taken pictures.
Hi Yurika! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for your kind feedback. 🙂 xo
It must be the Magic of Panco combined with Nami-Magic, because every other receipt which I tried to make Hamburger Patties ended in cumbly meat in the pan. This one worked totally fine for me!
And the sauce was so delicious!
Thank you for sharing this recipe Nami!
Hi Jess! Yayyyy! I’m so excited to hear this Jess! Yes, it’s my magic… 😀 You’re too kind. Little things count, like tossing between hands – you have to remove air pockets so it won’t break down. So as the pressing the center of hambagu. So it stays in nice shape without rising and expanding, etc. I’m so happy for you! Thank you for your kind feedback. xo
True the tossing from hand to hand I never did because it was never pointed out in recipes.
This recipe will be my favourite from now on anyway 🙂
Hi Jess! Really? It’s the golden rule for making hambagu in Japan! 😉
Everyone loves this!
Hi Adam! Yes, it’s my family’s favorite too! 🙂
I made this today, absolutely delicious and so easy to make! I reduced the quantity of tonkatsu sauce and ketchup for the sauce to 2 tbs each as I didn’t want it too sweet.. Had it with steamed sugar snap and baked potato, thank you 🙂
Hi Jessica! I’m so happy to hear you liked my hambagu recipe! Glad you could adapt the sauce to your liking as well. Thank you for your kind feedback! 🙂
This is one of my favorite recipes to make. It instantly became a family favorite.
My son was telling me today how much he loves hambagu. There is something about hambagu for Japanese people… 🙂
Hi Nami!
I had been craving Hamburg steak and decided to give your recipe a try. I just made this recipe for dinner and it was stunning! My frying pan didn’t come with a lid so I had to cook the steaks for a little longer, but they were still super flavourful. The sauce was excellent, I substituted the tonkatsu sauce with some oyster sauce + honey for sweetness since I didn’t have any on hand. I served it with a creamy mash and roasted asparagus/fine beans, and it was a sublime weekend treat. I also used pure beef and the result was still juicy and succulent. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Hi Tatsumi! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe and thank you for sharing your tip/feedback with us! Thank you for trying this recipe! 🙂
What %age fat (80/20, 90/10) is the ground beef?
Hi Tirrill! I think mine has more fat – 80/20, probably.
Your recipes get better and better. Thanks for sharing so much.
Thank you so much for your kind words Theresa! xo