Ready to take hamburger to a whole new level? Try tender and juicy Nikomi Hambagu or Japanese Stewed Hamburger Steak. We first sear the patties, then simmer them gently in a bold and savory wine-reduction sauce. Top it with cheese for a layer of melty goodness!

Besides the traditional Japanese cuisine known as washoku, we also enjoy various western-influenced food called yoshoku. It is a big part of Japanese food culture that has influenced the way we eat and cook at home. Today, I’m sharing one of my son’s favorites, Japanese Stewed Hamburger Steak or Nikomi Hambagu (煮込みハンバーグ).
Table of Contents
What is Nikomi Hambagu
First, let’s talk about hambāgu (ハンバーグ) or Japanese Hamburger Steak (ハンバーグステーキ). It’s a popular dish enjoyed at home and at yoshoku (Japanese-style western food) restaurants.

Hambagu is a steak made from ground meat—typically both beef and pork—and served with rice rather than buns. The hambagu steak comes with a delicious gravy-like sauce made with ketchup and Worcestershire sauce.
Nikomi Hambagu (煮込みハンバーグ) is the hambāgu that’s simmered (in Japanese, the word is nikomu) in the sauce. After searing the patties, they are cooked in the savory wine-reduction sauce until the patties are fully cooked through and absorb all the flavors from the sauce.

Restaurants usually make demi-glace sauce from scratch, using vegetables and flavorful stock. However, at home, we would make a quick sauce with common condiments like ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and wine.
Why You Should Make This Recipe
- So delicious and comforting, perfect weekend recipe!
- A big step up in terms of flavors and cooking technique.
- You can make nikomi hambagu ahead of time (unlike regular hambagu).

How to Make Japanese Stewed Hamburger Steak
Ingredients You’ll Need
- A combination of ground beef and ground pork (Aibiki Niku – learn more in Tips)*
- Onion
- Egg
- Panko
- Milk
- Seasonings: nutmeg, salt, pepper, butter
- Shimeji mushrooms (or other mushrooms)
- Hambagu Sauce: Chicken stock, wine, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, butter, flour, bay leaf
- Cheese (optional)
Overview: Cooking Steps
- To make the hambagu patties: Sauté the onions, mix all the patty ingredients, make the mixture into 4 patties, and refrigerate.
- Cook the patties until both sides are nicely seared.
- To cook the hambagu sauce: Cook the onion and mushrooms and make the hambagu sauce.
- Put the patties into the sauce and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- Optionally, put the cheese on top to melt. Serve with steamed broccoli and baked potato fries.

5 Cooking Tips to Make the Best Hambagu
Tip 1: Use a beef and pork combo.
Hambāgu in Japan is typically made from both ground beef and ground pork, and this mixed ground meat is called aibiki niku (合いびき肉). The common ratio of aibiki niku is 7:3.
Originally, beef was expensive so pork was mixed in to increase the bulk. However, over time, we learned that aibiki niku is scientifically superior to making hambāgu and other recipes like Menchi Katsu, Spaghetti Meat Sauce, and Curry Doria (Rice Gratin). The fat contained in pork has a low melting point, just about the body temperature of a human being. On the other hand, the melting point of beef fat is higher than that, By combining the beef and pork together, the fat melts in the mouth even when the meat cools down slightly, making it delicious to eat.
Supermarkets in Japan sell a convenient package of both ground beef and ground pork so that we don’t have to buy the meat separately. For this hambagu recipe, you can decide the beef/pork ratio of either 2:1 (8 oz/4 oz) or 3:1 (9 oz/3 oz).
Tip 2: Knead the meat mixture well.
Knead the mixture with your hand until it’s pale and sticky.
Tip 3: Playing catch with the meat mixture
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 meat patties will crack while cooking.
Tip 4: Chill the patties in the fridge
Let the meat patties cool in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes to solidify fats on the surface and take them out right before cooking.
Tip 5: Make an indentation on the patties
Indent the center of each patty with 2-3 fingertips. While cooking, the air inside the patties heats up and expands, causing the center of the patties to swell. The indentation will disappear as the meat swells.
If you don’t make the indentation, the patties will swell and you may end up pressing down the swelled patties, losing delicious juice coming out from the inside. The meat patties could possibly expand and crack.

How to Make the Delicious Hambagu Sauce
The sauce the patties are stewed in is a demi-glace sauce. Demi-glace is a rich brown sauce in French cuisine made with beef bone, onions, celery, tomatoes, carrots, red wine, and brown roux. In Japan, we use demi-glace sauce for many western-style yoshoku dishes such as Hayashi Rice, beef stew, and Omurice. The sauce does take a long time to make from scratch, but in Japan, you can easily buy canned demi-glace sauce from regular grocery stores.
In the US, you can find canned demi-glace sauce at Japanese grocery stores or on Amazon, but it’s also possible to make it at home.
For this recipe, I make the sauce using commonly available condiments and it turns out just as good considering it’s a shortcut version.
When making the sauce, there are some important cooking tips you should follow:
- Sauté the onion until tender and translucent. The onions get sweeter as you cook. Take advantage of the natural sweetness of the ingredient.
- Cook the flour on a gentle heat. No one likes tasting raw flour. Take your time to cook the flour on low heat.
- Gradually add chicken stock while you mix and incorporate the flour mixture into the stock. It’s very important to slowly add the stock for a lump-free sauce.
- Let the alcohol from the wine evaporate, if you don’t like the alcohol taste or if you serve it for children. Most of the alcohol will be evaporated while cooking.
- Taste the sauce to adjust the flavor. Remember, every ketchup and chicken stock brand varies in taste. Some are sweeter or saltier than others. So you have to taste your own sauce and adjust to your liking.

What to Serve with Stewed Hamburger Steak
- Baked Potato Wedges (I’ll share the recipe one day; my kids love them!)
- Blanched Broccoli
- Sautéed Corn Kernels or Carrots with Butter
- Corn Potage
- Caesar Salad
- Heirloom Tomato Salad

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Japanese Stewed Hamburger Steak (Nikomi Hambagu)
Ingredients
For the Hambagu Patties
- ½ onion (5 oz, 142 g)
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter (for cooking the onion)
- ¾ lb ground beef and pork combination (12 oz, 340 g; a good beef-to-pork ratio is 2 to 1 (8 oz/4 oz) or 3 to 1 (9 oz/3 oz); you can make hambagu with 100% beef; however, it will not be as juicy and tender as a combination of the two meats)
- ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ⅓ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
- 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell)
- 2 Tbsp milk
For Searing the Patties
- 1 Tbsp neutral oil
For the Hambagu Sauce
- ½ onion (5 oz, 142 g)
- 1 package shimeji mushrooms (3.5 oz, 100 g)
- 1 Tbsp neutral oil (for cooking the onion)
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter (for cooking the onion)
- 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- ½ cup chicken stock/broth
- ¼ cup red wine
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce (I used Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce)
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 bay leaf
For the Topping
- 4 slices provolone cheese (optional; I cut a round slice into a square shape for presentation)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
To Prepare the Ingredients
- Finely mince ½ onion for the hambagu patties. Lay the onion half 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. Then, 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. Be sure to hold down the tip of the knife; otherwise, the onions will go flying around the room. Set aside.
- Thinly slice ½ onion for the hambagu sauce. Set aside.
- Cut off and discard the bottom of 1 package shimeji mushrooms and separate them into small clusters. Set aside for the hambagu sauce.
To Sauté the Minced Onion for the Patties
- Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp unsalted butter while the pan is heating up and distribute it evenly. Don‘t burn the butter. Add the minced onion to the pan.
- Sauté the minced onion until golden brown and translucent.
- When the onions are done cooking, transfer to a large bowl and let cool.
To Shape the Patties
- To the sautéed minced onions, add ¾ lb ground beef and pork combination, ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper, ½ tsp nutmeg, ⅓ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell), and 2 Tbsp milk.
- Using a silicone spatula or your hand, mix it all together until well combined. Then, knead the mixture, in a circular motion, until it gets sticky and becomes pale in color. Your arm may get tired, but it‘s a very important step to meld the ground meats together.
- Divide the mixture into quarters and scoop one portion into your hand.
- 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 it on a tray or plate. Repeat with the remaining portions. Cover the patties with plastic wrap and refrigerate them for at least 20–30 minutes before cooking so that the flavors of the meat further meld together and the fat solidifies.
To Make the Sauce
- While the hambagu patties are resting, make the sauce. On the stove over medium heat, set a large pot (I used this 5.5-QT Staub cast iron pot) that fits 4 patties. When it‘s hot, add 1 Tbsp unsalted butter and 1 Tbsp neutral oil. Distribute them evenly and add the onion slices.
- Using the blunt-end wooden spatula, sauté the onion slices until tender and translucent.
- Add the shimeji mushrooms and toss to coat with the oil and butter. Cook until they become slightly tender.
- Next, start making the roux: Turn the heat to low and sprinkle in 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour (plain flour). Cook the flour with the onions and mushrooms for 2–3 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot constantly. It‘s important that you cook the flour gently during this step to get rid of its raw taste, but don‘t let it toast or turn dark. You want the pale color of a white roux. If it starts to brown, turn off the heat temporarily while you finish cooking it. Once it‘s done cooking, turn the heat to medium low.
- Next, add about 1–2 Tbsp of ½ cup chicken stock/broth to the pot. Use your spatula to quickly and vigorously blend the stock well with the flour mixture. You will notice the flour absorb all the moisture and clump up.
- Continue to add more stock, 1–2 Tbsp at a time, stirring quickly after each addition to combine it well with the flour and smooth out any clumps. Make sure there are no lumps of flour left when you‘re done adding all the stock. Your sauce base is now done.
- Next, add ¼ cup red wine, ¼ cup ketchup, and ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce to the pot.
- Add 1 bay leaf and 2 tsp sugar and mix well together. Increase the heat to medium and bring it to a gentle simmer. Once simmering, turn off the heat.
To Sear the Patties
- Take out the hambagu patties from the refrigerator. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. When it‘s hot, add 1 Tbsp neutral oil and distribute it evenly. Place the patties gently into the pan, spacing them an inch (2.5 cm) apart so you can easily insert the spatula to flip the patties later on.
- Indent the center of each patty with 2–3 fingertips because the centers will rise with the heat. Cook the patties until browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes.
- Then, carefully flip and cook the other side for another 3 minutes or until browned. Turn off the heat. Tip: The inside of the patties won‘t be cooked through yet. You‘ll finish cooking the hambagu in the sauce next.
To Cook the Nikomi Hambagu
- Gently transfer the patties and their pan juices into the pot with the hambagu sauce.
- Close the lid and bring it to a gentle simmer on medium heat. Once simmering, reduce the heat to medium low. Open the lid and spoon the sauce over the patties.
- Close the lid again and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Occasionally uncover the pot to coat the patties with the sauce. You do not need to flip them. After 15 minutes of cooking, the Nikomi Hambagu is ready to serve.
To Serve
- Serve the hambagu hot on individual plates along with the hambagu sauce. I typically serve the dish with oven-baked potato wedges, blanched broccoli, butter-sautéed carrots, or/and corn kernels. You can also bring the pot to the table to keep it hot. Here, I sprinkled them with dried parsley for color; you can use fresh chopped parsley as well.
To Serve the Nikomi Hambagu in Individual Mini Cast Iron Pans
- Nikomi hambagu is often served hot in an individual cast iron pan (I used this 6½-inch cast iron skillet). Place the Nikomi Hambagu, sauce, blanched broccoli, and oven-baked potato wedges in the skillet and heat it until the sauce is hot and bubbly.
- You can serve the Nikomi Hambagu with 4 slices provolone cheese. I placed one slice of provolone cheese on top of each hot hambagu and let it melt. Serve immediately.
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and keep them for 3–4 days in the refrigerator or for up to a month in the freezer.
Great recipe, it actually reminds me of the ‘hambagu’ I would have at diners when I lived in Hokkaido. Love the sauce, and the only addition I made to the patties was using garam masala/garlic/extra salt to the patties. This is a crazy good dish to prep if you do any kind of meal prep, high in protein and delicious with rice.
Hello, Gerald. Thank you so much for experimenting with Nami’s recipe and sharing your adjustments with us. It also sounds fantastic.
We’re glad you enjoyed Nikomi Hambagu. Happy Cooking!☺️
I have cooked quite a few recipes from justonecookbook and this is the first to really disappoint me. The meat was under-seasoned even though I used more salt than the recipe called for. (The 2x recipe calls for 1 tsp of Diamond kosher salt for 1.5 lb of meat; I used 1.5 tsp with the same amount of meat.) The sauce was great, though I did doctor the chicken broth by adding Better Than Bouillon beef base.
Hello, Scott. We’re sorry to hear the meat was underseasoned.
The salt amount is a little challenging because everyone’s tastebuds vary. Also, not every ingredient has the same sweetness or fat level, for example.
We hope you continue to love the dish after adding more salt to taste.
Thank you for experimenting with Nami’s recipe.
I made this last night. I’m not too crazy about wine in sauces, but I did buy official cooking wine, and followed directions perfectly. Down to the potato wedges and blanched vegs! It was very tasty! I used the veggies from one of those vegetable snack trays from Safeway because it had broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. I blanched then all together and they came out great. I made my tater wedges with my air fryer and they were great too. Easy to follow recipe that tastes more complicated than it really is! Must be the wine in the sauce!
Hello, Lisa. Thank you so much for taking the time to read Nami’s post and try her recipe!
We are very happy that you enjoyed the entire recipe. Nami worked hard to develop the recipe, so it meant a lot to her. Thank you for sharing your experience and for your thoughtful feedback. Happy cooking!
Made this today for dinner and embarrassed, I didn’t do it earlier. Cooked double amount, as didn’t expect to fail. Absolutely recommend and don’t omit The Sauce!!! I used regular brown bottom mushrooms, as I sadly lost access to Asian kinds, the rest was followed to letter. Awesome!
I even got provolone cheese for them! And the best part was when my kid requested to cut it square, can you imagine?!
Thanks, Nami!
Hi Asa! Thank you so much for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback!
We are glad to hear you and your family enjoyed this dish.🤗
Hi Nami,
I made this just now for dinner and it is amazing 😋😋😋
I am Indonesian living in Mumbai, have lived in Tokyo for almost 4 years and keep coming back for your recipes 💗
Thank you 🙏
Hi Myra! Thank you so much for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback.
Nami and all of us at JOC are so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe and many other recipes.
We hope our website continues to inspire you!
Happy Cooking!🥰
Hi Nami
Can the patties be frozen after shaping? If so, do they have to be cooked longer?
Hi Lee, Thank you for reading Nami’s post and trying her recipe!
We do not recommend freezing the uncooked patties. If you need to freeze it, we recommend cooking it beforehand.
Please see the Hambagu recipe for instructions on how to keep the patties.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/hamburger-steak-hambagu/
We hope this helps!
I made this tonigh!!! Oishi! Oishi!!!! I have been watching Midnight Diner. My Japanese is coming back!! I could speak Japanese as a child. Starting kindergarten in 1971. My teacher told my mom to stop speaking Japanese to me. I lost it. It is coming back. My brain is remembering words and phrases.
Hi Della! That is wonderful! We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed the food and shows. It also helped bring back your Japanese!🤩
Thank you so much for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback!
For a slight twist, keep the patti round and mix in some rice (both for the inside of the patti and rolled over the outside). I have made them this way since I was a teenager after a mate’s mother taught me how to make them. We call them Porcupines. When cooked the rice on the surface expands out slightly looking bit like quills (ok you do need a bit of imagination😉).
Hi Steve, Thank you for sharing a different version of Nikomi Hambagu. It sounds very interesting.🙂
I wondering why you use chicken stock instead of beef stock for the gravy.
Hi KonaGirl, Thank you so much for reading Nami’s post and trying her recipe.
Nami used chicken stock over beef stock to get a lighter-colored sauce. It also adds more savory depth to the dish. 🙂
We hope this helps!
Made this tonight with a few modifications based on what was in the fridge (all beef – still tasty!), didn’t have mushrooms so will get them for next time, and we used cheddar…. Delicious! Can’t wait to try it with mushrooms in the sauce!
Hi Julia! Thank you so much for trying Nami’s recipe and sharing your cooking experience with us.
We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed Nikomi Hambargu! Yes! Please try with mushrooms next time!
This looks delicious. For those allergic to mushrooms what would you recommend?
Hi Esca! Thank you so much for reading Nami’s post and trying her recipe!
You can omit the mushrooms or add more onion instead.
We hope you enjoy Nikomi Hambagu!