Hamburg Steak might not sound very Japanese, but it's become one of Japan's most popular home-cooked meals. Known simply as Hambāgu (ハンバーグ) here, it's an easy, satisfying cousin of the American hamburger that's more like a gourmet meatball, crafted with a medley of texture and flavor-enhancing ingredients. I've been eating these since I was a kid and tinkering with a recipe for most of my adult life, but today, I'm excited to share this recipe, a culmination of everything I've learned over the years. By employing some simple culinary tricks, the patties are tender yet satisfyingly meaty, and they'll flood your mouth with flavorful juices with each bite.
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Why My Recipe Works
- Coarsely grated onions and cabbage serve as a reservoir of flavorful juices that gush out when you bite into the hamburger steak. The vegetables also add natural sweetness and umami to the hamburger steaks, which boosts their flavor.
- Adding gelatin to ground meat is a classic trick used in many Western dishes like meatloaf or cabbage rolls, and the added collagen thickens the juices just enough so they don't all leak out while cooking.
- Using 100% lean ground beef gives the hamburger steaks a satisfying beefy flavor.
- By lightly mixing the ingredients, the meaty texture of the beef is preserved.
- Hamburg steak is traditionally served with a demi-glace sauce, but making a proper demi-glace is a 2-day undertaking. My easy sauce recipe uses the gelatin and beef juices left in the pan along with 4 pantry staples to create a restaurant quality homemade demi-glace sauce.
Ingredients
- Lean Ground Beef - Using lean ground beef (83% lean) ensures that your hamburger steaks are packed with a rich, beefy flavor and avoids the shrinkage that will happen if you use ground beef with a higher fat content. You can also use a blend of beef with ground pork, but I prefer 100% beef in my hamburg steak recipe.
- Onion - Grating a medium onion brings a sweet and savory foundation of flavor to Japanese hamburg steak, and they're a classic addition.
- Cabbage - Together with the onions, shredded cabbage acts as a reservoir of flavorful fluids, making these hamburger patties ridiculously juicy. Cabbage also contains a high concentration of amino acids, which boosts the umami in this recipe.
- Sake - The sake is used to steam the vegetables, but it's also loaded with amino acids, adding more depth of flavor to the hamburger mixture.
- Panko - Panko breadcrumbs, along with milk, form a panade, which helps prevent the protein in the beef from getting tough as it cooks.
- Mayonnaise - Mayo is an emulsion of oil and eggs along with some seasonings, and it's a great way to add richness to lean ground beef because it doesn't leak out of the patties as it cooks. Don't worry; you won't taste the mayo in the finished dish.
- Powdered Gelatin - This is one of the key ingredients for creating that juicy, melt-in-your-mouth texture. The collagen in gelatin helps thicken the juices coming from the beef and vegetables just enough so they don't leak out of the patties as they cook.
- Black Pepper - Black pepper and beef go together like bread and butter. I like using freshly cracked black pepper from a mill.
- Nutmeg - Nutmeg is the other spice I like to use in this because it introduces a warm, aromatic note that complements the savory elements of the beef.
- Red Wine - To make the flavorful sauce, red wine deglazes the pan and adds a robust, tangy depth to the sauce. You can substitute other beverages like white wine, beer, or sake. The alcohol evaporates as the sauce reduces, so you don't need to worry about getting anyone drunk.
- Ketchup - Ketchup brings sweetness and acidity to the tangy sauce, perfectly balancing the savory flavors of Japanese hamburg steak.
- Oyster Sauce - oyster sauce is a quick way to add rich umami flavor to the hamburger steak sauce that's reminiscent of demi-glace sauce.
- Worcestershire Sauce - Worcestershire sauce introduces a complex blend of tangy, savory, and spicy notes that contribute to the depth of flavor of this sweet and savory sauce.
How To Make Hamburg Steak
The first component of this Hamburg Steak recipe is a flavorful mixture of grated vegetables. Place a pan on a scale and use the large holes of a cheese grater to grate the onions and cabbage. I recommend using half a head for the cabbage as it won't fall apart as easily. Once grated, we'll mix in some sake and salt, then steam the mixture. This steaming process helps to soften the vegetables while preserving their natural juices. After steaming for 5 minutes, remove the lid and burn off any excess liquid. We want our veggies moist but not watery.
Once the vegetables have cooled to room temperature, we'll add the panko breadcrumbs, milk, mayonnaise, gelatin, black pepper, and nutmeg to create a panade. This is the key to my hamburg steak recipe as it adds juices from the vegetables, richness from the mayo, and tenderness from the panko and milk.
We're not aiming for a homogenous paste here; instead, we want a crumbly texture that will give our hamburger steak a tender bite.
Next, incorporate the ground beef into the panade, using chopsticks to gently marble the mixture. We're not aiming for a homogenous paste here; instead, we want a crumbly texture that will give our hamburger steak a tender bite while preserving the beef's meaty texture.
Divide the mixture into even portions and shape each into smooth, oval patties. Removing any air pockets from the patties is essential, or the hamburg steaks will crack and fall apart when you cook them. You can do this by slapping each patty on your opposite hand until the surface is smooth and free of creases.
Preheat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat and add vegetable oil. If you have a well-seasoned cast iron skillet, that could work; however, the patties are very soft and a little sticky, so I prefer using a non-stick pan to avoid any drama. Place the hamburg patties in the pan, leaving space between each one. Fry the patties until they develop a rich, brown crust on one side for approximately three minutes, then flip and brown the other for another two minutes.
With the patties nicely browned, add a third cup of water to the pan and cover it with a lid to create steam. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle steam, cooking the patties for another five to six minutes. This steaming step ensures that the hamburg steaks are cooked through while remaining tender and juicy. Once cooked, transfer the steaks to a plate and set them aside while you prepare the sauce.
Hamburg Steak Sauce
To make the sauce, deglaze the pan with red wine, reducing it until the alcohol has cooked off and the flavor has concentrated. Then, stir in ketchup, oyster sauce, and Worcestershire sauce, continuing to cook until the sauce becomes thick and glossy.
Finally, pour the flavorful sauce over your hamburg steaks and serve them hot.
What to Serve with Japanese Hamburg Steak
Although hamburg steak is considered yōshoku (Western Food) in Japan, it's usually served with a bowl of white rice. Japanese short-grain rice is perfect for absorbing the luscious sauce, and it's the perfect way to balance out the savory hamburger steak. For veggies, try a simple side salad with a tangy wafu (Japanese-style) dressing or some lightly steamed broccoli tossed with sesame oil and a sprinkle of furikake. Japanese potato salad is another typical side dish, and if you're feeling ambitious, Spaghetti Napolitan would be the last component of a traditional hambagu teishoku set.
📖 Recipe
Equipment
Units
Ingredients
for hamburg steak
for hamburg steak sauce
- ¼ cup red wine
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Put a pan on a scale and use the large holes of a cheese grater to grate in 150 grams onion, and 100 grams cabbage.
- Stir in 3 tablespoons sake and ½ teaspoon salt, then cover the pan with a lid. Bring the vegetable mixture to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat to low. Steam the vegetables for 5 minutes.
- When the vegetables are done steaming, open the lid and check to see if there's any liquid pooling at the bottom of the pan. If there is, continue cooking with the lid off until the excess liquid is gone (but the veggies are still juicy).
- Once no liquid remains, transfer the vegetables to a bowl and let them cool to room temperature.
- Make the panade by adding 30 grams panko, 3 tablespoons milk, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 10 grams powdered gelatin, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg to the bowl with the vegetables and stir well until the ingredients are distributed evenly.
- Add 500 grams lean ground beef, and use chopsticks to marble the panade between the pieces of ground beef. The mixture should be crumbly.
- Divide the mixture into 6 even portions and shape the hamburg patties by tossing each portion between your hands with enough force to remove any air pockets in the mixture.
- Once the patty is smooth and free of creases, gently shape it into an oval between your hands. Repeat with the remaining meat mixture.
- Preheat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the add 2 teaspoons vegetable oil to the pan and add the hamburg patties to the pan, leaving some space between each one (you may not be able to fit them all in the pan).
- Fry the meat patties until well browned on one side (about 3 minutes), then flip and brown on the other side (another 2 minutes).
- With a lid on standby, add ⅓ cup of water to the pan and quickly close the lid. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain a gentle stream of steam from the lid, and cook the patties for 5-6 minutes.
- When the hamburg steaks are done, transfer them to a plate.
- To make the hamburg steak sauce, add ¼ cup red wine to the pan and boil until it no longer smells like alcohol and it starts to thicken.
- Add 3 tablespoons ketchup, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, and 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, and boil the mixture while stirring until it forms a thick glossy sauce.
- Pour the sauce over the hamburg steaks and serve.
Nutrition Facts
FAQ
Hamburg steak traces its roots back to the bustling German port city of Hamburg, a major port through which many Northern European emigrants passed in the mid-19th century. As Germans settled in New York, restaurants began offering "Hamburg-style Steak" to cater to their tastes. This dish later evolved into two distinct American classics: Salisbury Steak, served with gravy, and the ubiquitous Hamburger, nestled in a bun.
The exact moment hamburg steak arrived in Japan remains a mystery, but its early Japanese name, "German Steak" (ジャーマンステーキ), offers a clue. It likely arrived in Japan through the United States or England following the Meiji Restoration in 1868, a pivotal period when Japan opened its doors to the world and embraced Western customs and cuisine. Western-style meat dishes gained popularity as attitudes towards meat consumption shifted, particularly in urban areas.
Initially confined to upscale Western-style restaurants known as Yōshokuyasan (洋食屋さん), Hambāgu Steak found its way into Japanese homes in the 1950s, thanks to advancements in food processing technologies. This transition from a restaurant favorite to a household staple solidified its place in Japanese cuisine. Today, hambāgu, as it's known in Japan, is the best-known example of yōshoku - Western-inspired Japanese cuisine - embodying the culinary fusion that characterizes much of modern Japanese cooking.
Hamburg Steak is a 6-syllable name pronounced as follows (read the italicized parts).
han like honk
ba like ball
gu like good
su like soup
te like tame
ki like key
hamburgertuesday says
Just to be sure--are you using a Japanese-style Worcestershire, like Bulldog? Lea & Perrins Worcestershire or equivalents you'd find in an average Western markets are pretty different.
Marc Matsumoto says
I use Lea & Perrins Worcestershire. The Japanese ones tend to be much more salty and sweet.
Anastasia says
Hi Marc! Can I substitute agar for gelatin? And if so, what would the conversion be?
If I don’t have gelatin on hand, would you recommend adding tofu? I made that version before and loved it, but unsure how that will work with this version. Thank you so much!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Anastasia, I would not recommend it. Agar has a melting point above 180°F which is much hotter than you'll want to cook the hamburg steaks so you likely won't see the benefits and it may add a weird texture. If you chill it and then try and reheat it you'll need to get it very hot again to remelt the agar.
Katie B. says
Delicious!! I made mine with stuffed cheese and took it to another level. I used 80/20 beef and will try adding some ginger powder and chopped scallions next time to cut out the beefyness for my taste.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Katie, I'm happy to hear you enjoyed this! Great call stuffing with cheese! We call it "cheese-in hambāgu" here in Japan.
Lea says
So tasty and moist! I used 80% lean so the meat was a bit too tender, but that was ok. Thanks so much!
Marc Matsumoto says
I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for dropping by to let me know!
Wesley says
Hey Marc! Is this the third version of your ハンバーグ? I've been making mine from your recipe for a few years, and I'm sure they used to have silken tofu. What's the advantage of taking that out, and also the advantage of adding the cabbage. Very curious to try the new recipe though! 🙂
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Wesley, to be honest I've lost count 😅 It's one of those recipes I make regularly for my family so it's evolved over the years. This is hands down the best version yet as it is extremely juicy and flavorful. I still use tofu from time to time as it keeps the patties tender (and it makes it more economical here in Japan where ground beef costs a fortune), but it does water down the beef flavor. As for the cabbage, it's explained in the video and headnotes but it adds juices to the patty while also adding umami (cabbage is rich in amino acids).
Oksana says
Hello Marc!
This recioe looks super unteresting! Just a question: is it possible to use Tapioca insted of Gelatine? I could find it in the store but I wourl like to make it tonight:)) Can not wait:))))
Thank you!!!!
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks Oksana! Tapioca is a starch and will thicken the meat juices in a different way (it will end up more thick and pasty than juicy). I would just leave the gelatine out rather than substitute it for a starch.
Linda says
Please tell me how to choose a sake for cooking.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Linda, I've written a post about this you can check out here: https://norecipes.com/what-is-sake/ . You can also always click the links in the recipe card to learn more about an unfamiliar ingredient.
Agnes says
I really appreciated reading the history and background of it! Also found it helpful that you mentioned that it could be used with all beef instead of part pork as I only have ground beef in my fridge. That’s very pricey in Japan - here in Canada beef is often on sale for 5$ a pound! But that explains the extreme demands and waste of the slaughter industry - it’s own topic.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Agnes, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed learning about the background of this dish. Having context always helps me better understand the foods I cook, which is why I try that pass that information on. I hope you're having a wonderful holiday season!
Clara says
This looks amazing, can't wait to try it! Any suggestions on substitutes for oyster sauce for those with shellfish allergies?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Clara, you can halve the amount and use soy sauce instead. I hope you enjoy it!
Destiny J says
What if you can't get tofu? 1. My local store seems to always be out of stock. 2. I'm actually allergic to tofu (I would use tofu in the others for the rest of the family) I'm just not sure if it can be omitted without compromising the integrity of the food.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Destiny, the tofu is added to keep the patties tender, but you can substitute it with ricotta. I also have a version of this made with cream cheese here: https://norecipes.com/hamburger-steak-teriyaki/
Colette says
I have seen other recepies that use ground pork instead of tofu.
Cindy says
I made this today, and it was delicious! Thank you very much for the recipe! I substituted ground-up soybeans that I had leftover from making soymilk (okara) for the tofu and it worked very well. I appreciate the weight measures very much. I didn't have red wine, so I substituted beef broth mixed with a little mirin and it was quite tasty.
PS-- I have tried several of your other recipes, all with great success. 🙂
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Cindy, I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed this. Great idea using okra, it adds a bunch of fiber to the patties too! Also good idea subbing beef broth and mirin, I bet it tasted great! Thank so much for taking the time to leave a comment.
Kelvin says
This is a great recipe! Perfect for those looking to meal prep and make a batch. They're very tender with the tofu - they can be hard to handle as a result but that's the tradeoff with this texture. I'd suggest using an enameled dutch oven to get a balance of caramelization and fond at the bottom of the pot without it sticking too much. Thanks for the recipe Marc!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Kelvin, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed this! Yes, the mixture does tend to be a little soft, but as you mentioned this is you get the tender texture once they're cooked. Great idea using enameled cast iron. That will definitely give you more fond, but the pan needs to be very hot to prevent sticking, so I usually recommend most people use non-stick to be on the safe side.
Umar says
Hi, is there a non-alcoholic substitute for the red wine I could possibly use?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Umar, the alcohol in the wine evaporates as you reduce the sauce, but you could use some kind of stock, or water to deglaze the pan instead of wine. It's obviously not going to taste the same, but it should still be tasty
Emily K says
Hi
I saved this recipe many years ago. I never printed it out just always came back to your website. I noticed the website changed the recipe. Can you tell me if the ingredients were changed as well? Thank you!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Emily, yes there were some minor changes, mainly to simplify the recipe a bit and to make a bit more sauce. If you want the original please email me via the contact form and I'll send you a copy.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Giftz, you can use something like tomato juice which will both be a source of liquid and flavor. As you might imagine it's not going to taste exactly the same, but that's the tradeoff you'll need to make.
Giftz says
Non alcoholic replacement for wine?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Kat, sorry to hear yours fell apart. They are a bit difficult to handle when raw and require a delicate touch. You could also try browning them in the oven, so you don't need to flip them over until they're cooked through.
Kat C says
Mine fell apart 🙁 but tasted great.
Liam Toye says
You mis-transliterated "burger" and you also spelled "german" wrong
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Jojo, not at all, a brown gravy would make it more like salisbury steak (which isn't a bad thing at all).
JoJo McColley says
Would it be dreadful if I used brown gravy instead of the wine sauce? Trying to get my dad to try different things slowly lol
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Aulia, you can substitute beef stock or water. As for people with kids, the alcohol burns off during cooking, so it is safe for kids to eat.
Aulia Syifa Rodhiya says
Hello Marc,
I'm very interested in this and thinking of making it to my whole family 😀
But according to our belief, we cannot eat anything with wine or any alcoholic drink in it. Is there anything you'd recommend to substitute the wine?
I think people with kids will appreciate it too. Thank you 🙂
lisa korney says
A bit of balsamic vinegar would have the sweet tang and flavor ... use less than the wine, maybe try one spoonful
Rachel Page says
I made this tonight and served it with a side of mashed potatoes. It was just great!
Vinny says
Marc youre a genius. This was amazing and definitely a keeper. Thanks for sharing
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Ryan, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it! If you get a chance, give it a try with the tofu. I promise it doesn't make it taste like tofu and it makes the patties melt-in-your-mouth tender. You can also use ricotta to achieve a similar effect if you're allergic to soy.
Ryan Smithyman says
tried it couple days ago and loved it, i did change tofu for ground pork and was juicy and tender, left over uncooked meat was used next day for meatballs in a tomato sauce. great recipe thank you marc
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Annie, so glad to hear you've been enjoying it! You could make the sauce ahead of time, but the problem is that the sauce get's its flavor from the brown fond the patties leave behind in the pan, so it's not going to taste as good unless you make the patties ahead of time as well, which you could certainly do. This isn't one of those dishes that gets better with time, so it tastes best when freshly made, but I often like having leftovers the next day in sandwiches, so there's certainly nothing wrong with preparing it ahead of time and reheating.
AnnieB says
This recipe is really amazing, I have been making this many times now and it's delicious! I think using tonkatsu give the sauce a little more oomph than Worceistershire sauce, but it is a little harder to find. I had to go to a Japanese market to find it, but totally worth the trip!
I do have a question: Can I make the sauce before hand and put it in the fridge for later use? Or will that diminish the flavors/texture?
Thank you so much for this recipe again!
Alex says
I tried this with a large pan full, the flavor turned out the same, but like you said, some of them ended up bun-like. I cooked a small batch using ground pork and a chicken demiglace for a person who doesn't eat beef, that one turned out too.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Alex, I'll often do this when I'm cooking a large quantity. It works pretty well with the only drawback being that the shape tends to get more bun like when you do it this way.
Alex says
I don't know if this would work, but you might try putting it in a food processor or blender with a small amount of water and pulsing it a few times. The tofu has to be broken up anyway. Just don't go overboard and liquify it.
Alex says
I'm going to be making this recipe for the third time. I was thinking of baking or broiling them in a glass pan instead of on the stovetop. Is there any reason that I shouldn't?
Alex says
No, all these ingredients are part of the patty.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Charlie, I'm not usually a huge meatloaf fan either, but if moist and tender is what you're looking for, try my meatloaf recipe https://norecipes.com/recipe/best-meatloaf-recipe/
These Hambāgu are moist and tender, but not as tender as my meatloaf since they need to retain their shape in the pan. The meatloaf on the other hand just needs to be firm to not flow all over the pan, so it's going to be more tender.