Make your best burgers ever with my Wagyu burger recipe and you may never want another kind of burger again!
Go the extra mile next burger night with this amazing Wagyu burger recipe. I’m showing you how to season the beef for great flavor without overworking the meat. This burger is all about keeping it simple and cooking it perfectly to let that special Wagyu ground beef be the star.
Scroll down to read more about how it all comes together or click here to jump straight down to the recipe.

What Is Wagyu Beef?
Wagyu, meaning Japanese cow, refers to beef from specific breeds of cattle that is known for its rich marbling and buttery taste. There are four different breeds of Wagyu cattle designated in Japan, where the most expensive Wagyu beef comes from.
You can find more affordable options with American wagyu beef, which is usually from Wagyu cows crossed with Angus, and Australian wagyu which is crossbred with Holstein cattle. These versions are still excellent, high quality beef with rich flavor but are less likely to break the bank.
How To Season Ground Beef
The key to seasoning ground beef, especially high quality meat like Wagyu, is to handle it as little as possible. Too much handling when seasoning and forming the patties can lead to a tough texture in the final burger because all the threads of meat are getting squashed and smooshed.
Some people form their patties and then season the outsides. This helps with the process because you’re not needing to mix the seasonings in. However, this means that the insides of the burger patties don’t have seasoning. This therefore works best when your patties are fairly thin (1/4″ thick). I’ve therefore developed a better method for when I’m making thick, juicy burgers and I want them seasoned inside and out.
Here’s what you do: Gently break the raw ground beef up into medium crumbles onto a small sheet pan and arrange it in a single layer, handling it as little as possible. You then sprinkle your seasonings over the crumbled beef and toss it gently to distribute the seasoning. You see, this gets you a nice even seasoning across all the meat, without requiring that you mix it and break it all up. From here you can form your burger patties, once again making sure not to work it too much.

Another way to do this is to partially freeze the meat, so that it’s cold but can still easily be broken apart and mixed with your hands. You can add this cold ground beef to a bowl, breaking it apart, seasoning and tossing to combine, and finally forming the patties.
Video: Tips For The Best Burgers
How To Cook Wagyu Beef Burgers
I love to cook these Wagyu burger patties in a cast-iron pan on the stove. It’s convenient for me and provides amazing results. You can absolutely cook these burgers on the grill though if you prefer. The process will be the same and it will take about six minutes on each side over medium heat with either method.
What Goes On A Wagyu Burger?
For me, keeping it simple is key so the amazing beefy flavor really comes through in every bite. I’m not going to tell you that you can’t pile on caramelized onions and mushrooms or bacon and blue cheese, but personally, I like to save those special toppings for when I’m using regular ground beef.
I keep my Wagyu burgers pretty classic with melted Cheddar cheese along with lettuce and tomato, and often a slice or two of dill pickle, on a brioche bun, along with just one condiment, usually mustard. Although, lately, it’s been delicious homemade burger sauce!
More Fantastic Burger Recipes
Can’t get enough variety for burger night? Try some of my other great homemade burger recipes.
Podcast Episode About Making Wagyu Beef Burgers
Listen to me explain briefly about how to make these burgers, along with some other great tips, by clicking the play button below:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
Print
Wagyu Burger Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
Make your best burgers ever with my Wagyu burger recipe and you may never want another kind of burger again!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground wagyu beef
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 4 slices cheddar cheese
- Burger condiments like mayo, ketchup, mustard, relish
- 4 brioche burger buns, split
- 4 pieces leaf lettuce
- 1 large tomato, sliced thinly
Instructions
- With the goal of trying to handle the meat as little as possible so as to not make it tough, gently break the raw ground beef up into medium crumbles onto a small sheet pan. Arrange meat in a single layer.
- Sprinkle salt and onion powder evenly over crumbled beef.
- Using your hands, gently toss the beef to distribute the seasoning.
- Form mixture into four equal-sized patties, using as little pressure as possible to compact the beef while still having it hold together well.
- Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add beef patties and cook for 6 minutes on one side.
- Using a spatula, flip patties. Place 1 slice of cheese on top of each patty. Cook 6 minutes more for medium burgers.
- To build the burgers, spread any desired condiments onto buns. Then add one piece of lettuce and two slices of tomato to the bottom half of each bun. Place burger patty on top of tomatoes. Top with tops of buns.
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