Wagyu Burger

Make your best burgers ever with my Wagyu burger recipe and you may never want another kind of burger again!

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!

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