Simple Korean Kimchi BBQ Burgers from Mastering the Art of Vegan Cooking + A Cookbook Giveaway! (2024)

46 Comments · June 26, 2015

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If this vegan simple korean kimchi BBQ burger isn't a delicious plant-poweredburger, I don't know what is...

This tall stack of saucy goodness istheSimple Korean Kimchi BBQ Burger from Mastering the Art of Vegan CookingbyAnnie and Dan Shannon.They're also the brilliant and compassionate minds behind the vegan blog Meet the Shannons.

Mastering the Art of Vegan Cooking contains over 200 thoughtfully-crafted vegan recipes, each equipped with a price estimate per meal as well as creative ways to repurpose leftover ingredients to get the most bang for your buck. Besides these burgers, which I already know I'll be making again and again, I'm looking forward to trying the Butternut Squash and Beer Poutine Party (Beer Poutine Party?? Can I come?), Chai Spice Cheesecake, and Ginger Plum Oatmeal... and about 196+ other recipes in the book.

Annie and Dan's lighthearted charm and wit is woven throughout each recipe in a way that feelsas if a longtime friend is standing beside me in the kitchen, both guiding my (sometimes clumsy)culinary craftand entertaining my spirit. I literallylaughed out loudat a point in the kimchi burger recipe when you're instructed to mix the burger "meat" with you hands, because just as I winced at the thought of manually combining veggie protein, molasses, and the like with my hands, I read the next line in the recipe...

"The molasses is really sticky, so this is kind of messy and weird, but it's totally worth it. Promise."

Dang, they're good. Providing that nudge of encouragement just when I was about to break the rules and bust out my mixing spoon.

Annie and Dan, you in here?

Wherever they are, theyclearly know what they're talking about, because that burger up there? It was effortless to make and came together in under 30 minutes. The recipe actually makes 4 burgers, but they looked and smelled so good that one of them didn't survive the 30-foot journey from kitchen to makeshift photography studio (aka the guest bedroom). And then there were three...

These Simple Korean Kimchi BBQ Burgers are hearty, tangy, and offer just the right amount of kick from a drizzle of sriracha that gets folded into the homemade BBQ sauce.Trust me when I say that they'reeven better than they look and rank within the top 3 best vegan burgers I've ever eaten. Yes,that good.

Be sure to checkoutthe recipe for the burgers below and scroll down to the very end of this post for a chance to win a copy of Mastering the Art of Vegan Cooking, which is also available for purchase here.

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4.67 from 3 votes

Simple Korean Kimchi BBQ Burgers

MAKES 4 BURGERS $2.68 PER SERVING Years ago, I had a vegan Korean BBQ burrito in Los Angeles. The burrito had jackfruit to replace the steak, and I still think about it when I’m figuring out what to have for lunch. Jackfruit is pretty pricey and hard to come by in Brooklyn, but whenever I get nostalgic for that burrito, I make these spectacular burgers. They combine the signature sweet Korean BBQ sauce with a “beefy” veggie burger and spicy kimchi (a sort of hot Korean sauerkraut usually made with napa cabbage, radishes, and green onions) to create a dinner just as good as those burritos. Plus, you’ll hopefully have some leftover kimchi as a side for lunch the next day.

Course Burger

Servings 4 burgers

Author Annie and Dan Shannon | Mastering the Art of Vegan Cooking

Ingredients

Burger

2 cups Lightlife Gimme Lean Burger or Match Vegan Meats Burger
1 green onion, diced
1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
½ teaspoon ginger paste
1 tablespoon soy sauce or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
Dash of vegan liquid smoke
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 clove garlic, minced

BBQ Sauce

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
2 tablespoons soy sauce or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
Dash of vegan liquid smoke
1 tablespoon Sriracha or Thai chili sauce
¼ cup applesauce
2 teaspoons agave nectar
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
¼ teaspoon ginger paste
1 clove garlic, minced

To Assemble:

2 tablespoons sesame oil
4 whole wheat hamburger buns
1 cup vegan kimchi (read labels to make sure yours is vegan; some contain fish sauce)

Instructions

Make the burger: In a large bowl, use your hands to mix together the vegan beef, green onion, molasses, ginger paste, soy sauce, vegan liquid smoke, onion powder, and garlic until blended. The molasses is really sticky, so this is kind of messy and weird, but it’s totally worth it. Promise.
Form the mixture into 4 patties about the size of your hand. Place them on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the BBQ sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together all the BBQ sauce ingredients. Set aside.
In a cast-iron skillet or frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil over medium heat. Working in batches, fry the burgers until lightly crispy around the edges, then reduce the heat to low and brush the burgers with BBQ sauce. Flip and coat the burgers a few times to get a nice saucy patty, but watch out for the hot oil. Repeat with the remaining burgers, adding the remaining oil after the first batch.
Toast the burger buns while the burger patties are cooking.
Serve each burger in a toasted bun with lots of kimchi on top.

Notes

*Adjustments: I omitted the liquid smoke because I didn't have it, used pure maple syrup instead of agave, and used whole wheat pretzel buns.
Excerpted from the book MASTERING THE ART OF VEGAN COOKING by Annie and Dan Shannon. © 2015 by Annie and Dan Shannon. Reprinted by permission of Grand Central Life and Style. All rights reserved.

Mastering the Art of Vegan Cooking Giveaway

One winner will receive a copy of Mastering the Art of Vegan Cooking. For a chance to win, simply enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below and comment on this post between June 26th and July 10th. Please note: this giveaway is only open to residents of the US and Canada.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Comments

lynsey | lynseylovesfood says
June 26, 2015 at 5:46 am
wow... that is a burger!! love the styling and lighting in these photos. xo
Reply
Gretchen Caldwell says
June 26, 2015 at 8:39 am
Those burgers sound delicious. I have been making jerk burgers for years with Gimme Lean. I'll definitely have to try this Korean burger next. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Reply
punkrockmartha says
June 26, 2015 at 11:22 am
i have the authors' previous cookbook, and i love it! thanks for the giveaway!
Reply
Christine says
June 26, 2015 at 2:12 pm
See Also
The Best Homemade Chorizo Pizza Recipes for a Viewing Party of "The Help"Margherita Pizza Dip (with Burrata).Where to Eat (and Drink) Well in ... Times Square
That burger looks delicious! Can't wait to give it a try!
Reply
Christina says
June 26, 2015 at 3:31 pm
I love all the creative recipes and beautiful pictures on your blog! Thank you for all sharing! Thanks also for the giveaway.
Reply
Ashley Chew says
June 26, 2015 at 4:04 pm
That looks amazing!!! Those ins look delicious!
Reply
Nita says
June 26, 2015 at 4:20 pm
That "burger" looks delicious. I would love to win the book. I'm still trying to win over the rest of my family to go meatless. I think they would enjoy these. Thanks for the give away.
Reply
Alison Small says
June 26, 2015 at 6:05 pm
These look delicious! I think I found my 4th of July BBQ meal for the family! Great giveaway too!
Reply
DJ says
June 26, 2015 at 8:54 pm
I love trying out new recipes and this looks like a great cookbook.
Reply
cristina says
June 26, 2015 at 11:45 pm
i need to find some yummy gf buns <3 gonna try this with the beyond meat brand of "meats"
Reply
Ali @ Chickpeas & Change says
June 27, 2015 at 6:09 am
I loved "Betty Goes Vegan," and am even more excited about this book!
Reply
Terri Cole says
June 27, 2015 at 12:56 pm
My husband and I are on a pretty tight budget. I like the fact that this book breaks down the cost of the meals. Also, it's very cool the way they give options for utilizing leftovers.
Reply
Karen D says
June 27, 2015 at 1:19 pm
I've pretty much 'mastered' vegetarian cooking. Due to recent changes in my family circ*mstances, I am trying to eat only plant based foods, so I need help to arrive at my 'destination'.
Reply
Shelley O says
June 27, 2015 at 3:43 pm
This book looks and sounds like just what I need! I am always trying to find new ways to save money on a vegan diet.
Reply
Stacey says
June 27, 2015 at 5:48 pm
I just became a stay at home mom this past Monday (terrifying) and we are sacrificing over half of our income by doing that. The subtitle stating "tips to save you money" hit me right where my heart is. Also, one of the most exciting parts of me making this transition is that I can finally be in full control of my children's diets for now (instead of worrying that daycare is bypassing the healthy packed lunches... Again). This cookbook would be an amazing guide and motivation to shop smart in our new lifestyle, but still for the best benefit of my family's health! And in the style I'm attracted to:)
Reply
Molly says
June 28, 2015 at 1:41 am
I would like to win a copy of this cookbook because those burgers look AMAZING
Reply
Amanda - Create N Plate says
June 28, 2015 at 6:22 am
Oh yum!! I can't wait to try this out!
Reply
Vickie Blotter says
June 28, 2015 at 8:20 am

Made the BBQ Sauce Saturday for a topping for some grilled vegetables. It was awesome.
Reply
See Also
Better Than Takeout Kung Pao Cauliflower.
Nichole Kraft, Food Writing Copyeditor says
June 28, 2015 at 3:39 pm
Wow, that sounds and looks delicious! I could see it making great meatballs for a potluck, as well. I love that the barbecue sauce uses applesauce instead of a bunch of plain ol' sugar. What a great idea!
Reply
Corrine says
June 28, 2015 at 8:24 pm
We are always looking for great vegan cookbooks!
Reply
Lydia Claire says
June 28, 2015 at 9:09 pm
I am building up my collection of vegan cookbooks and I love having a variety!
Reply
Steph says
June 29, 2015 at 8:18 pm
Need to cook more
Reply
Celeste Jackson says
June 29, 2015 at 9:25 pm

Yum!!! Look like the perfect fit for the 4th of July weekend menu!
Reply
Pedro says
June 30, 2015 at 3:47 pm

wow :p
They look delicious. I really want to win this book so i can do some nice recipes like this one's
Reply
Becca F says
June 30, 2015 at 11:58 pm
I collect vegan cookbooks and this looks like a wonderful addition to my collection
Reply
Tyneisha says
July 01, 2015 at 9:44 pm
I want to learn healthier cooking alternatives for my family, that's why I'd love to win!
Reply
Robeta says
July 02, 2015 at 3:58 am
I'm new to vegan cooking .It helps to have tried and true recipes to make for dinner.
Reply
Jacky says
July 02, 2015 at 10:04 am
Because I love trying new vegan cookbooks!
Reply
Suzanne C says
July 04, 2015 at 5:59 am
We became vegan in February, so I'm interested in any information on vegan cooking that I can get my hands on!
Reply
Rachel says
July 04, 2015 at 6:03 pm
I'd like to win because I need some new recipes!
Reply
Mary (The Godmother @ Goodie Godmother) says
July 07, 2015 at 5:35 am
These look delish! I'm always on the lookout for fun vegan recipes to try. Pinned for later!
Reply
sarah says
July 07, 2015 at 6:41 am
i collect cookbooks!
Reply
Shannon says
July 07, 2015 at 6:43 am
All of the recipes I've seen shared look delicious!!
Reply
Leena says
July 07, 2015 at 8:46 am
Wow, that does sound and look absolutely delicious! Also a vegan cook book would be a really nice summer read... ;)
Reply
Jenna says
July 07, 2015 at 11:43 am
Gorgeous colors on this burger! I haven't tried many Vegan recipes & I love trying new things! :)
Latest Post: http://galmeetsfood.com/chocolate-peanut-butter-cupcakes/
Reply
Nandu says
July 07, 2015 at 4:08 pm
Looks pretty awesome!
Reply
valerie sobus says
July 08, 2015 at 10:07 pm
i would LOVE to win because although i do enjoy cooking and am trying to work towards a vegan lifestyle (right now we eat vegan maybe 4 or 5 nights of the week) i need help/inspiration getting there! with being a new mom i don't have a lot of time to open up my laptop and browse blogs/pinterest for recipes. this would really come in handy i think :)
Reply
Sara says
July 09, 2015 at 3:48 pm
Looks great! Can't wait to try this cookbook as well!
Reply
Circus Gardener says
July 25, 2015 at 3:32 am
beautiful photography and a great recipe
Reply
- Ashley says
  July 28, 2015 at 6:52 pm
  Thanks so much! The recipe and book are really fantastic; I definitely recommend it!
  Reply
tunie says
December 12, 2015 at 4:25 pm
Those are not whole wheat buns, they look like pretzel buns - is that recipe in the book as well?!
Reply
- Ashley says
  December 12, 2015 at 4:28 pm
  You're right -- they are pretzel buns! Their recipe calls for whole wheat buns, but I used pretzel because that's what I had on hand. No bun recipes in the book from what I can recall.
  Reply
Catherine says
May 20, 2016 at 9:56 am
I simply CANNOT wait to make these!! Are those buns in the pix our Wegmans pretzel rolls?
Reply
- Ashley says
  May 20, 2016 at 10:34 am
  Hi, Catherine! The rolls are Pretzilla brand (from Whole Foods).
  Reply
Lacey says
February 25, 2018 at 12:22 pm
This looks super yummy, however I would recommend homemade kimchi (pretty easy to make with some planning) and also instead of the hot sauces suggested using the korean gochujang. The korean version is, in my opinion, much better and totally characteristic of korean cuisine. The pepper is not too spicy but it also has a deep, rich, sweet flavor profile. Def worth a trip to the korean market!
Reply
- Ashley says
  February 25, 2018 at 5:15 pm
  Thanks for the tips and ideas, Lacey!
  Reply