Step up your slider game with these mouthwatering Korean BBQ beef sliders. Tender juicy beef patties are topped with sweet Asian pear, sauteed kimchi, and pickled radish for one flavorful bite!
Jump to:
Watch how to make this
What makes this dish special
I'm one of those people who goes to Superbowl parties for the food. Since I don't watch sports, it's just a day for me to hang out with friends and eat junk food. Not a bad Sunday if I do say so myself. You'll find the typical chorizo and corn dip, hard shell tacos, and finger foods but this year I wanted to put together something special. Wanting to still make a dish that was finger-food related, I chose to create Korean BBQ beef sliders. These are not your typical sliders. With sauteed kimchi, fresh Asian pear, and quick-pickled radish, these are fancy fusion sliders done right!
There are several recipes for Korean BBQ beef sliders but this one is particularly special because of all of the toppings. Sure you can season the beef, throw it on some buns, and call it a day. But the pickled radish, scallion lime aioli, sauteed kimchi, and Asian pear make the burgers so much better.
Ingredients
- Ground beef: To stay true to Korean BBQ, I used ground beef for the patties.
- Brown sugar: Used to sweeten the burger patties, working with the soy sauce to season the beef.
- Soy sauce: Seasons the ground beef, adding salt and umami flavor.
- Kimchi: Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish made from fermented cabbage, seasoned with chili pepper, garlic, ginger, and other spices. You can find kimchi in most Asian markets.
- Radish: I used cherry belle radish for the pickled radish but you can also use breakfast radish, watermelon radish, or even daikon radish. The pickled radish adds a tangy and crunchy element to the burgers. If you dislike radish, substitute it with cucumber.
- Asian pear: The crisp pear adds a refreshing component to the sliders. These pears are less tart than European pears with a higher water content, resulting in a juicier pear.
- Slider buns: Use dinner rolls or Hawaiian sweet rolls for the slider buns.
Substitutions and variations
- Gluten-free: Use your favorite gluten-free buns and substitute soy sauce with gluten-free tamari. Also, make sure the kimchi you're using is gluten-free.
- Protein: You can substitute it with ground turkey, chicken, pork, or even a plant-based ground meat alternative for a vegetarian option.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Make toppings
Let's start by making the item that takes the longest, the pickled radish. It takes the longest because it needs to sit in the brine for at least 30 minutes but it's easy to prepare.
Combine sugar, and salt with rice vinegar and boiling water, stirring until the salt and sugar dissolve. If you don't have rice vinegar, you can use white distilled vinegar but the radish will be more tart.
Next, prepare the scallion lime aioli. Blend the ingredients in a Vitamix including mayonnaise, chopped scallions, lime juice, salt, and pepper, until smooth.
You can make the radishes and scallion lime aioli the day before, in fact, they'll taste better if left to pickle overnight.
Step 2: Season beef
Now let's move on to the burgers. The beef patties are seasoned similar to how you would marinate bulgogi, a popular Korean marinated beef dish. It's a little sweet, as are most Korean meats.
Combine ground beef with grated onion, brown sugar, soy sauce, black pepper, ginger, and garlic, until well combined. You can also switch up the ground beef and use any other type of ground meat or a combination of meats.
At this point, you can let the meat sit to marinate or shape the patties and cook immediately.
Step 3: Cook burgers
Divide the beef mixture into 8 patties, about ¼ cup each. Shape each portion into a flat disc, slightly larger than the size of the slider buns. The beef will shrink as it cooks so it's important to shape them slightly larger.
Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat and saute the chopped kimchi. Kimchi is delicious already but when you saute it, the pickled cabbage caramelizes and takes on a great depth of flavor. The raw intensity dulls and the kimchi becomes more savory. It's a wonderful pairing with Korean BBQ.
Remove the sauteed kimchi and wipe the pan clean. Then, lay the patties in an even layer in the same pan, giving them plenty of space in between. Continue to cook the patties until your desired degree of doneness.
Feel free to cook the patties on the grill for a smoky touch.
Step 4: Assemble sliders
Now that all the components are ready, it's time to put the sliders together. Toast the slider buns and top the bottom bun with scallion lime aioli, beef patty, thinly sliced Asian pear, sauteed kimchi, pickled radish, and extra scallion aioli.
If you're making these sliders for a large party, make all of the toppings ahead of time. You can also sear the beef patties and reheat them in the oven later.
Sometimes you're unsure if the flavors are going to work together but I knew these Korean BBQ beef sliders were going to be a hit. The juicy patties with salty kimchi, sour radish, herby aioli, and fresh pear are just meant to be. It's like enjoying Korean BBQ but in sandwich form!
Make-ahead and storage
- Make-ahead: The scallion lime aioli, sauteed kimchi, and pickled radish can be prepared the day before. You can also season the beef and form the patties ahead of time.
- Store: Keep leftover sliders in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If possible, store the toppings in separate containers.
Frequently asked questions
Absolutely, you can experiment with other ground meats such as turkey, chicken, or pork or use a mixture of ground meats.
If you're short on time, you can use store-bought pickled radish and scallion aioli instead of making them from scratch. However, making them at home allows you to customize the flavors to your liking and ensures freshness.
Yes, you can grill the beef patties on an outdoor grill or a grill pan for added smokiness and char. Just make sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly based on your preferred level of doneness.
Serving suggestions
Looking for dishes to serve with these sliders? Try these:
Recipe
Korean BBQ Beef Sliders
Ingredients
Pickled radish
- 3 medium radish
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons hot water
Scallion lime aioli
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 4 scallions chopped
- juice of ½ lime
- salt and pepper
Beef patties
- 1 pound ground beef
- ¼ cup grated onion
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Sauteed kimchi
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 cup kimchi chopped
Remaining ingredients
- 1 small Asian pear peeled, thinly sliced
- 8 slider buns or dinner rolls
Instructions
- Make the quick-pickled radish. Thinly slice radishes about 1/16-inch thick. Combine sugar with a pinch of salt, rice vinegar, and hot water, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Add the sliced radish and let sit for 30 minutes.
- Prepare the scallion lime aioli. Blend together mayonnaise with scallions, and the lime juice until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Make the beef patties. Combine ground beef with grated onion, minced garlic, minced ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, and black pepper in a large bowl. Shape the beef into 8 patties, about ¼ cup each.
- Heat a grill or saute pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and add chopped kimchi. Cook until the kimchi has caramelized, about 4-5 minutes. Remove the kimchi and keep warm.
- Wipe the pan clean and cook the beef patties until the desired degree of doneness.
- Assemble the sliders. Toast the slider buns and stack the bottom bun with scallion lime aioli, beef patty, sauteed kimchi, fresh Asian pear, pickled radish, and extra aioli. Serve immediately.
Tracy
Fantastic sliders! I skipped the pickled radish because I don't like radish but I loved the kimchi with the burgers. Definitely will make again!
Christine Ma
So glad you enjoyed them!