Looking for a better burger? Ground mushrooms add incredible texture & umami flavor to a traditional patty. Best part? This Umami Burger recipe only has 4 ingredients!

What is an Umami Burger?
Umami (from Japanese) or savoriness, is one of the five basic tastes. Foods that have strong umami flavor include beef, shellfish, fish sauce, mushrooms, parmesan cheese, and soy sauce. It's often characterized as being earthy. Umami Burgers have been trendy in New York and Los Angeles for a while now. Our Umami Burger is made with ONLY 4 INGREDIENTS and topped cheese, pickled onions and a SPICY ASIAN SAUCE that makes it Umami rich!
Ingredients:
- GROUND BEEF: 12 ounces
- MUSHROOMS: 8 ounces mushrooms (we used crimini)
- EVERYTHING BAGEL SEASONING: 1 tablespoon
- GARLIC: 3 garlic cloves
How to make an Umami Burger:
- start by chopping mushrooms (by hand or in a food processor) until they resemble the size of rice.
- Pour mushroom mix over ground beef along with chopped garlic and Everything Bagel Seasoning. Mix together, trying to work beef as little as possible.
- Divide mixture into 4 equal patties and set in refrigerator until ready to cook.
- The burgers can be cooked either in skillet, on the stove, or on a char-grill.
- Cook burgers for 4-5 minutes on one side and flip burger and cook an additional 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow burger to rest for 2-3 minutes.
How to make Spicy Sauce:
- Combine ½ C Chili sauce, ¼ C Gochujang paste, ¼ C brown sugar, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder in small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes and then allow to cool.
How to build the burger:
- Place some of the sauce on the bottom of the hamburger buns.
- Add your burger (with cheese) and your favorite toppings (we like pickled onions, lettuce and tomato for optimal umami flavor).
Why this recipe works
This Umami Burger recipe has quickly moved to the top of my list of burger options. It's impossible to resist, combining fresh ground beef with ground mushrooms for a very tender (but firm) bite. The bagel seasoning and garlic help the flavors explode when you bite into it. Now for all you mushroom haters out there, I can tell you that you will not be able to see or taste them in the burger, I swear! The mushrooms work to give this burger an extra sense of tenderness and earthy flavor. The addition of the sweet and tangy sauce works perfectly with this blend.
I would challenge everyone to put this Umami Burger recipe on your menu for your next family cookout, even if you have to hide the fact that there are mushrooms involved. Some of our family members (who shall remain nameless) still have no idea they have been eating mushrooms for ages! I know that's not nice, but as a dad, you sometimes you have to work in the vegetables any way you can.
More burger recipes:
JERK TURKEY BURGERS WITH PINEAPPLE SLAW: a lean, flavorful burger that's not lean on flavor! Fresh pineapple slaw makes each bite savory and sweet.
HOT SAUSAGE BURGER WITH FIRE ROASTED TOMATO: when you're in the mood for something spicy, this sausage burger delivers! Made with Italian sausage, peppers and spices.
CAPRESE PORK SLIDERS: ground pork, fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil make these mini burger bites irresistible!
PrintUmami Burger recipe
Looking for a better burger? Ground mushrooms add the most incredible texture & flavor to a traditional patty. Grill up an Umami Burger tonight!
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 4 portions 1x
Ingredients
FOR THE BURGER:
- 12 oz ground beef
- 8 ounce mushrooms (we used crimini)
- 1 tbsp everything bagel seasoning
- 3 cloves garlic
FOR THE SAUCE:
- ½ C Chili sauce
- ¼ C Gojuchang paste
- ¼ C brown sugar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder.
Instructions
- Start by chopping mushrooms (by hand or in a food processor) until they resemble the size of rice.
- Pour mushroom mix over ground beef along with chopped garlic and bagel seasoning. Mix together, trying to work beef as little as possible.
- Divide mixture into 4 equal portions and set in refrigerator until ready to cook.
- To make the sauce, simply combine all ingredients in small saucepan and cook over medium low heat for 10-15 minutes and then allow to cool.
- The burgers can be cooked either in skillet, on the stove, or on a char-grill.
- Cook burgers for 4-5 minutes on one side and flip burger and cook an additional 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow burger to rest for 2-3 minutes.
- To build the burger, place some of the sauce on the bottom of the hamburger buns, add your burger and your favorite toppings and enjoy.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: Burgers & Sandwiches
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 oz burger
- Calories: 199
- Sugar: 4.7 g
- Sodium: 106.3 mg
- Fat: 5.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 9.6 g
- Protein: 29.1 g
- Cholesterol: 67.8 mg
Keywords: burger, mushroom, umami, alternative, tender, grill, grilling, cookout, meat
Matt - Total Feasts says
Burgers are also a staple in our household. My boys love a good beef burger, although we have tried to find some veggie alternatives (like beyond beef) they aren't quite the same! I love the idea of adding mushrooms to the mince, along with that sauce I can see why this burger is a hit!
★★★★★