Rice burgers are hamburger-like sandwiches made with molded and grilled rice buns instead of regular bread buns. The grilled rice is seasoned and browned just like Yaki Onigiri (grilled rice balls), and the beef patty is replaced with Yakiniku (grilled beef slices). Rice burgers offer a unique texture and more traditional Japanese flavor, appealing to both young and old in Japan since the 1980s.
Many of you may not be familiar with rice burgers because they are most likely not available at restaurants in the US, although they’ve been popular in Japan for several decades. Rice burgers were first invented by the Japanese fast-food chain MOS Burger in 1987, and they became an instant hit. At that time, American hamburger chains were widespread and popular in Japan too, but the innovative use of rice as burger buns was new and brilliant, quickly gaining popularity among the Japanese public. Because any Japanese dish can be compatible with the new “buns,” the combination possibilities are endless. MOS Burger has continually reinvented interesting flavors with fillings over the years, like Kinpira Gobo, Kakiage Tempura, and many more. Today, rice burgers have become a staple in Japanese food culture and continue to be enjoyed by many people
Unfortunately, there’s no MOS Burger in the US, so we can’t enjoy their rice burgers here. However, we tried to recreate them in our kitchen, and we think we did pretty well. They are not too fussy, simply seasoned, and delicious! Once you master the rice buns, you can replace the beef with different Japanese dishes of your choice, such as Beef Shogayaki or Tonkatsu. It’s a fun dish to cook and serve to people. Next time you’re planning to make hamburgers for your family and friends, try rice burgers instead. They will be surprised by these Japanese-style burgers. We hope you give them a try!
Rice Burger
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Ingredients
Rice Buns
- 2 cups steamed rice
- 2 tsp Katakuriko potato starch
- 1 Tbsp oil
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
Fillings
- 7 oz beef very thinly sliced
- 1/2 Tbsp oil
- 2 Tbsp Yakiniku sauce or store bought sauce
- 2 green leafy lettuce
Instructions
- Mix steamed rice and Katakuriko potato starch in a bowl. Divide the rice into 4 parts. Wrap each portion of rice with a sheet of plastic wrap and shape it into a 4" (10 cm) round flat patty.
- Heat a frying pan with 1 Tbsp oil over medium heat. Place the rice patties in the pan and cook for a few minutes on one side. Then, flip them over and lightly dab soy sauce on the surfaces of the patties. Continue cooking for a few more minutes, then flip them over again and dab soy sauce on the other sides. Cook until the patties are nicely browned on both sides, then remove them from the heat.
- While the rice patties are cooking, cut the sliced beef into bite-sized pieces. Heat 1/2 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan, then stir-fry the beef for a couple of minutes until it starts to brown. Add yakiniku sauce to the pan and continue cooking until the meat is coated with the sauce and the liquid has almost evaporated.
- Place one rice patty on a plate, then layer it with a piece of lettuce and half of the cooked beef. Top it with another rice patty to create a sandwich-like structure. Repeat this process to make another rice patty sandwich.
