The other day I woke up with a strong craving for a Taiwanese breakfast burger. I used to order this burger all the time in Taiwan but there is nowhere to buy them in Los Angeles. How is this possible?! Taiwanese breakfast burgers are so unique and delicious; they should be more accessible! They are even difficult to purchase at the one bakery because they sell out so quickly. Disappointed at this realization, I have no choice but to make my own. With a sweet beef patty, Canadian bacon, fried egg, cucumbers, tomatoes, Japanese mayo, and a soft bun, you really can't go wrong.
Taiwanese Breakfast Burger
Ingredients
Patties
- 1 lb ground beef
- ½ cup grated carrots
- ½ cup grated onion
- 1 ½ tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon corn starch
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Chinese 5 spice powder
- salt to taste
- rice flour for dusting
- ½ tablespoon oil
- ½ tablespoon butter
Remaining ingredients
- 8 slices Canadian bacon
- 4 large eggs
- ¼ cup Japanese mayo Kewpie
- ¼ cup ketchup
- romaine lettuce
- 2 to matoes sliced
- ¼ cup thinly sliced cucumber
- 4 hamburger buns
Instructions
- Make the patties. Combine 1 lb ground beef with ½ cup shredded carrots, ½ cup grated onion, 1 ½ tablespoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoon corn starch, ¼ teaspoon corn starch, ¼ teaspoon Chinese 5 spice powder, and salt in a large bowl. Mix until all the ingredients are fully incorporated. Shape patties into 4 equal patties and chill for 30 minutes.
- Dust both sides of patties with rice flour, shaking off excess.
- Heat oil and butter in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the patties to the pan and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Flip over and cook on the other side until cooked, about 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and repeat with remaining patties. Set aside and keep warm.
- In the same pan, add the Canadian bacon and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Wipe pan clean with paper towel. Heat 1 tablespoon oil. Crack eggs into the pan and fry until the desired degree of doneness. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Assemble burgers by spreading the Japanese mayo and ketchup on both the top and bottom buns. Place a piece of lettuce on the bottom bun followed by the tomatoes, cucumber, beef patty, bacon, fried egg. Top with remaining bun. Serve.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
When you read "Taiwanese burger" you're probably wondering, "what makes this so different than any other burger?" It's all about the seasoning. Grated carrots and onions, soy sauce, and Chinese five-spice all help flavor the patties.
Chilling the patties helps them keep their shape since the mixture is pretty loose. In Taiwan, you can see vendors pull out the patty straight from the freezer straight onto the grill.
Right before cooking, dust the patties with rice flour to help caramelize them while they're cooking.
While the patties are chilling, make the toppings. Typically, Taiwanese breakfast burgers are topped with lettuce, tomato, and cucumbers. It may seem odd to have cucumbers in a burger but somehow, it works!
For the condiments, we are going to use ketchup and Japanese mayo aka Kewpie. If you can't find kewpie, make it at home by combining ¼ cup mayo with 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, and ½ teaspoon salt.
Cook the patties, pan-fry the Canadian bacon and fry up the eggs. Normally the eggs are cooked all the way but I like mine a little runny. Do what you like, it's your burger! Assemble the burger, inhale, and take a big bite out of that bad boy.
This Taiwanese breakfast burger was exactly what I wanted. The meat is slightly sweet just as it should be and the size of the patty is consistent with those sold in the bakeries. The only difference between my version and the authentic ones is the bread. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a bun that was soft enough; perhaps I just have to make my own buns next time. Other than that, I would have to say that my mouth and my stomach is quite satisfied!
For more burger inspiration check out this smoky cilantro salmon burger!
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