I bought wagyu mince for the first time expecting it to taste like regular beef but better. It does not taste like regular beef at all, it tastes richer and almost buttery, and the high fat content means you have to cook it completely differently or you end up with a greasy mess.

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What Makes A Burger A Wagyu Burger

Wagyu beef comes from a specific breed of Japanese cattle that has intense marbling throughout the meat. That marbling is fat woven between the muscle fibres, and it is what gives wagyu its rich, almost sweet flavour and melt-in-your-mouth texture.

A wagyu burger uses ground wagyu beef instead of regular chuck or sirloin. The fat content is naturally higher, usually around 70/30, which means you do not need to add butter, egg, or Worcestershire sauce into the meat like you would with a classic burger.

Wagyu Burger Ingredients

450g (1 lb) ground wagyu beef
Flaky sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
30g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
2 sprigs fresh thyme
4 slices aged cheddar or Monterey Jack
4 brioche buns
Butter lettuce, sliced tomato, pickles

How To Make Gordon Ramsay Wagyu Burgers

Shape gently: Crumble the wagyu onto a board and form into 4 loose patties with as little pressure as possible, about 2cm (¾ inch) thick.
Dimple: Press your thumb into the centre of each patty to prevent puffing.
Season: Sprinkle both sides generously with flaky salt and cracked pepper right before cooking.
Heat the pan: Get a cast iron pan hot over medium-high heat, not smoking like a regular burger.
Sear: Place the patties in the dry pan (wagyu has enough fat) and cook for 3 to 4 minutes without touching.
Flip and baste: Flip once, add the butter, garlic, and thyme to the pan, and spoon the melted butter over the patties as they cook for another 3 minutes.
Add cheese: Lay a slice on each patty, cover the pan, and let it melt for 30 seconds.
Rest: Take the patties off the heat and let them rest for 3 minutes before building.
Build: Toast the brioche buns in the same pan, then assemble with lettuce, tomato, patty, and pickles.

Why You Cook Wagyu On Lower Heat

Regular burgers need a smoking hot pan because the 80/20 beef needs high heat to sear before the fat renders out. Wagyu has so much intramuscular fat that it starts rendering at a lower temperature, and if you blast it with too much heat, the fat melts out too fast and you end up with a dry patty sitting in a pool of grease.

I learnt this the hard way when my first wagyu burger was cooked on maximum heat like a smash burger, and it shrunk to half its size in 2 minutes. Medium-high is the sweet spot where you still get a crust but keep the fat inside the meat.

The Butter Baste That Finishes Everything

Ramsay butter-bastes wagyu burgers the same way he bastes a steak: butter, crushed garlic, and fresh thyme in the pan, then you tilt the pan and spoon the foaming butter over the patties as they finish cooking. It adds a layer of garlic and herb flavour to the outside of the patty.

This step takes 30 seconds and it is what separates a good wagyu burger from a great one. I use the same technique on my cast iron steak and it works just as well on a thick burger patty.

Is Wagyu Mince Worth The Price

Wagyu mince costs 3 to 4 times more than regular beef mince, so you need to decide if the difference matters to you. I save it for special occasions: a birthday dinner, a bank holiday barbecue, or when I want to impress someone with a simple meal that tastes expensive.

For weeknight burgers, regular 80/20 mince with the seasoning from our classic burger recipe is more than good enough. Wagyu is a treat, not a Tuesday.

How To Find Wagyu Mince In The UK

Most supermarkets do not stock wagyu mince, so you need to go to a specialist butcher or order online. Look for British wagyu, which is crossbred Wagyu cattle raised in the UK. It costs less than Japanese A5 wagyu but still has the marbling that makes this burger worth making.

I order mine from an online butcher and it arrives vacuum-sealed next day. It freezes well for up to 3 months if you buy in bulk, which brings the cost per burger down to something reasonable.

Ramsay’s Restaurant Blend vs Pure Wagyu

At Gordon Ramsay Burger in Las Vegas, the patty uses a blend of wagyu with brisket, chuck, and short rib for structure and depth. Pure wagyu mince on its own can be almost too rich, so the restaurant blend uses the wagyu for fat and flavour while the other cuts provide texture.

At home, I use pure wagyu because blending cuts requires a meat grinder and a trip to the butcher. If the richness feels overwhelming, serve it with sharp pickles and a peppery rocket salad to cut through the fat.

FAQs

Did Gordon Ramsay make the Burger King wagyu burger? Ramsay endorsed a wagyu burger for Burger King, but that is a fast food product using a blend of wagyu and regular beef. The home recipe on this page uses pure ground wagyu and a completely different cooking technique.
Can I use regular beef instead of wagyu? Yes, but you lose the richness that makes this recipe special. Use 80/20 beef mince and add the Worcestershire and Dijon from our classic burger to compensate for the lower fat content.
Can I cook a wagyu burger in an air fryer? I would not. The air fryer circulates hot air that dries the surface out, and you cannot butter-baste in an air fryer. Cast iron or a flat griddle are the only ways to do wagyu justice.

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Nutrition Facts

Per serving (1 wagyu burger with bun and cheese):

Calories: 650 kcal
Total Fat: 42g
Saturated Fat: 20g
Cholesterol: 120mg
Sodium: 580mg
Carbohydrates: 28g
Fibre: 1g
Sugars: 4g
Protein: 35g