10 recipes and 10 secrets for amazing burgers

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Burgers are a great solution for a party or a party, and they are delicious as hell! Today you will learn how to cook great burgers and learn ten life hacks that will help you become the best at this business.

Secrets of the perfect burger

A real burger is far from fast food. This is a dish with its own canons, where there is considerable scope for culinary imagination. Follow these guidelines and your burgers will be perfect.

1. Only cook with fresh meat. Marbled beef works best for the burger, but other meats can be used as well. It is only important to maintain the ratio: 80% meat to 20% fat (800 grams of meat - 200 grams of fat).
2. Don't buy ready-made minced meat. It is not known who, how and from what made it. Grind the meat yourself, but not too much: the minced meat for burgers should be textured.
3. Knead the minced meat with your hands. You can even throw it on a board or table. This will distribute the fat, herbs, spices and other ingredients added to the meat evenly and make the mixture more fluffy. To prevent the minced meat from sticking to your hands, soak them in cold water.
4. To ensure that all burger patties are the same shape and mass, shape them with a cooking ring or use a lid from a large jar. Shallow plastic containers will also work. The main thing is that the cutlet is no thicker than one and a half centimeters and weighs about 200 grams. And don't forget to make a groove in the center!
5. Try to keep the burger patties slightly larger than the buns. Then the meat is fried to the desired size.
6. Keep the patties in the refrigerator while you prepare the sauce and chop the rest of the ingredients. When warm, the fat in the minced meat will begin to melt faster than it will be on the grill, which means that the burger will turn out dry.
7. Salt the burger patties just before frying. If you add salt directly to the minced meat, sodium chloride will begin to break down protein bonds, and the meat will acquire a dense sausage-like texture. The burger won't be juicy.
8. Don't flip the patties too often. The less you touch them, the juicier they become. First roast the meat in a direct heat zone and then move to the edge of the grill. While frying, lightly press down on the cutlet with a spatula. For medium-frying, six minutes are enough. Readiness can be determined with a special thermometer: the temperature inside the cutlet must be at least 70 ° C.
9. Collect your burger the right way. First, the sauce (on both halves of the roll), then lettuce (on the lower, smaller half) and, finally, the cutlet. This will prevent the bread from getting wet ahead of time.
10. Put your knife and fork aside - eat the burger with your hands! With both hands. Press it down well, turn it upside down (so the contents will not fall out) and enjoy the yummy with a juicy cutlet.

Below you will find burger recipes for every taste: both traditional with beef and various variations with pork, turkey, fish and seafood.

With chimichurri sauce

Ingredients

For the burger:

• 1 kg of ground beef;
• 6 buns with sesame seeds;
• 6 slices of smoked gouda cheese;
• 1 red onion;
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

For the sauce:

• fresh parsley;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• 2 tablespoons chopped oregano leaves
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper;
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes.

Preparation

Chop a few bunches of parsley and garlic and mix with the rest of the sauce. Mix thoroughly.

Shape the patties, season with salt and pepper and grill. A few seconds before cooking, put cheese on the cutlets to melt.

Place patty on lightly toasted buns, top with chimichurri sauce and add red onion rings.

With salmon, lemon and dill

Ingredients

• 1 kg salmon fillet;
• ½ cup bread crumbs;
• 4 sesame buns;
• 4 radishes;
• 2 egg whites;
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
• 2 tablespoons Veracha sauce
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• ½ teaspoon salt;
• arugula;
• tzatziki sauce.

Preparation

This is a fishcake burger - a fishburger. Pass three quarters of salmon fillets (boneless and skinless) through a meat grinder, cut the rest into small cubes. Combine with egg whites, mustard, breadcrumbs, lemon zest, salt, dill and Veracha sauce. If the latter is not on hand, use any other hot tomato sauce.

Shape the patties and grill (about five minutes on each side). You can also fry the cutlets in a pan in olive oil.

Heat the buns on the grill and place the cooked patties on top of them. Top with the radish cut into rings, arugula and top with the tzatziki sauce.

Three cheeses

Ingredients

• 200 g ground beef;
• 1 bun with sesame seeds;
• 1 small tomato;
• 1 slice each of mozzarella, cheddar and emmental;
• Romano salad;
• homemade mayonnaise;
• fries onions;
• salt to taste.

Preparation

The specified amount of ingredients is enough for one burger.

After shaping and salting the cutlet, grill it. When it's almost done, place a slice of mozzarella, cheddar and emmental on top: the cheese should melt. Take the time to remove the cutlets from the heat before the cheese starts bubbling and flowing.

Build a burger: Brush grilled buns with homemade mayonnaise, romano lettuce, tomato slices, and then a cutlet. Finish with fried onions.

(Onion fries are the same as French fries, only in this case onions are deep-fried.)

With pork and mango

Ingredients

• 1 kg of minced pork;
• burger buns;
• 2 jalapeno peppers;
• 1 small shallots;
• 1 small red onion;
• 1 small mango;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, minced;
• 1 tablespoon cane sugar
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon salt;
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme;
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes;
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• lettuce leaves.

Preparation

Add chopped peppers (don't forget to remove the seeds), shallots and garlic to the ground pork, as well as cane sugar, soy sauce, lime juice, cloves, thyme, red pepper and cinnamon. Mix everything thoroughly. Shape the patties (about six). Fry them in olive oil in a skillet or grill.

Cut the mango pulp and red onion into cubes, add chopped cilantro and salt. Mix thoroughly.

Put together a burger: bun - lettuce - cutlet - spoonful of mango salsa - bun.

With blueberry sauce and brie

Ingredients

For the burger:

• 500 g ground beef;
• 4 burger buns;
• 4 slices of bacon;
• 4 slices of brie cheese
• 1 bowl of chopped arugula
• 1 clove of garlic;
• 2 tablespoons of onion powder
• 1 tablespoon chopped herbs (such as sage and thyme)
• salt and pepper to taste.

For the sauce:

• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
• 1 ½ tablespoon cane sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 clove of garlic;
• a drop of Worcestershire sauce.

Preparation

Let's start with the sauce. To prepare it, combine the indicated ingredients (rinse blueberries, peel and chop garlic) in a small saucepan and put on low heat. After boiling, cook for 15 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Combine minced meat with minced garlic, onion powder and herbs. Shape the patties and grill them, pepper and salt each just before. Also grill the bacon.

Buns can be either store-bought or cooked with your own hands. Read how to bake versatile burger buns here.

Place a slice of brie cheese on each patty half a minute until tender. Put the finished cutlets and bacon slices on the buns, top with the blueberry sauce and garnish with arugula.

With turkey and vegetables

Ingredients

• 1 ½ kg ground turkey;
• ¼ glasses of bread crumbs;
• ¼ glasses of chopped onions;
• ¼ cups fresh chopped parsley;
• 2 egg whites;
• 1 clove of garlic;
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper;
• baked vegetables (eggplant, peppers, tomatoes);
• pesto sauce;
• burgers buns.

Preparation

Combine minced meat, crackers, onions, parsley, salt, pepper, chopped garlic and egg whites. With this amount of ingredients, you will get about 12 cutlets. They and vegetables should be grilled (about 7 minutes on each side, eggplants, peppers, tomatoes - less).

Brush the buns with the pesto sauce, place the cutlets and baked vegetables on top of the buns.

Taco burger

Ingredients

• 1.4 kg ground beef;
• 8 burger buns;
• 8 slices of cheddar cheese;
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin;
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• corn chips;
• guacamole;
• salsa sauce;
• sour cream;
• lettuce leaves (optional).

Preparation

Mix the minced meat with salt, chili, caraway seeds, oregano and immediately fry the patties (if you do it in the oven, set the temperature sensor to 150 ° C and cook for 15–20 minutes).

Guacamole is a Mexican snack made from avocado pulp. You can buy it in the store or prepare it yourself. Grease buns with it, put cutlets and cheese on top. Add lettuce leaves if desired.

Drizzle with salsa sauce and sour cream, sprinkle with lightly chopped corn (if not potato) chips. The burger is ready.

With shrimps and aioli sauce

Ingredients

• 300 g shrimp;
• 100 ml of olive oil;
• 4 burger buns;
• 1 tomato;
• 1 cucumber;
• 1 red onion;
• 1 egg yolk;
• 1 clove of garlic;
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon of mustard;
• lettuce and parsley;
• salt to taste.

Preparation

Aioli is a popular Mediterranean garlic and olive oil sauce. To make it, combine egg yolk, minced garlic, salt and mustard. Pound until smooth and, without ceasing to stir, pour in the olive oil a little at a time. When the consistency of the sauce is like mayonnaise, add the lemon juice. Stir again thoroughly.

Spread the aioli sauce over the grilled buns, then place on them a leaf of lettuce, a slice of tomato, a cucumber and a couple of onion rings. The final layer should be peeled and grilled shrimp.

With dried apricots

Ingredients

• 450 g ground beef;
• 80 g dried apricots;
• 4 burger buns;
• 1 onion;
• 1 clove of garlic;
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon cilantro, minced
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander;
• lettuce salad;
• salt to taste.

Preparation

Cut half the onion into rings and finely chop the other half. Also chop the garlic and dried apricots. Combine these ingredients with minced meat, soy sauce, cilantro, coriander, salt and pepper. Shape the patties and sauté them in olive oil.

Place lettuce leaves, cutlets and onion rings on top of the buns.

Hawaiian

Ingredients

• 1 kg of ground beef;
• sesame buns;
• mushrooms (champignons or porcini);
• 1 pineapple;
• 2 tablespoons of butter;
• ½ cup teriyaki sauce;
• Romano salad;
• salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation

Rinse, cut into thin slices, salt, pepper and fry the mushrooms in butter.

Shape and grill the patties. Do not forget to salt and pepper them before this.

Peel the pineapple and cut into rings. Grill it until the characteristic stripes remain. Also lightly grill the buns.

Pour teriyaki sauce over the buns (read how to make it here), place cutlets, mushrooms and pineapple slices on top of them. Pour the sauce generously again and garnish with the romano salad.

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