Homemade Burgers...how do you make/cook yours?

[Overseasmom100]

So far Ive mixed good quality mince beef with raw onion and salt and pepper.

Do I just fry them then in oven perhaps?

Do I need an egg??

How do you normally cook burgers? I would griddle, grill or bbq them.

Bet they will taste lovely however you cook them.

An egg would bind it if they are falling apart. Bread crumbs will stretch it out.

I usually do in oven

I never bind with egg or breadcrumbs. In oven on a baking tray.

I don't put any egg in mine, just salt pepper and a splash of worcester sauce and I usually cook them in the oven.

I made two types yesterday. Neither needed egg.

I did plain lamb with seasoning for the boring people I live with and Kiev burgers for the more adventurous lot.

I grilled them.

High fat content mince, salt, pepper, bread crumbs (they soak up some of the fat and keep the burgers moist), dash of Henderson's Relish. I fry them until they're cooked through.

Before putting them in make a dent in the middle both sides then you won’t get the middle rose and they’ll be flat

Meat, salt, pepper, squish and pat out.
sometimes add a bit of onion but I like it better raw in the bun.
I grill mine, The tip about making a dent is excellent thank you.

Use a biscuit cutter and press the mix into them, then they will all be the same shape/size. Dash of worcestershire sauce is good.

Try pork burger with chorizo chopped in, blooming delicious!

Meat And salt that's it.

Salt actually acts as a binder. You don't need egg.

I grind my own meat but that's just preference (I use sirloin and brisket plus some marrowbone).

What you need to be wary of is low fat mince.

Burgers need fat so you need to get 20% fat mince. Form into balls then squash them with a fish slice in the pan to a burger shape.

Then I fry them - it's the only way to get the outer crust which is where most of the flavour is (malliard reaction I think it's called - anyway it's that deep browning that gives meat it's flavour and why you should not over crowd the pan to keep the temperature high).

I fry onions then cool and add to the mince. Salt and paprika then cook in the oven :)

As well as salt and pepper I also add a couple of tablespoons of mashed potato to the 500g of beef mince and it gives you the most tender burgers ever. I find an egg makes them too dense. And then I fry them. Oven baked burgers sound all kinds of wrong.

No egg. Egg turns it into meatloaf

High fat content and really work the mixture with your hands to distribute the fat throughout - then they hold together!

You shouldn't recommend Hendos on a public forum Dubious they might run short and not have enough for us!
Following this thread for tips though, my burgers and meatballs never seem to bind well. With or without egg

Turkey mince mixed with grated carrot and courgette, finely chopped red onion and a splash of Worcester sauce.

Lump of mozzarella inside the burger, browned in frying pan and finished off in the oven. I top them with the rest of the mozzarella and onion.

It's a good way to get vegetables into the children!

There's a Tesco Love Food recipe which makes amazing burgers with great toppings. I've been making burgers for years and they hold tog well and are properly delicious.
Google it.

Egg turns it into meatloaf

Indeed (or meatballs...)

Breadcrumbs, vegetables and eggs have no place in a burger....neither does an oven all are fine (indeed mandatory) for meatloaf and meatballs (the latter with a mini mozzarella ball in the centre).

If you're struggling to get it to bind you're not adding enough salt (and you need to leave it for 30 mins after adding the salt to let it do it's work before cooking) and/or using meat with a fat content that's too low.

I fry the onions first then add them to the mince.

Well they were okish ...used a tiny bit of egg and probably wont use again as they were abit firm. Next time might use some herbs. DH loved them

One egg, bit of breadcrumbs occasional some lea and perrins if I remember. I hand shape them as I tend to make smaller size burgers for the dc, but still give them a full bun. I don't add onion or salt or pepper. I fry the burgers (drain any fat) and serve with fried onions for dp.

I grate the onion as I prefer them that way.

Good quality mince - 2lb
Salt, pepper
Lea and perrins
Tablespoon of breadcrumbs

Squidge like pastry - roll into a ball, cut into 8, roll and flatten. Then sizzle on a griddle.