A simple tutorial to prepare homemade meat burgers that are soft and tasty.
Basic light recipe
For my burgers, I use selected ground meat, a mix of beef and pork, lean first cut – if you want even leaner burgers you can use ground white meat such as chicken or turkey, preferably breast.
Versatile basic recipe suitable for making:
– burgers and mini burgers;
– meat pizza;
– meat sandwiches.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Electric Oven, Air Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
For my burgers, I use:
selected ground meat, a mix of beef and pork, lean first cut – if you want even leaner burgers you can use ground white meat such as chicken or turkey, preferably breast.
- 8 oz mixed ground meat (beef and pork, lean, first cut)
- 1 tbsp breadcrumbs (or whole wheat breadcrumbs)
- 1 tbsp cheese (grated: caciocavallo, grana, or parmesan)
- 1 pinch garlic powder (optional)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch mixed peppercorns (with grinder)
- to taste chopped parsley
Suggested Tools
- 1 Bowl
- Spoons measuring
- 1 Plate or tray
- Burger Press
Preparation
In a bowl, combine:
– the ground meat;
– the breadcrumbs or whole wheat breadcrumbs, 1 tbsp or 1 rounded tablespoon;
– the grated cheese, 1 tbsp or 1 rounded tablespoon;
– garlic powder [optional];
– a pinch of salt;
– a pinch of pepper;
– chopped parsley if desired;
and mix well until you get a homogeneous mixture.
Prepare two sheets of parchment paper.
Move the ground meat mixture onto the first sheet, cover with the second sheet, and roll it out with a rolling pin to a thickness of about 0.6-0.8 inches at most – for even cooking.
Try to get a square or rectangle with as regular edges as possible.Remove the top sheet of parchment paper and cut four burgers.
Compact the edges and adjust the shape.To get equal burgers, you can use a pastry cutter or a burger mold.
You can vary the size and shape as you like: burgers and mini burgers.Wrap each burger in a sheet of plastic wrap and refrigerate to firm up for at least an hour.
Remove the burgers from the fridge at least half an hour before cooking them.
Your homemade meat burgers are ready to cook.
You can cook your meat burgers on the grill, in a pan, in the oven, or in an air fryer.
As it is a ground meat preparation, the burgers must always be well cooked and not rare to avoid the risk of foodborne illnesses from pathogenic microorganisms.
Cooking times vary depending on thickness: the inside must be fully cooked and not pink.
Indent the center of each burger with your thumb for more even cooking.
Tips for pan cooking
Use a thick-bottomed non-stick pan and heat the surface well.
Use a lid, preferably glass, for uniform cooking.
After the first few minutes of cooking, lower the heat.
Flip the burger only once and only after a crust has formed on the surface.
Do not press the burger to avoid losing juices.
Spray the burger with apple cider vinegar – it evaporates – if desired.
Let the meat rest in a warm place for a few minutes after cooking.
Cook for 5-6 to 6-7 minutes per side.
Oven cooking
Preheat the oven.
Bake in a ventilated oven at 400°F for 12-15 minutes, turning halfway through.Air fryer cooking
Follow the instructions – program, temperature, and times – indicated in your appliance’s user manual.
Check the degree of cooking from time to time.
Storage, Tips, and Variations
You can use gluten-free breadcrumbs for a gluten-free version.
You can omit the cheese.
You can flavor the mixture with herbs or spices.
For tastier burgers, add chopped onion to the mixture.
Meat burgers should be consumed immediately after the short fridge rest, which helps them firm up before cooking.
It is not advisable to keep them raw for longer as ground meat is highly perishable.
Cooked burgers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for a couple of days.
You can reheat them in the oven or air fryer.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
For my burgers, I used:
– selected ground meat, a mix of beef and pork, lean first cut.
Good to Know!
As this is a ground meat preparation, it must always be well cooked and not rare to avoid the risk of foodborne illnesses from pathogenic microorganisms.
On a steak, any contamination remains superficial and is destroyed during cooking.
– that’s why it’s possible to eat a rare or undercooked steak.
In ground meat preparations, contamination can spread inside.
– that’s why, when eating burgers, meatballs, or other ground meat dishes, it’s important that cooking is complete and there are no pink or undercooked areas.Which meat for burgers?
– beef;
– pork;
– mixed beef and pork;
– chicken;
– turkey.Meat cuts for burgers
For light meat burgers, ask for a selected ground meat cut, that is, a first cut lean meat.
Your trusted butcher will serve you best.
For your information, the lean meat cuts are:
– round or knuckle for beef;
– tenderloin or loin for pork;
* the loin is a cut where the lean part is visually distinguishable from the fat part, making it easily trimable.Which ground meat for meatballs?
The first cut ground is leaner.
The second cut ground is fattier.
For light meat burgers, choose a first cut ground.
