Burgers Three Ways
Summer is almost here, so it’s time to get the barbeque out of storage, dust the leaves from your patio chairs, and enjoy some juicy burgers in the sunshine.
Here are three exciting burger recipes to try just in time for barbecue season.
The Stuffed Beef Burger
You can’t go wrong with a regular beef burger with all the trimmings.
The key is to go for good quality beef that’s not too lean, so it will hold together properly and retain its flavour. If you get good steak mince you don’t even need to add anything to it when you’re cooking.
A good way to make a beef burger memorable is to stuff it with things you might normally put on top, like cheddar, blue cheese, or bacon.
Try this simple burger recipe:
- Shape 600g of quality minced steak into eight equally sized patties
- Make an indent in the centre of four patties.
- Add some cubed or grated cheddar cheese to the indents, and then top with one of your unfilled patties. Repeat until you have four big burgers
- Press down the sides of your patties to seal them together and make sure no cheese is poking out
- Either fry the burger in a little olive oil or on your barbeque grill – it should take between 3-6 minutes per side depending on how you like it cooked
- When you go to flip your burger over midway through, shake a little seasoning on the raw side of the patty first for some extra flavour
Top with slowly fried onions, crispy bacon, and mayonnaise. Serve in a sesame seed bun with a simple green salad and homemade chips.
The Italian Burger
Chicken works brilliantly on a barbecue, as it can be juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside, with a smoky taste.
Try using chicken breasts to make a tasty Italian style burger, with special trimmings. This recipe calls for fresh pesto, which is easily bought in the supermarkets, or which you can make at home.
To make:
- Mince together four raw chicken breasts (about 500g) with 2+3 tablespoons of pesto and some seasoning
- Form into four equally sized patties
- Grill or fry the patties for between 5-10 minutes on each side, until the meat is cooked, flipping halfway
- A couple of minutes before they are done, top each pesto burger with a slice of mozzarella
Serve on a lightly toasted ciabatta bun with sliced tomato (raw or grilled), additional pesto, and a salad.
If you don’t have the equipment needed to mince your chicken breasts, then just grill the meat as is and spread more pesto on the grilled ciabatta.
Make these even more special by adding some homemade polenta fries as a side dish, served with pesto mayonnaise.
The Spiced Lamb Burger
Lamb makes an excellent meat for a burger, and can be great to serve at a barbeque.
Make it a truly unique burger by adding some spices to give it an extra kick. You can use extra-lean lamb for lamb burgers, but you might find them
You’ll need a few spices on hand for this lamb burger recipe. Before you get started with your burgers, get a large bowl and mix together:
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 minced garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper
Once you have your mix ready, it’s time to cook.
- Add 500-600g minced lamb to your spice bowl, and use your fingers to work the spices in
- Form into four patties, then set aside for 15 minutes to let the flavours mix
- Brush or spray with a little oil, then fry or barbeque until cooked – around 4-7 minutes on the first side, and 3-4 minutes on the other
Instead of using burger buns, get some thick flatbread or pitta bread to stuff the burgers into. Top with shredded lettuce and tzatziki, and serve alongside a fresh couscous salad.
What’s your favourite burger recipe?
Rachel - Silversurfers Assistant Editor
Latest posts by Rachel - Silversurfers Assistant Editor (see all)
- Graham Norton’s funniest interviews - April 2, 2024
- Chocolate dipped strawberries for Easter - March 28, 2024
- Elton John’s Greatest Hits Playlist - March 24, 2024
- The best of Diana Ross - March 23, 2024
- Easter activities for grandchildren - March 23, 2024
