Flat Burger Patty Recipes

HOW TO KEEP BURGERS FLAT

Steps:

• Buy ground beef that is 80% meat and 20% fat. The fat is what holds the meat together, so leaner meat will usually give you a hard time. If you want your burgers to be shapely, ground chuck works very well, but you could also use ground sirloin for more flavor. You could also mix lean meat with some sort of fat, such as by combining equal amounts of ground beef and pork. Leaner meats like turkey are mixed with high-fat ingredients like eggs, milk, or even yogurt to help them maintain their shape. Veggie burgers can be made the same way.
• Get course-ground meat if it is available. Most ground beef sold in supermarkets is medium-ground. This kind of meat works well enough, but it isn't the best available. If you really want to ensure the burgers hold their shape, ask your butcher for help. Visit a local butcher shop or ask someone at the supermarket meat counter for course-ground meat. Medium-ground meat generally gets processed up to 5 times, so it doesn't hold together as well as coarse-ground meat. Coarse-ground meat is only processed once before it is packaged for sale. You could also make your own burgers at home if you have a meat grinder.
• Roll the meat into balls that are all the same size. Divide up the meat according to the number of burgers you plan on making. After separating the meat, roll each piece between your hands. Make sure the meat sticks together, but handle it gently to avoid overworking it. Once you have some consistent meat balls to cook, set them aside until you're ready to throw them onto your pan. For example, 1 lb (0.45 kg) of meat generally makes 4 burgers. The burgers will be 1⁄4 lb (0.11 kg), so get more meat if you plan on making bigger burgers. If you buy prepared ground beef from your local grocery store, it will probably come in a big pack. Instead of dividing up the meat, try using a 4 oz (110 g) ice cream scooper to form balls that don't require any additional rolling. Don't season the meat just yet. While you can attempt to mix in all sorts of seasoning now, you run the risk of working the meat so much that it doesn't retain its shape later.

THIN BURGER

Steps:

• Divide beef into 4 mounds, and evenly place on a 12-by-14-inch piece of plastic wrap. Place another piece of plastic on top. Roll into 5 1/2-inch patties, about 1/3 inch thick, with a rolling pin.
• Heat a griddle or 2 large cast-iron skillets over medium-high. Season both sides of patties with salt and pepper. Cook patties, pressing with a spatula, 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, flip, and top with cheese. Cook 2 minutes.
• Butter cut sides of rolls, and toast on griddle until edges just start to brown, about 1 minute.
• Sandwich burgers in rolls with onion, pickle, lettuce, and mustard.

BEST HAMBURGER PATTY RECIPE (GRILLED OR STOVETOP)

Steps:

• Set out a large mixing bowl. Add in the ground beef, crushed crackers, egg, Worcestershire sauce, milk, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper. Mix by hand until the meat mixture is smooth, but stop once the mixture looks even. (Overmixing can create a dense heavy texture.)
• Press the meat down in the bowl, into an even disk. Use a knife to cut and divide the hamburger patty mixture into 6 - 1/3 pound grill or skillet patties, or 12 thin griddle patties.
• Set out a baking sheet, lined with wax paper or foil, to hold the patties. One at a time, gather the patty mix and press firmly into patties. Shape them just slightly larger than the buns you plan to use, to account for shrinkage during cooking. Set the patties on the baking sheet. Use a spoon to press a dent in the center of each patty so they don't puff up as they cook. If you need to stack the patties separate them with a sheet of wax paper.
• Preheat the grill or a skillet to medium heat. (Approximately 350-400 degrees F.)
• For thick patties: Grill or fry the patties for 3-4 minutes per side.
• For thin patties: Cook on the griddle for 2 minutes per side.
• Stack the hot patties on hamburgers buns, and top with your favorite hamburgers toppings. Serve warm.

JULIA CHILD'S PAN-FRIED THIN BURGER

Steps:

• In a small saute pan, over high heat, saute the shallots in the butter until soft, about 5 minutes. Divide the meat into 4 portions. One at a time, flatten each by chopping and spreading the meat with light strokes of your chefs knife. Season each with salt, pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of the shallots. Blend into the meat, chopping and turning it as you shape the portions into 4 1/2 to 5-inch round patties, 1/4-inch thick. Toast the hamburger buns and distribute them to your guests. Suggest that they dress the bottom halves of their rolls as they wish while you cook the burgers. Lightly dust the surface of a large, hot saute pan, with salt. When the pan is very hot, but not smoking, lay a patty in the pan. Rapidly add a second burger. Brown the meat, about 20 seconds. Turn patties to other side. Cook until done, about 1 minute. Remove cooked burgers to a warm platter. Repeat process with 2 remaining burgers. Place finished burgers onto guests buns as quickly as possible so they can add their finishing touches.

PERFECT BURGER

Steps:

• Divide the meat into 4 equal portions (about 6 ounces each). Form each portion loosely into a 3/4-inch-thick burger and make a deep depression in the center with your thumb. Season both sides of each burger with salt and pepper.
• IF USING A GRILL: Heat a gas grill to high or heat coals in a charcoal grill until they glow bright orange and ash over. Brush the burgers with the oil. Grill the burgers until golden brown and slightly charred on the first side, about 3 minutes for beef and 5 minutes for turkey. Flip over the burgers. Cook beef burgers until golden brown and slightly charred on the second side, 4 minutes for medium rare (3 minutes if topping with cheese; see step 3) or until cooked to desired degree of doneness. Cook turkey burgers until cooked throughout, about 5 minutes on the second side.
• IF USING A GRILL PAN: Heat a grill pan over high heat on top of the stove. Cook the burgers as for a grill, above.
• IF USING A SAUTE PAN OR GRIDDLE (PREFERABLY CAST IRON): Heat the oil in the pan or griddle over high heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Cook the burgers until golden brown and slightly charred on the first side, about 3 minutes for beef and 5 minutes for turkey. Flip over the burgers. Cook beef burgers until golden brown and slightly charred on the second side, 4 minutes for medium rare (3 minutes if topping with cheese) or until cooked to desired degree of doneness. Cook turkey burgers until cooked throughout, about 5 minutes on the second side.
• Add the cheese, if using, to the tops of the burgers during the last minute of cooking and top with a basting cover, close the grill cover, or tent the burgers with aluminum foil to melt the cheese.
• Sandwich the hot burgers between the buns and serve immediately.

BEST BURGER EVER

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium high heat and lightly oil grate.
• In a large bowl, combine the beef, onion soup mix, egg, hot sauce and oats. Shape into 6 patties.
• Grill patties over medium high heat for 10 to 20 minutes, or to desired doneness.

JUICIEST HAMBURGERS EVER

Steps:

• Preheat grill for high heat.
• In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, evaporated milk, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, and garlic using your hands. Form the mixture into 8 hamburger patties.
• Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill patties 5 minutes per side, or until well done.

OLD FASHIONED BURGER RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Make the whiskey-caramelized onions: In a large, high-walled skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they caramelize and turn golden brown, about 45 minutes. Add the whiskey and salt and stir to combine. Remove the pan from the heat and let sit until ready to use.
• Make the roasted orange mustard: Turn the broiler on high.
• Use a sharp knife to remove the peel from the orange, then slice the orange crosswise into ½-inch rounds. Arrange the rounds in a single layer on a baking sheet.
• Broil the orange slices until they begin to brown and crisp on the top, about 10 minutes.
• Remove the oranges from the oven and transfer to a large bowl to cool slightly. Use a potato masher to mash the juice from the oranges, and then strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the flesh to extract as much juice as possible. You should have about ¼ cup of roasted orange juice.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the orange juice, Dijon mustard, yellow mustard, and bitters until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Make the smash burgers: Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C).
• Divide the ground beef into 8 4-ounce portions, being careful not to work the meat too much.
• In a small bowl, mix together the salt, pepper, and coriander.
• Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until nearly smoking. Pour the olive oil into the hot pan. Place 2 portions of ground beef, or as many as will fit without overcrowding, in the pan and use a flat metal spatula to flatten into patties. Use the back of a wooden spoon to press the spatula more firmly to flatten each patty even more. Season each patty generously with the salt mixture. Once the patties turn golden brown on the bottoms and the edges are crispy, about 2 minutes, flip and continue cooking until the other side is golden brown, about 2 more minutes. Top each patty with 1 slice of American cheese and let melt, about 30 seconds. Remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining ground beef.
• Assemble the burgers: Place the intact burger buns on a baking sheet. Brush the top of each bun with beaten egg, then sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Transfer to the oven and bake until the egg wash turns golden brown, about 5 minutes.
• Open the buns and place ¼ cup of shredded lettuce on each bottom bun, followed by 2 tomato slices, a patty, ¼ cup caramelized onions, and a second patty. Spread 2 tablespoons of the orange mustard over the undersides of the top buns, then place on top of the burgers. Serve with old fashioneds.
• Enjoy!

THIN BUT JUICY CHARGRILLED BURGERS

Steps:

• Divide the beef: Line a 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the ground beef into 4 even balls. Working with one ball at a time, massage the meat gently in your hands until it is cohesive and tacky, about 15 seconds. Next, using clean hands, roll each into a smooth ball about the size of a golf ball. Place the balls on the baking sheet, one ball in the center of each quadrant.
• Form the patties: Lay a second sheet of parchment on top, then place a second rimmed baking sheet on top of the first. Press down very firmly on the baking sheet, pressing directly over each patty in turn, to spread each ball into a thin patty that is wide enough that it will extend at least a full inch around your burger buns on all sides. (If using a vegan beef alternative, form a patty that is just large enough to extend 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch beyond the edges of the buns, as vegan beef alternatives do not shrink as much during cooking.) Refrigerate the patties until ready to cook.
• Heat the grill: If cooking with charcoal (the preferred method, as charcoal gets hotter than gas), ignite a full chimney of coals. When the coals are mostly covered with gray ash, spread them out evenly under one side of the grill and allow the grill to heat with the lid off for 5 minutes. If cooking with gas, set the hottest burners to high heat, cover and let the grill heat for at least 15 minutes.
• Season the burgers: When ready to cook, gently peel the top sheet of parchment off the burgers and season them generously with salt and pepper. Replace the top parchment, flip the parchment sheets with the burgers in between them over entirely, then peel off the other piece of parchment, which will now be on top. Season burgers generously with salt and pepper on the second side.
• These burgers will cook very quickly, so prepare your buns with toppings and condiments as desired. (Placing any vegetables on the bottom bun makes the burger more stable and allows them to absorb juices that may drip from the patties.)
• Cook the patties: Using your hands or a spatula, carefully lay the patties on the grill over the hottest part of the flame. If using charcoal, leave the lid open. If using gas, keep the lid closed as much as possible. Let cook, undisturbed, until the patties are well charred and juices start to pool on their top surfaces, about 1 minute.
• Carefully flip the patties. (There will most likely be flare-ups; this is OK.) Add a slice of cheese, if using, to each, and continue to cook until the meat is just barely cooked through, about 15 seconds.
• Transfer the patties to the buns, add any extra toppings or or condiments as desired, close, and serve immediately.

HG'S FLAT TOP PATTY MELT - WW POINTS = 5

Steps:

• Toast bread slices until they are halfway to desired crispiness. Top each slice with a piece of cheese, and continue toasting until cheese is melted and bread is toasty.
• In a pan sprayed with nonstick spray, cook onions with 2 tablespoons of water over medium heat until desired texture is reached (3 - 5 minutes).
• Prepare burger patty according to the directions on the package (either in the pan sprayed with nonstick spray, or in the microwave). Place half of the grilled onions on one cheese-topped bread slice, and cover with the burger patty. Top with the rest of the onions, and finish off with the other slice of cheesy bread. Enjoy!