Hey everyone, it’s Jenna here! As a busy working mom of two kids, I’m constantly searching for quick weeknight meals that satisfy the whole family. Quick burger ideas are always at the top of our list and like many parents, we end up firing up the grill a lot since they’re a crowd-pleaser for our whole family.
However, with frequent burger nights, we kept running into problems. The patties would fall apart, taste boring, or get over/undercooked. I knew there had to be tricks to getting burgers just right, so I did some research and want to share what I’ve learned! Whether you’re new to burger-making or an experienced grill master, read on for my tips on keeping them intact, amping up flavor, essential tools, and more advice for making amazing burgers at home.
Keeping Burgers Intact
Follow These 7 Handy Tips for Patties that Stick Together
One of the biggest frustrations with homemade burgers is when you carefully form those patties only to have them crumble and fall apart on the grill or in the pan. As soon as you flip a burger and see it sticking and disintegrating, you know dinner is about to get messy. Fortunately, I’ve discovered some key tips to keep my burgers holding together no matter the cooking method.
Check out these 7 Tips to Keep Burgers From Falling Apart which include handling the meat gently when mixing, not overworking the meat which can toughen it, and lightly indenting the center of patties which helps them puff up instead of shrinking. Also, don’t press down with the spatula while cooking. Follow these steps and you’ll have picture-perfect patties that hold their shape.
Amp Up Flavor
Fun New Ingredients Take Burgers from Boring to Sensational
Once I got my burger assembly down, it was time to focus on flavor. My family was getting bored of the same old beef burger night after night. While we love the classic all-beef patty, I knew we needed to spice things up if we wanted to keep enjoying burger nights. Luckily there are endless burger ideas for packing new flavors into burgers.
Get creative with cheeses like bleu and feta or mix in herbs, spices, sauces and more into the meat. Some of my new go-to recipes are the Bacon Ranch Burger which is topped with ranch dressing and bacon crumbles – the cool creaminess pairs perfectly with the beef and smoky bacon. For Southwestern flair, the Hatch Chile Cheeseburger has an amazing kick from the hatch chiles. And if you have a smoker, Smoked Burgers take the flavor up ten notches. Don’t be afraid to get creative with your burger ideas!
Must-Have Tools
The Right Gadgets Make Burger Prep a Breeze
When you’re cranking out burgers for the family every week, having the right tools can be a total game-changer. One of my new essentials is a Best Burger Press. This handy gadget takes the work out of shaping patties – just scoop in the meat and press for perfectly formed, consistent burgers every time. It makes quick work of pressing out patties for the grill or pressing them thinner for pan frying inside. And clean-up is a snap. Another must-have is a good instant-read thermometer for monitoring doneness.
Cook burgers to 160F for medium doneness. Grilling Frozen Burgers is also totally doable with my thermometer – I just watch them closely to avoid burning the outside before the center thaws. For grilling guidance, What Temperature To Grill Burgers? details how medium heat between 350-450F gives the best results. The right gadgets take the guesswork out of cooking up delicious burger ideas!
Conclusion
There you have my best burger wisdom after many trials and tribulations! Let me know if you have any other burger ideas or favorite recipes. I’m always looking to improve our family burger nights! Now get out there, grill up some delicious patties, and most importantly – have fun exploring new burger ideas!
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