Our ultimate burger recipes and tips
Indulge in some seriously delicious and decadent burger recipes with all the trimmings included, plus top tips to take your burgers to the next level.
If you want to make the best ever burgers, we have all you need. Follow our step-by-step instructions on how to cook the perfect patties and when you've mastered that, lift your burgers up a notch with our exciting array of internationally-inspired recipes. With these ideas and some handy tips to set your burgers apart, you'll be enjoying a taste sensation, whether a meat lover or veggie.
Burger patties
- Use crushed crackers rather than breadcrumbs in the patty mixture as this can create a more interesting texture while still acting as a binding agent.
- Try mixing different minces or adding in good quality sausagemeat to create a mouthwatering amalgamation of different flavours. For example, you can produce Spanish-style spicy burgers by mixing pork sausagement with chopped chorizo and mixed beans.
- As an alternative to mince, pulled pork or duck confit are particularly succulent and tender fillings to use in burgers.
- Add moisture to the patty with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt, tzatziki or minty raita.
- Veggie burger patties are often made from chickpeas, lentils, halloumi, sweet potatoes or mushrooms. These mildly flavoured fillings provide a perfect base for mixing with a variety herbs and spices to produce some exciting tastes. Depending on your preference, ground coriander, cumin and garam masala are great spices to use.
- For something a bit different, try experimenting with unusual flavourings like miso, jerk seasoning, Korean chilli paste (gochujang) or Japanese seven-spice mix (shichimi togarashi).
Follow our guide on how to make the perfect veggie burger and our video on how to make cheeseburgers.
Buns
- Soft, white burger buns, such as brioche, are the best option as you don't want the bread to overwhelm the meat. You can also use ciabatta, wholemeal buns, focaccia, or something more out-there like a savoury cheese bun, or even waffles.
- While resting your burger, put the bun in the pan that the burger was cooking in to lightly toast it and to soak up some of those gorgeous, meaty juices.
Fillings and sauces
- Popular choices are cheeses, bacon, mayonnaise, ketchups and pickles of any sort that give a sharp kick to cut through the fat.
- For cheeseburgers, cut thin slices of a good melting cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, brie, Gruyère and Monterey Jack cheese all work well). When you turn the burgers over, top the cooked side with a slice of cheese. It will melt as you keep cooking.
- Nobody wants to find big chunks of onion in their burger. If you're not confident with your knife chopping skills, try peeling the onions, then grating it on a coarse box grater. Squeeze out any excess liquid with your hands and mix the onion together with the mince.
See our video on how to make tasty burger sauces:
Discover our top 6 recipes for extra special burgers...
1. Ultimate beefburger
John Torode’s big burger is the ultimate masterclass in producing the perfect beef patty. He stresses the importance of using top quality meat, lashes of spicy relish and all the extras, from guacamole and gherkins, to smoky bacon rashers and Gruyère cheese. For more beefburgers with punchy flavours, see our Aussie burgers and Tex-Mex burger recipe.
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2. Smokin' Cajun
These popular Cajun chicken burgers are piled high and packed with the flavours of Louisiana. Combine ground coriander, cumin and paprika to create the classic Cajun seasoning which distinguishes this burger, whilst the contrasting textures of crispy bacon, soft avocado and melted cheese make every bite an exciting experience. If you love experimenting with different spices, also try our Jamaican-inspired jerk chicken burger or our spiced chipotle Mexican chicken burger.
3. Heavenly halloumi
All hail the halloumi burger for veggie burger perfection. The squeaky Cypriot cheese has recently enjoyed a surge in popularity and it seems only natural that it would find it’s way into a burger bun. The salty flavour and meaty texture of fried halloumi is a perfect match with spicy Moroccan harissa paste, creamy hummus and soft aubergine slices, all rounded off in a lightly toasted ciabatta roll.
4. Beautiful bhaji
Imagine combining two of your favourite Indian foods and putting them in a bun: say hello to the bhaji & lamb burger. Succulent tandoori-spiced lamb mince combined with crispy onion bhajis and cooling minty cucumber raita creates fantastic flavour, all mopped up by fluffy brioche. Serve with mango chutney for extra tang and sweetness, then get stuck in!
We’ve given another popular Indian dish a burger makeover, too. Our chicken tikka patties are seasoned with fragrant garam masala and other spices, with extra zing from homemade tamarind chutney.
5. Delicious duck
Duck confit burgers are a street-food favourite and we can see why. This fancy, flavourful recipe offers a way to dress up fast food. As with lamb, the relatively high percentage of fat in duck meat gives this burger a gorgeously rich flavour. Combine the tender, shredded meat with sweet onion marmalade and spicy Dijon mustard for a moutwatering treat you won't forget.
6. Crispy katsu
Tuck into a chicken katsu curry burger for a sandwich-style reincarnation of everyone's new favourite Japanese dish. Asian flavours are evoked in the mildly spiced katsu curry mayonnaise while the crispy chicken patty is soaked in a brine containing the Japanese seven-spice mix ‘shichimi togarashi' and rolled in panko breadcrumbs for that extra special crispy finish. For an equally tasty vegetarian alternative, try these miso burgers with mint & pomegranate slaw.
Watch our video guide for more tips on creating this killer katsu curry burger:
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What's your idea of the dream burger? Let us know in the comments below...
