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How To Make The Ultimate Burger & Chips at Home
Craving the ultimate burger experience? In this blog, we'll take you step-by-step through everything needed to make the best burger, from top-quality ingredients to essential kitchen utensils. Discover tips for making the perfect beef patties, how to get the seasoning just right and how to cook your patty to achieve a juicy interior and flavourful sear on the outside. And because no burger is complete without sides, we'll also share how to make irresistibly crunchy chips that are sure to satisfy. Whether you're a burger enthusiast or are looking to up your burger game, this ultimate guide on how to make a burger will have you serving up mouthwatering results every time!
Quick Links
- What You Will Need
- The Best Tips For The Best Burger
- How To Make A Burger
- How To Make The Best Air Fryer Chips
What You Will Need to Make Burgers at Home
When you want to know how to make a good burger, you need good ingredients. Here's a list of essential utensils and ingredients you will need for how to make the ultimate burger:
- Fry Pan: A good-quality fry pan with a wide surface ensures the patties will have enough space, allowing for even cooking and a nicely seared crust.
- Spatula: A sturdy spatula helps you flip the patties without breaking them, ensuring they cook evenly on both sides for the perfect burger.
- Mixing Bowl: Use a large stainless steel mixing bowl to combine your ingredients for the patties, allowing room to mix thoroughly and evenly distribute the flavours.
- Disposable Food-Grade Gloves: Wearing disposable gloves makes mixing the meat and seasoning more hygienic and keeps your hands clean during the preparation.
- Salt: Enhances the natural flavour of the beef while making the other seasoning 'pop', resulting in a flavoursome and delicious burger.
- Pepper: Adds a bit of heat and depth to the patties, balancing the seasoning perfectly.
- Smoked Paprika: This will give the burgers a smoky flavour, adding an extra layer to the overall taste.
- Mixed Italian Herbs: This seasoning mixture will bring aromatic flavours to the mix, giving the patties a subtle herbal kick.
- Minced Beef (Not Lean): The higher fat content in regular mince adds flavour and helps keep the burger juicy as it cooks.
- Egg: Acts as a binder to hold the meat mixture together, making it easier to form patties that don't fall apart.
- Olive Oil: This will be both for the frying pan and for the mixture to help keep the patties juicy.
- Minced/Diced Garlic: About 3 cloves of garlic will give the patties a robust and aromatic taste, elevating the flavour profile of the burger - but always use fresh garlic and NEVER 'jarlic'.
- Tomato, Lettuce & Red Onion: It's not a burger without the classic combination of tomato, lettuce and onion. Use a salad spinner after washing your lettuce for crisp restaurant-style results. No one wants soggy lettuce on their burger!
The Top Tips For The Best Burger
How To Make Burger Patties That Will Tantalise Your Tastebuds
For the carnivores among us, the first step is to choose your meat - beef, lamb or chicken? Once you've settled on a protein, it's time to add some flavour. Lamb always works well with Greek or Middle Eastern spices, or you could add some dried rosemary into the patty mixture to create a roast lamb-inspired burger. Beef and chicken are both incredibly versatile and can be paired with pretty much any herb or spice combo you can imagine.
Love Tex-Mex flavours? Season your burger patties with taco spices, and serve with sour cream, avo slices and salad. Craving a classic American-style beef burger? Keep the patty simple - just mince, salt, and pepper - and load up on condiments such as mustard, pickles, and cheese.
If burger patties don't float your boat, how about a nice lean cut of meat? You could grill some marinated chicken breast or steak and slice thinly (on an angle, for extra chef cred). Alternatively, how about chicken or veal schnitzels in a crispy crumb?
Take Your Favourite Veggie Burger Recipes To The Next Level
Wondering how to make vegetarian burgers stay together in the pan? We've all had one of those epic fails, where the burger disintegrates when you try to flip it! What you need is a good binder in the mix. Eggs are perfect, but if you're serving vegans, chia or flax eggs work well too. Don't scrimp on the herbs and spices, either - these really elevate a humble veggie patty to new heights. You could try oregano and basil for an Italian twist, or a combo of cumin, coriander, and turmeric for an Indian-inspired veggie burger, complete with a dollop of Greek yoghurt on top.
Prefer a vegetarian burger that oozes cheesy goodness and squeaks as you eat it? You can't go past a delicious halloumi burger. Halloumi burgers are perfect for any time of the day - you can even pair them with fried eggs and bacon for a tasty brekkie roll. Halloumi burgers are seriously impressive, yet seriously easy to prepare. Simply slice up some halloumi, brush with olive oil, and cook in a hot pan for two to three minutes. Top tip - fry your halloumi in a griddle pan, like the Tefal Simple Cook 26 cm Non-Stick Grill Pan, to create those fancy chef-style grill lines.
Switch Up The Bun
The classic fluffy white roll might have been a staple of your childhood barbeques, but these days, bread options are endless. You could go for a chewy focaccia, toasted in a sandwich press for extra crunch, or cut thick slices of sourdough to give your burger a bit of a pub grub vibe. A brioche bun is another tasty option, and the smaller ones are perfect for slider-style burgers that can be eaten in one bite.
If you're cooking for friends with gluten intolerance, there are some amazing gluten-free buns available these days - just remember to prepare their burgers first, to avoid any cross-contamination. And, for a paleo or low-carb burger, you can forgo the bun entirely and substitute it with lettuce cups - iceberg works best for this.
Supercharge Your Condiments
Step aside, tomato sauce and mustard - there are some new condiments in town! Whether you're serving meat or veggie burgers, it's the condiments that will make or break the dish. Why not try mixing Greek yoghurt with a swirl of harissa for a spicy kick, or a homemade whole-egg mayo for a rich, creamy topping? For our vegan friends, chunky chutneys are a great substitute for tomato sauce and smashed avo with a squeeze of lime and some freshly chopped coriander is always a winner.
Of course, no burger would be complete without cheese, whether it's dairy-based or vegan. Traditionalists might reach for the pre-sliced cheddar, but burger aficionados know that you can create a super-decadent burger by adding something more exotic, such as blue cheese or Camembert.
Serve in Style
Impress your guests and serve your burgers in an appealing way with the right serving boards and serving platters! Choose a rustic wooden serving board for a relaxed vibe or an elegant serving platter to bring a touch of personality to your dining experience. Don't forget to also set the table with beautiful dinnerware and table linen!
How To Make A Burger - Step by Step
Now it's time to learn how to make a burger - and not just any burger but one that will be the best burger you will ever make in your entire life! Just follow these easy and simple steps:
Step 1 - Combine The Mixture
Begin by grabbing your mixing bowl and adding in 500 g of minced beef. Then crack one egg in and drizzle a little bit of olive oil. Now add in a pinch of smoked paprika, a pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper, the minced/diced garlic cloves and two pinches of mixed herbs. With your gloves on, mix it all together until well combined.
Step 2 - Make The Patty
Now form four equal sizes of meat patties by grabbing the mixture and squashing it down and gently forming a patty shape, making sure that the sides are smoothed and rounded out, otherwise, your patty will crack and start separating - especially if you are grilling on high heat.
Step 3 - Frying The Burgers
Place your frying pan on medium-high heat and drizzle some oil into the frying pan. Once it's hot, place down the four burger patties. They should take about 5 minutes to cook on each side. Remember that if they are thicker, turn down the heat a little bit and let them cook longer.
Step 4 - Prep The Burger
While the patties are cooking, cut your burger buns in half and toast them either in a toaster or under the grill. Then cut one tomato into slices, wash the lettuce leaves and cut the onion into rings.
Step 5 - Make The Burger
Once the patties are cooked, switch off the heat and start stacking the burger. Traditionally, you always start with lettuce, as this will protect the bottom of the bun from the juice so it doesn't go soggy as you eat it. Then lay down some tomato on top of the lettuce to protect it from the heat of the patty. Then place down a beef patty and then the onion (you can also add cheese at this point as well). Then finish by adding your favourite sauce on top and then place down the top bun.
How To Make The Best Air Fryer Chips
Now, no burger is complete without a side of crunchy and crispy chips. So, here is our favourite recipe for the best way to achieve crunchy chips that taste just like the takeaway store - all with the simple help of an air fryer for quick and easy results every time!
- Begin peeling around 500 g of potatoes (Yukon potatoes are a great choice but it's up to you) and then cutting them into chip-shaped slices that are about 1 cm thick.
- Now wash them under cold water, drain and then dry with a paper towel.
- Add the sliced potato into a large mixing bowl, add in one tablespoon of cornflour and give them a good coat.
- Here is when you can add in any seasoning that you like such as mixed herbs or premade seasoning mixes, and then add in two tablespoons of olive oil.
- Now place them into the air fryer and cook them at 190°C for 20 minutes, giving them a good shake every 5 minutes.
- Once done, place them into another large bowl, add in a pinch of salt and pepper and then give them a good toss before serving!
Upgrade Your Burger Game With Harris Scarfe Today!
When it comes to how to make a burger, and not just any burger but the best burger, following these steps and tips will upgrade your burger game! Is your mouth watering, thinking about the amazing burgers you could create? Then check out our range of cookware, sandwich presses, food preparation essentials and much more to help you prepare your feast, available online and in-store now at Harris Scarfe. Make sure to head over to the Hub for more ideas and inspiration in the kitchen! Some great articles you'll love include:
