Dry Hamburgers

[wannabepaleo]

Hello! Any tips on how to make my beef burgers moist? They are always so dry. Also looking for a good seasoning mix for them. Thanks!

[Susan W]

I never do anything but salt and pepper. Medium rare is how I like mine. Dont buy lean ground beef. A mixture of ground chuck and ground sirloin is best.

[Beets]

I usually just use salt, sprinkled on the outside. The less you handle them, the better. And, yes, fatty meat makes the best burgers.

[kb0426]

Salt and pepper here too. I cook mine on the stovetop. I heat the pan high, place burger in pan, COVER, cook for 4 mins or so, flip then cook covered for another 3 mins or so. I think the lid helps! I cook to pink in middle.

[pjena]

I cook mine on the Cuisinart Griddler (like a panini press) 3 min total.  Then s&p.  They see to be ok, but I'm not a meat expert.  I'm getting better, though.

[Physibeth]

I like this on mine: http://www.redmondtrading.com/product/organic-seasonings/real-salt-organic-season-salt/

 

I usually cook on cast iron grill pan or have my hubby grill them. 

 

I always buy the higher fat content meat as well.

[wannabepaleo]

Thanks for the suggestions! I'm from Canada where I have been taught any pink in burgers is an absolute no-no, but I do suspect that is part of the reason they don't turn out well. It is also very hard to find anything other than "lean" or "extra lean" here. Maybe I should grind my own...

[Susan W]

I often grind my own but with no grinder. I use my food processor. I use hunks of sirloin and chuck. Ten pulses in a fp and it's burger. :0)

[Keianna]

I buy lean and my burgers are not dry. I add grated onion and a dash of mustard. If you can find a compliant version, add a dash of Worcestershire. I also add salt and pepper and don't over mix.

[moggle]

 It is also very hard to find anything other than "lean" or "extra lean" here. Maybe I should grind my own...

 

I make some yummy pork patties/burgers and I add salt, pepper, nutmeg & sage. They turned out dry the first few times I made them (lean meat?) but then I tried adding some finely diced pork belly (about 2/3 mince, 1/3 belly) to the mix and they turned out beautifully!

 

Perhaps the same kind of thing would work with beef?

[Beets]

A butcher near me sells a pastured beef/bacon mix. That makes an amazing burger, so I'd think pork belly would work the same.

I used to add sautéed onions, spices, Worcester sauce, bleu cheese in the middle, etc. But with nice beef salt (or, better, smoked salt) is plenty fine. I also do cast iron pan or a cast iron griddle/grill thing that goes over two burners. I pefer the griddle but it's heavy. I don't bust it out unless I'm making burgers for the whole fam.

And, sure, a well-done burger is not going to be tender!

[vtknitgirl]

I like to add chopped onion and zucchini to my burgers, the veggies make it nice and moist and add a nice flavor.  then salt and pepper.  

[missmunchie]

I like to add chopped onion and zucchini to my burgers, the veggies make it nice and moist and add a nice flavor.  then salt and pepper.  

 

Ooh, nice! I'm doing that next time.

[Pensfan]

My kids hate burgers plain (salt and pepper obviously), so I started seasoning them with s&p, an egg, and some sort of spice mixture.  Usually the smoked chicken seasoning from the Make it Paleo book.  At the end of the day though, you need at least 80/20 beef and cook it no more than medium.  We like ours rare.  

 

Weber makes a Natural line of seasonings now with no chemicals that you can do as well.

[malie]

I use lean ground beef and mine aren't dry either. I always mix in 1 whole egg per pound of meat as well as finely chopped onion. Spices vary based on what I feel like that day.

 

If I fry them in a pan, I use a little olive oil. If we do them on the BBQ, we grease up the grill a bit with olive oil (paper towel dipped in olive oil and held carefully with tongs!). Also they hold together on the grill better if they are frozen or semi-frozen. Not putting bread crumbs in burgers does make them less cohesive. We always cook to well done (Canadian!).

[carolinaBlue]

When you're cooking them, don't press down on the with a spatula. Remember that they'll continue to cook for a few moments after you remove them from the grill or pan so be sure to allow them to rest for about 5 minutes before you serve them.

 

Adding ground pork to the beef will increase the juiciness factor.

[amberino21]

Thanks for the suggestions! I'm from Canada where I have been taught any pink in burgers is an absolute no-no, but I do suspect that is part of the reason they don't turn out well. It is also very hard to find anything other than "lean" or "extra lean" here. Maybe I should grind my own...

I always make my own mince by putting steaks in the food processor - I feel fine cooking these medium/rare as the meat is fresh, and I'd have no issue cooking the whole steak like that! I think mince you buy may be more susceptible to bacteria etc so would need to be cooked through?

[Bet]

I think I will try the pork belly. I've been using grass fed ground beef which is very dense and not that fatty. The burgers have come out hard and dry.

[Susan W]

When 5% ground meat goes on sale, I do buy it. I add ghee, beef tallow or rendered duck fat before I cook it. I never cook it over medium rare.

[whirledpeace]

I'm glad I saw this thread, I have been so used to eating overcooked burgers, but tonight I took some advice and added zucchini and cooked it a little less than I normally would have and it was delicious! Thanks for all the great tips.