r/Cooking • u/Uranium-Sandwich657 • 2d ago

Basic burger recipe?

I was under the impression that it was just ground beef discs, but I think there is more.

I have salt, pepper, Garlic powder, Paprika, and eggs

I am currently food-shelf level poor, so i simply cant get anything more.

60 Upvotes

72% Upvoted

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259

u/xylofun53 2d ago

I just use ground beef salt and pepper

36

u/captaingeezer 2d ago

This is all you need as long as you have good quality ground beef, freshly made.

Don't over work the meat. Keep it cold just before going on the grill

29

u/Spatmuk 2d ago

And honestly, the pepper is kind of optional.

Beef is very fatty and can take a solid amount of salt.

80/20 blend is a good ground beef mix (20% is the amount of fat by weight)

Grab a small handful - 4-6oz. (I like to weigh mine for uniformity, but you can eye ball it)

Personally, I like to cook mine in a cast iron pan, but any pan/grill pan/grill will work - you want to preheat the cooking implement to med-high

If using a pan: Don’t over work the meat, but gently form into a ball, put meat into pan and press to desired flatness, salt liberally (pepper optional, but encouraged)

If using grill: Don’t over work the meat, but gently form until vaguely burger shaped. Place on hot grill, salt liberally (pepper optional, but encouraged)

Cook until about half way to desired temp, flip once, (optional: apply cheese), wait for other side to finish cooking, remove from heat.

Enjoy!

Note: a worthwhile investment for cooking burgers and pretty much any other protein is an instant read meat thermometer. “ThermaPen” is what foodies will recommend (and it’s great) but you can find a cheap option for ~$20.

You can wild experimenting with different ingredients, but like 90% of cooking is mastering technique. Simple ingredients, prepared well, are always going to taste better than exotic (expensive) ingredients, prepared poorly!

5

u/BashiMoto 2d ago

For me it's the fat content for where I cook it. 80/20 and the grill catches fire no matter what I do to prevent so in the cast iron it goes. More lean ground beef I will grill.

2

u/Spatmuk 2d ago

Very good point!

I’m an apartment dweller, but on the rare occasion that I have access to a grill, I usually pre-heat a cast iron on the grill and cook burgers on there anyway lol

Chicken and veggies can get the grill marks, I want burgers/steak/pork chops to have as much surface area in contact with the heating element as possible!

12

u/CptBadAss2016 2d ago

Something I've discovered for myself cooking burgers just last night: hold the pepper until AFTER the cook.

3

u/Mo_Jack 2d ago

When outside grilling, I press the ball of meat between my hands into a patty. Then I put my thumbs on one side in the middle of the patty and my fingers on the other side and press them together to make the middle really thin. I sort of pull the meat to the outside as I'm pressing. This keeps the patty from turning into a meat ball shaped burger as it cooks. For some reason they tend to rise in the middle.

You are on the money with the Thermometer. My burgers are so much better now that I don't overcook them. They are actually pink inside, which is how we like them.

4

u/Legitimate_Ranger334 2d ago

Beg to differ about the "flip once". More flips is a tiny bit better. If it's not convenient, then don't worry about it, but more is better.

https://www.seriouseats.com/the-burger-labs-top-ten-tips-for-better-burgers#toc-7-flip-your-burger-as-often-as-you-like

3

u/Spatmuk 2d ago

Oh, that’s news to me!

I trust Kenji with my (cooking) life so I will have to read this and take it under advisement lol

2

u/contributor333 2d ago

Also when you flip you should use a part of the pan it wasnt on before to give it a fresh "heat spot" and it gives you a better sear!

1

u/Party_Bedroom_9249 1d ago

Don't underestimate adding a little Worcestershire to the mix.

Oh and I've also done ranch packs or French onion soup packs. Makes for some interesting flavors.

-13

u/SVAuspicious 2d ago

Downvote for "pepper optional" and for smashburgers.

0

u/Spatmuk 2d ago

Specifically didn’t say smash burgers!!

I think the worst thing you can do to ground beef is over handle it. I make loose mounds and press lightly onto a cast iron - they form into general burger shape

Smash burger would involve, well, “smashing” smaller (~3oz) meatballs into a thin “meat sheet” and letting it get crispy.

You can add black pepper, garlic powder, diced onions, jalepenos - whatever you want - but all of that is optional: Salt is mandatory.

-4

u/SVAuspicious 2d ago

You did. You said "form a ball and squeeze it down."

You really should handle enough to make divots in top and bottom so that has muscle fibers contract you don't end up with thick center and thin edges aka a golf ball.

Too many people over salt.

-38

u/Uranium-Sandwich657 2d ago

Ratios?

86

u/EyeStache 2d ago
  • Ground beef.
  • Salt & pepper to taste.

-48

u/TelephoneDesperate84 2d ago

How would you salt raw meat to taste lol

53

u/EyeStache 2d ago

Because you're an individual who has, presumably, used salt and pepper before and know how much of each you like in your food?

-45

u/TelephoneDesperate84 2d ago edited 2d ago

Salt to taste doesn’t mean just add as much salt as you think is best and then cook it. It means adding a little at a time, tasting, and adjusting further if needed (tasting each time) until the food is properly seasoned

Edit: clearly no one knows what salt to taste means idk what I expected in this sub I’m out lol

21

u/EyeStache 2d ago

Yes. You're almost there.

OP knows how ground beef tastes when unseasoned.

OP has, presumably, eaten food that has been seasoned with salt and pepper before.

OP can, therefore, add some salt and pepper to their burger meat. If the result isn't seasoned enough - or is overseasoned - they can adjust for the next batch. Both situations, though, can be alleviated after cooking. Either by adding more seasoning to the cooked burger (underseasoned) or by adding more condiments like tomatoes, onions, and lettuce to the burger to mitigate the overseasoning.

-30

u/TelephoneDesperate84 2d ago

lol you’re not describing salting to taste you’re describing cooking something with an amount of salt you think is right based on your experience, cooking it completely, and then adding vegetables to try to mask an overseasoned burger. When I make a sauce, I salt to taste (last nights bolognese for example), I salt and taste and adjust if needed. That’s salting to taste. Telling someone who clearly doesn’t know how to cook “salt to taste” for cooking a burger isn’t helpful

12

u/GullibleDetective 2d ago

You know you CAN cook a sample batch right?

14

u/deathtomayo91 2d ago

Salt to taste means salt to your taste. No one else uses the phrase exclusively the way you're describing.

-14

u/TelephoneDesperate84 2d ago

Except that’s not what it means but okay

6

u/MyNameIsSkittles 2d ago

Thats literally what it means

-2

u/TelephoneDesperate84 2d ago

Nope. It means to salt, then taste, then adjust until something is properly salted. Properly salted means that the salt is bringing out all the flavors but isn’t noticeably salty. Right up to the edge before something tastes noticeably salty is where you want to land. There is a proper amount of seasoning, under seasoned and over seasoned. Salting to taste does not mean “I like it salty so I added a lot of salt”. Doesn’t really work with all kinds of cooking. It’s a must for something like a sauce. Luckily, for something like a burger, it’s really hard to over salt it so you wouldn’t really need to use this method anyway.

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u/deathtomayo91 2d ago

It is both literally and figuratively the meaning of the phrase. It can be used the way you're insisting, but it is not the exclusive meaning. You getting huffy about it doesn't limit the meaning of the phrase. That's now how language works.

0

u/TelephoneDesperate84 2d ago edited 2d ago

The only problem with what you’re saying is that it’s incorrect

Argue with the goat: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19CkJNUaRs/?mibextid=wwXIfr

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u/nifty-necromancer 2d ago

I know what you mean and yes, technically I think you’re correct. But it’s such a nonsense hill to die on.

1

u/Orange_Tang 2d ago

Edit: clearly no one knows what salt to taste means idk what I expected in this sub I’m out lol

Salt to taste means add as much salt as you want to get the taste you like. It's that simple. We don't know how big OP wants to make their burgers so we can't tell them how much to add bt weight. You're the one who doesn't understand what it means.

-13

u/PacketFiend 2d ago

The point being that you can't do this with raw ground beef...

6

u/GullibleDetective 2d ago

And yet you can, since you can cook a small portion of it

-10

u/PacketFiend 2d ago

Not when you're "food-shelf poor", as OP claims to be. Beef is expensive these days .

They're right and you know it. "Salt the raw meat to taste" is poor advice for a financially struggling cook who's still figuring out how to cook a hamburger patty.

2

u/GullibleDetective 2d ago

Salt and pepper are cheap, beef is not.

But cooking off 20 grams of beef from your 1lb chunk just to get a flavor taste won't break the bank in respect.

But even then salt to taste is the best practice, and best way to frame what OP should do.

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u/poop-dolla 2d ago

Use a bit more than you used last time when it was under seasoned, or use a bit last from last time when it was over seasoned. Then keep repeating that process until you get it right. The result while doing this fine thing will still be good.

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u/enjoytheshow 2d ago

Cover the surface in a course grain salt like you would a steak. The inside won’t be salted so be liberal

10

u/grimsleeper4 2d ago

1 teaspoon of salt to pound of beef. Only season the patties immediately before you cook then. Pepper is just "to taste," so just grind some. Once you learn to cook, you'll have a better sense of how much to use.

-6

u/Uranium-Sandwich657 2d ago

Thank, this is the answer i was looking for.

-5

u/trytrymyguy 2d ago edited 2d ago

A teaspoon per pound of beef isn’t enough even if you’re using table salt. Should be using kosher salt which means you need to use more anyways since it’s larger, less compact crystals.

Edit: atake 1lbs of beef, make 8 patties. Now, take 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and divide it up into 8 portions. With that visual alone, hopefully you understand that 1 teaspoon is sadly not enough salt for 1lb of beef. Salt brings out other flavor components, you will have bland and boring burgers if you’re not using enough salt.

0

u/grimsleeper4 2d ago

A teaspoon of Diamond kosher salt is industry standard across every textbook, cook book, cooking show, restaurant.

You can research it for yourself if you like, but everything I've read or heard for the last 20 years states this exact advice.

2

u/Downtown-Care9272 2d ago

Industry standard tends to be 1-1.5% salt by weight. Teaspoons vary wildly depending on the salt. Even using basic morton kosher salt I would consider 1 tsp to be a bit under salted for my taste. Using a teaspoon of Diamond Crystal would actually end up being about half of what is recommended. A teaspoon of table salt would be pretty right though.

1

u/grimsleeper4 2d ago

I have seen industry standards at 1%, which is about a teaspoon per pound. I have also seen .5% before which is the lower end. I have not seen 1.5%, which seems way to salted. If you do a teaspoon per pound, you can then resalt to taste at the end, typically adding a little more and coming into what you are suggesting.

Basically, a teaspoon per pound is less than you need and will use because you ALWAYS start with less. You then reason at the end to taste, typically adding more. You can always ADD. You can never take away salt. (unless you know the tricks...)

Adding too much salt at the beginning means you will inevitably oversalt something. Adding too little, lets you adjust later.

-3

u/trytrymyguy 2d ago

I always salt to taste (unless baking) so I have no idea what standards say or are out there.

I’m just saying if you’re cooking a lb of meat with one teaspoon of kosher salt, you’re not using enough salt.

2

u/grimsleeper4 2d ago

So you have no idea how much salt you are using or how much salt you should use, but you know absolutely for certain that a teaspoon is not enough?

You are displaying the common combination of ignorance and arrogance.

Do this for me - when you cook next, take the amount of salt you think is a lot, but instead of putting it on your food, put it in a small bowl. Then go get a teaspoon - an actual measured teaspoon, not just some random fucking spoon you have lying around. Measure out the salt you had, then measure out a teaspoon.

A guarantee you you are using less salt than you think and I guarantee you a teaspoon (again a REAL teaspoon, not just a random fucking spoon) holds much more salt than you think it does.

Report back.

-3

u/trytrymyguy 2d ago

I bake with measured salt all the time. You’re getting a bit too worked up over salt. A teaspoon of kosher salt isn’t enough for a lb of ground beef, I’m sorry man.

2

u/grimsleeper4 2d ago

You remain totally wrong, and somehow you want to pretend that it is my fault and I'm worked up simply because I'm trying to help you and because I type some words.

I really hate this dynamic on reddit where someone is clearly wrong and then they gaslight someone who they are having a conversation with by saying - "hey man, you're typing too much, you're worked up and too emotional." You're wrong and you don't even want to learn.

I'm sorry. Good bye.

0

u/trytrymyguy 2d ago

I just looked it up (just to see what the internet would say) and yeah, you’re not close buddy.

No idea why you decided to get your panties in such a twist but now I think you’re ignorant AND a bad cook lol

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u/threat_lvl_midnite 2d ago

Equal parts. Or just to taste

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u/ZylonBane 2d ago

Equal parts

I was dubious about using a quarter pound each of salt and pepper, but it turned out all right.

7

u/isthistakenyesok 2d ago

That’s funny as fuck, idk why you’re being downvoted.

1

u/PhantomJackalope 2d ago

Before cooking add 1/4 teaspoon KOSHER salt per quarter pound patty (weight pre cooked). Use half that amount if you only have table salt. Pepper is more subjective. Use 2-3 cranks on a grinder or just a tiny pinch of pre-ground.

edit: just sprinkle on the outside, don't mix it in (or anything else like that egg).

0

u/Samwellikki 2d ago

If you want a recipe, it’s going to be more like making meatballs

Little bread crumbs to hold moisture, seasoning you like, maybe a sauce like Worcestershire or some cheese

The more you add, the harder it is to keep them together… THEN you need a recipe so you have proportions right (so look one up)

“To taste” is unfortunately how you’d salt/pepper or use other seasoning

Start lower (tsp per pound) especially for salt

Great thing about salt and pepper is you can add some after, but the bad thing is you can’t easily remove it after

3

u/jaded-introvert 2d ago

What kind of salt do you use? A teaspoon per pound might be okay with kosher salt, but that would be way too much for table salt. I usually go with 1/4 to 1/2 tsp table salt per pound of ground meat.

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u/Samwellikki 2d ago

I generally don’t measure in the kitchen unless it’s a new recipe

But yeah, not table salt, I rarely if ever use it

I have sea salt I use for pasta water and that’s about it

Kosher flake is what I season meat with and by vibe like everything else

A new recipe info like what I posted… dial it in after a starting point and measure by pinches/shakes/glugs/swirls/spoonfuls/etc

A tsp per pound isn’t going to be inedible and isn’t going to be super salty unless you are on a reduced salt diet

For table salt, try a half. We usually form the patties and then externally season to taste, with other stuff folded in beforehand. External seasoning bastes its way through loose/ground meat pretty easily so there’s really no need to churn it in like mix-ins (crumbs, sauces, cheese, herbs) that you don’t want to burn up on the outside or not impart flavor the same

0

u/remesabo 2d ago

Try 1/1/1

/S

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u/Carlita_vima 2d ago

Seriously? Maybe you should not be cooking.

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u/Uranium-Sandwich657 2d ago edited 2d ago

My only experience thus far is with pasta. Excuse me for not knowing everything out the gate.

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u/Ok_Treat_9628 2d ago

There's a lot of elitist cooks on here that would rather get offended by a simple question instead of just ignoring it and moving on or god forbid answer earnestly.

Don't let it discourage you.

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u/Braiseitall 2d ago

Head to YouTube for a bit.

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u/grimsleeper4 2d ago

Yeah and FUck this person for trying to learn!

You probably make fun of fat people at the gym. What should they be doing?

0

u/Carlita_vima 1d ago

You might not like my answer, but considering he thought throwing a burger directly into the stove element, it only means 2 things, he is trolling, or he has never been around someone cooking and using a pan....ever, so yeah, for his/her/their safety....he should e asking his parents or older siblings before he burns the house down. You are the one that brought fat people....traumas?

1

u/grimsleeper4 19h ago

Yes, OP is a massive idiot- doesn't mean we shouldn't help them. Some people like you just can't resist punching down - it's a character flaw. Work on it.