Hamburger Patty (the best version)

Name: Hamburger Patty (the best version)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 500g ground beef (15% fat content (go for 5% if you want a leaner patty)); 1 white onion (finely diced); 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard; 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce; 1 egg; 30g panko breadcrumbs; 8 lettuce leaves; 1 beef tomato (sliced); onion relish; pickled red onions; Ketchup; Mayonnaise; 4 burger buns; 4 slices of cheddar cheese

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This is my mother's Hamburger Patty recipe and it's a real crowd-pleaser. All you need is some ground beef, egg, white onion, panko breadcrumbs, and a few pantry sauces for extra flavour, and you've got yourself the juiciest, most flavourful hamburger patty ever. It's a bold claim, but I truly believe you'll never use another recipe for a homemade hamburger patty.

Hamburger patty in a bun with lettuce, tomato, onion.

I feel like everyone always love's their parent's recipes, and this one is my mother's recipe. She's been making it like this ever since I can remember. I've added in one extra ingredient inspired by a hamburger patty I had at a pub in Stratford St Mary recently...wholegrain mustard. It totally completes it and makes for the BEST hamburger patty recipe ever! I really hope you enjoy the recipe!

If you've got leftover burger patties, then try making my take on Loco Moco a Hawaiian comfort food that is a personal favourite!

For more sandwich-style recipes, you've got to check out my marry me chicken chopped salad sandwich or for a veggie option, my eggplant parmesan sandwich...so good!

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Why you'll love this recipe
Ingredients & Substitutions
Step by step instructions with photos
What to do with leftovers
FAQs
Other related recipes you might enjoy!
Hamburger Patty (the best version)

Why you'll love this recipe

Simple: Making hamburger patties from scratch is honestly so simple. Plus they're SO much tastier than store-bought ones. For this recipe you only need a handful of pantry ingredients and you've got yourself a juicy delicious burger patty.

Quick: This hamburger patty recipe comes together in less than 20 minutes and is honestly such a crowdpleaser. Cook it on the stovetop, oven, or on the bbq for a delicious result.

Preppable: This burger recipe is so easy to prep in advance. You just have to make the patties and then layer them on parchment paper, into an airtight container, and into the fridge for up to 2 days until you're ready to cook them.

If you're looking for a couple of recipes to serve alongside this burger, then why not try my deep-fried stuff olives or my mozzarella and chorizo balls, they're the perfect appetiser on a summer's day.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Photo of all the ingredients for a hamburger patty recipe.

Ground beef: I've used 15% fat for this recipe. The higher the fat percentage in the ground beef, the juicier the burger will be. If you want a leaner, healthier burger patty, then opt for the lower fat percentage of around 5%.

White onion: For flavour, I've used finely chopped white onion in the burger patty. You could also use shallots or red onion.

Sweet chili sauce: Any kind of sweet chili sauce will go really well in these burgers. You can't specifically taste the sweet chili sauce, we are using it purely as a seasoning. If you don't have sweet chili sauce, then I'd recommend using a combination of sriracha sauce with honey to try and replicate that sweet spiciness.

Worcestershire sauce: Once again, this is just a sauce to add flavour and seasoning to the hamburger patty recipe. It adds a lovely tanginess and umami to the burger that takes your taste buds to flavour town. If you don't have Worcestershire sauce, then you can use half the amount suggested but of balsamic vinegar, to give the burger patties the tang they need.

Wholegrain mustard: Any kind of wholegrain mustard is perfect. It balances out the flavours in the burger but isn't as strong as smooth mustard. If you don't have wholegrain mustard, I'd recommend adding in whole mustard seeds instead.

Egg: This is a binder and adds flavour to the burgers.

Panko breadcrumbs: This is optional, but I recommend using panko breadcrumbs for several reasons. Firstly, because it helps bind the ingredients together, enabling you to form the mixture into patties more easily. The patties then don't crumble when cooked. The breadcrumbs also help keep the fat and juices in the burger, because they soak up all the goodness, rather than letting them seep into the pan. Lastly, the panko breadcrumbs also result in a more tender, lighter burger.

Step by step instructions with photos

Ground beef, egg, onions, wholegrain mustard, and Worcestershire sauce in a large bowl making burger patties.

Step 1: Get yourself a large bowl and combine your ground beef, white onion, wholegrain mustard, sweet chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, egg, and panko breadcrumbs. Season with salt and pepper.

A large bowl filled with hamburger patty mixture.

Step 2: Stir the mixture until you have a thoroughly combined burger patty recipe.

A homemade hamburger patty held out in a hand.

Step 3: Form into 4-8 patties depending on how thick you like your hamburgers. I'd recommend making them as wide as your burger buns. Mine were around 4 inches/10 cm in diameter. You can then either make then into thin burger patties (around ½ inch thick), or thicker hamburger patties (around 1 inch thick).

Frying hamburger patties layered with cheese.

Step 4: Place a non-stick pan/skillet on medium heat and drizzle with a teaspoon of vegetable oil. Add in your hamburger patties and cook them for 3 minutes on each side for thin patties and 5 minutes on each side for thick patties. Then, reduce the heat, add on your cheese (optional), place the lid on the pan and cook for a further 2 minutes until the cheese starts to melt. Remove the patties from the pan and set aside ready to assemble.

Step 5: Time to assemble your hamburgers. Begin by lightly toasting your bun, then adding sauce to the base, followed by lettuce, tomato, pickled red onion, your homemade hamburger patty, onion relish, and the top of your bun.

Step 6: Press down so that all the juices combine, and enjoy with a side salad or homemade French fries.

What to do with leftovers

Storage: To store the cooked hamburger patties, simply place them in airtight containers and into the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freezing: You can either freeze these before cooking them, or after cooking them. Either way, place your burger patties in an airtight container in-between sheets of parchment paper (to prevent them sticking to each other). Freeze for up to 3 months. Leave to thaw/defrost in the fridge overnight, then either cook them following the instructions in the recipe card, or reheat them following the instructions below.

Reheat: Once defrosted, reheat your cooked burgers by either placing them back into a pan on low heat with the lid on for about 5 minutes or until piping hot. Or you can heat them in the microwave with the lid of the container loosely fitted, until piping hot.

FAQs

Can I cook the hamburger patty on the bbq?

Absolutely, do it like you would a store-bought version. Once again, based on how thick your burger patties are, you'll need to cook them for a shorter or longer period of time. For thin burger patties, cook for 3-5 minutes on each side on the bbq. For thick burger patties, cook for 5-7 minutes on each side for well cooked patties.

Can I cook the patties in the oven or air fryer?

For the oven, preheat to 190C/375F and place the patties onto a baking sheet. Cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes. For the air fryer, preheat to 190C/375F and place the patties into the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes, flipping halfway.

What other things can I add into my burger?

Pickles are a great addition to any burger. You could also add coleslaw, a fried egg, fried bacon, or avocado. SO many options.

If you tried this Hamburger Patty recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thank you!