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Author:
Franco Salzillo
Everyone loves a good burger, and at the heart of America’s favorite two-hand biter, there’s a hamburger patty. Today, finding hamburger patties is easier than ever, and we all have a pack in our freezer. Still, when you want to impress, there’s nothing like making them from scratch.
Hamburger patties taste fresher and have a nicer texture when made at home, and when cooked right, they’re juicy and flavorful — what’s better than that? We’ve found that the best way of “grilling” hamburger patties with no oil is using an air fryer, and the result is fantastic.
The secret behind thick and juicy homemade hamburger patties is the meat quality. Ground chuck or any mixture of 80-20 lean-to-fat works best. Talk to your local butcher and have them make a custom blend for you.
What holds the hamburgers together, though, are the breadcrumbs and the egg. You can rarely notice them in the patty, but they give it structure. As for the seasonings, there’s no secret formula. Worcestershire sauce is a great choice, especially with garlic, onion powder, salt and pepper, but try with spicier condiments, including cayenne and paprika.
When hamburger patties are good, figuring out how to serve them is easy. Needless to say, these patties make fantastic burgers, but they’re delicious on their own as well.
If you make burgers, be creative and build a memorable sandwich. Cheese, bacon, sautéed mushrooms and perhaps even veggies, anything goes. If you give your guests, friends and family a good, old-fashioned, homemade burger patty and let them build their burger, magic will happen.
And if you are not into burgers, enjoy these meaty patties with a side of potato wedges and salad.
In a mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, Worcestershire sauce, salt, garlic, onion and black pepper. Mix with your hands until homogeneous.
Divide the mixture into 6 portions and gently pat them to shape them into disks.
Preheat the air fryer to 370°F according to the appliance’s instructions and arrange the patties in the air fryer basket and rack if available.
Cook for 15-18 minutes or as stated in your appliance’s user manual. There’s no need to flip the patties if they are spread, especially if placed in an air-fryer rack.
Serve your burgers on their own or in a bun.
