Make hamburgers that won't fall apart on the grill (or disappoint the grandchildren) (2024)
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We use our outdoor grill several nights a week and do well with things like marinated lamb, yakitori chicken, Puget Sound seafood and vegetables. But when our grandchildren ask for hamburgers, we fail miserably. We make the patties about 1/2-inch thick from the leanest hamburger or ground round. But when we put them on the grill, they crumble and fall apart. How do we get the patties to stay together?
First of all, I'd make them thicker, maybe 3/4-to 1-inch thick. Cook them over a slightly lower fire so they don't burn on the outside before they're cooked on the inside.
The very low fat content of the hamburger probably has something to do with it, but there are a couple of tricks you can use:
Add 1 egg yolk per pound of hamburger. It won't add appreciably to the fat content and will bind the meat beautifully.
The other thing you can do is add canned, drained, crushed black beans or chickpeas to the hamburger. The starch from the beans will bind the meat together and add an interesting taste. (The kids might not like it, though.)
Make thicker patties: Thicker patties are less likely to fall apart. Aim for patties that are about 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Thinner patties are more prone to breaking apart [2]. Use indirect heat: When grilling, cook the patties over indirect heat rather than directly over the flames.
Resist the urge to constantly flip the burgers while they cook. Flipping them too often can cause them to fall apart. Let the burgers cook for a few minutes on one side before flipping them once. This will help them develop a nice sear and hold together better.
The most common burger binding agent is egg. This makes your ground beef stick together and is the most readily available ingredient. You can also use potato starch as a burger binding agent depending on your allergies or general availability.
After flipping the burger, a slice of American (or cheddar) cheese is added to one of the patties, and the second patty is placed directly on top. This way, the cheese gets heated from both sides simultaneously and rapidly melts, helping the patties stay together on their trip to the bun.
If you're using ground beef with high-fat content, the ingredients should bind together fairly well on their own without needing to add an egg in the burger. However, if you're unsure about the meat holding together, you can always add an egg just to be safe.
Mix the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, evaporated milk, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, and garlic in a large bowl using your hands. Form the mixture into 8 hamburger patties. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill patties until browned and no longer pink, about 5 minutes per side.
Introduction: My name is Msgr. Refugio Daniel, I am a fine, precious, encouraging, calm, glamorous, vivacious, friendly person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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