For The Best Burger Seasoning Blend, Always Keep It Simple
Burgers can be a contentious subject, and chefs throughout the United States flip over patties on hot grills in hopes of delivering unforgettable sandwiches to hungry customers. As tempting as it might be to season the burgers you make at home with the assorted herbs and seasonings you have stocked away in your spice cupboard, if you're looking to serve a tasty meaty burger to your guests, less is often more.
Unlike classic Italian meatballs in which cooks fold an assortment of breadcrumbs, spices, chopped aromatics, and grated cheese into meat mixtures, raw burger patties don't need much to become the standout star of your next backyard barbecue. Instead of taking away from the natural umami flavors of your chosen meat, the right amount of seasonings will highlight the burger's best assets. On an episode of Food Network's "Bobby Flay's Barbecue Addiction," host Bobby Flay advises keeping beef and turkey burgers simple by coating patties with a generous amount of salt and freshly ground black pepper before placing the seasoned burgers on the hottest part of the grill.
Try one before you season all
On "Good Morning America," Chef Gordon Ramsay advises viewers to be sure to season all sides of each burger patty, suggesting that home cooks literally roll the edge of each raw burger into their preferred choices of spices and salts. Not sure if you've overdone it? Use Rachael Ray's burger-tasting trick and try out your intended combination of flavors on one small patty before cooking the rest of the batch.
Because a hamburger patty can be a tempting platform to try out new seasonings and flavored salt blends, try flavoring a handful of patties with basic seasonings before letting loose and getting experimental with ingredients. Dried onion, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, dried parsley, and even brown sugar are standard additions to burger meat and often provide all the flavor you'll need to enjoy a perfectly cooked burger. Sandwiched between toasted buns, topped with melted cheese, and garnished with your favorite condiments and sauces, you may be convinced the burgers you make on your own grill are arguably one of the best recipes out there.