There’s something pretty magical about having family and friends over and spending time together enjoying delicious grilled food prepared in the comfort of your home. And that’s precisely the comfort stuffed burgers give in every gathering. But, despite that happy, homely feeling you get after eating a well-cooked stuffed burger, getting one can be pretty challenging to do, as it is pretty easy to screw one up.
But, when done right, stuffed burgers can be the highlight of any meal. So, here’s everything you need to know about stuffed burgers from the masters themselves, Elevation Burger.
How To Make The Best Stuffed Burgers
Ask any burger king, and they’ll tell you that the secret to any stuffed burger is the patty. By having the proper stuffing inside your burger, you can make a long-lasting impression on everyone-even the most jaded burger eaters. But, before you can make a lasting impression, let’s dive into what you require to achieve perfection.
What You Need
The trick to preparing a tasty and memorable stuffed burger is to use high-quality ground meat to make two very thin patties. Once that’s done, place the stuffing you will use for your burger on one patty and top with the other patty. Then seal the burger closed. If the patties are formed and grilled right, the result will be delicious stuffed burgers that will keep people coming back for more.
So, for you to make a stuffed burger, you will require ground meat with an 80% lean and a selection of stuffing ingredients. You can choose from cheese and bacon, cheese and jalapeno, to pizza toppings. Also, for your grill, you will require a quality spatula.
Choosing The Meat For Your Stuffed Burger
The secret behind preparing the perfect stuffed burger is using the correct type of ground meat. Purchase meat that can hold together while on the grill. And, since lean meats dry out quickly, there is always a high probability of your patties crumbling on the grill. This is why any burger master will always advise you to go for ground meat with a bit of fat.
For this, you can try using blended meats and combine the ground beef with lamb or ground pork for a richer flavored burger patty. Once you have the correct type of meat, it’s also essential to ensure that the patty portions you make are as equal as possible.
Forming The Burger Patties
Once you have picked out the type of meat you want, the next is forming the burger patties. And since this is a stuffed burger, try to ensure that you cook your vegetable or meat stuffing ahead of time. Once your filling is ready, place at least two to three tablespoons on half of the burger patties. This ensures that the burger meat doesn’t get burnt before your stuffing cooks.
Remember, try not to overstuff them as you wouldn’t want your stuffing to burst at the seams. Also, here are several tips you can use to keep your handmade patties from crumbling.
- Keep Things Cold: The colder your ground meat is, the more likely your patties can stay together. So, what you should do is take your ground meat out of the fridge, shape it into patties by hand and then place them in the refrigerator. Refrigerating them afterward helps the patties hold together much better.
- Avoid Fiddling With Your Patties: Try as much as possible to avoid fiddling with your patties, especially when shaping them.
- Flip As Little As Possible: Don’t flip your burger patties very often, especially when cooking them, as they can quickly fall apart.
- Avoid Putting Liquid Ingredients In Your Patties: While liquid sauces might make the burger patties tastier, they also make them easier to crumble, especially when on a grill. Therefore, try to stick to solid spices when preparing your burgers. You can also add the sauce after cooking if you still prefer using liquid flavorings over solid ones.
Sealing And Grilling The Burgers
Once you place your stuffing on half of the patties, the next step is sealing them up. Ensure that the edges are sealed together tight so that they don’t come apart while on the grill. When grilling stuffed burgers, remember that they take longer to cook compared to regular burgers. Also, be careful when turning the patties, as they are pretty delicate.
Cook your patties to 165 F/ 4 C, and this also includes the stuffing, as it has been in contact with the raw ground meat.
Once your burgers are ready, let them rest, then place on a bun and enjoy. The best part about preparing stuffed burgers is that you spice them as you desire.