A classic burger is made from beef but any minced meat or flaked fish can be used to form a patty that is served in a bun, for example, lamb, venison, turkey, cod, salmon or mackerel. Burgers are great barbecue food but they can be pan-fried or grilled too.
If using lean meat to make burgers, it is necessary to bind with egg and breadcrumbs to prevent them falling apart when cooking. This is also helped by chilling the shaped burgers for an hour in the fridge prior to cooking.
Make the burger slightly bigger than the buns you are planning to serve them in because the meat will contract when cooking.
To check the seasoning of the burger, cook a little bit of the mixture to taste and add more salt or pepper accordingly.
Experiment with flavours by adding dried or fresh herbs, spices and condiments to the mince, for example, fresh parsley, tarragon, chilli, ginger, cumin, Worcestershire Sauce or ketchup.
See our collection of burger recipes for more inspiring flavour combinations such as lamb and cumin burgers, pork and cranberry stuffing burgers and squid and mackerel burgers.
