Burger patties are notoriously cooked on the grill or flat top skillet. This is the best way to cook them and has always been that way. But sometimes you don’t always have that luxury or even own a grill. Burgers can also be cooked in a frying pan and be just as good if they were cooked on the grill. You just want to make sure you pay close attention to detail.
Choosing the Best Ingredient
If you plan on making your own burger patties, try to get a ground beef with a higher fat content. This will help to keep the burger juicy and not dry out while cooking. Try not to go any lower than 20% fat content. The best ratio of beef to fat would be 75/25. If you can’t find anything but low fat or lean ground beef, you can add an egg to the beef patty or a tablespoon of mayonnaise to help raise the fat content in the meat.
Preparing the Ingredients
When making your burger patties, just season them with dry seasonings only. Raw ingredients like onion and garlic will taste better in the form of a powder. Its best to shape them into a ball then form them into patties so they will be round and uniform. Just make sure the patties are not thicker than ½ inch. Any thicker and you may run the risk of charring or burning the patty instead of searing. You could steam them, but you will lose a lot of flavor that way. You shouldn’t need any vegetable oil if the fat content is high enough in the burger patty. Just use a little cooking spray instead.
During the Cooking Process
It’s important to get a nice initial sear on the burger. This will help to lock in the moisture and juices while it cooks. After searing the burger, you can lower the heat in order to cook the patty. You will also need to use a frying pan that has a lid. You will need to cook the burger patty fully so using a lid to help locks in steam and moisture in the pan will cook the burger faster without possibly burning the exterior. Try not to smash or press on the burger to make it cook faster. If you do this you will lose a lot of the moisture in the patty and in turn make the patty dry.
The Final Touches
Once the burger is done cooking, you can eat it immediately or place on a bun to be served. It does not need to rest or go through any other steps, just add the toppings on and enjoy!
Steps:
- Place a frying pan with a lid on the stovetop burner and raise the heat to medium high. Lightly coat the frying pan with cooking spray.
- Once the pan is very hot, place the burger patty in the pan and sear on one side for 2-3 minutes. Flip the burger over and sear another 2 minutes. Make sure to be closing the lid after every flip.
- Once seared on both sides, reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook with the lid closed. Make sure to flip the burger every so often in order to cook the burger patty fully. The internal temperature needs to be at least 145 degrees before it is finished cooking.
Once finished cooking, remove the burger patty from the grill and transfer to a bun or plate. Add desired condiments and toppings, serve and enjoy!
