Making a hamburger patty filled with meat is pretty easy. While the process is easy and consistent across most recipes, there are ways to vary the ingredients and steps to make different hamburger creations.
Ingredients
Standard Filled Beef Hamburger Patty
“For 2 to 8 servings”
- 1 pound (450 g) ground beef
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Hamburger Slider
“For 12 servings”
- 1 pounds (560 g) ground beef
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Stuffed Hamburger Patty
“For 4 servings”
- 1 pounds (675 g) ground beef
- 8 Tbsp (240 ml) grated cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Turkey Hamburger Patty
“For 4 servings”
- 1 pound (450 g) ground turkey
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) seasoning salt
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) salt
- 1/4 tsp (1.25 ml) garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) black pepper powder
- 2 tsp (10 ml) chopped onion
- 2 tsp (10 ml) mild mayonnaise
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) soy sauce
Meat Stuffed Vegetable Hamburger
“For 4 servings”
- 16 ounces (450 g) canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces
- 1/2 onion, cut into slices
- 3 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) chili powder
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) cumin
- 1 tsp (5 ml) Thai chili sauce
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) breadcrumbs
Step
Method 1 of 5: Standard Beef Hamburger Patty
Step 1. Mix ground beef and spices
Use your hands to mix about tsp (2.5 ml) of salt and tsp (1.25 ml) of ground black pepper into the ground beef.
You can vary the amount of salt and pepper according to your own taste. If you want, you can also add other spices and seasonings to completely change the taste of the hamburger. For a quick change, use 1 Tbsp (15 ml) of the finished hamburger mix
Step 2. Divide into several portions
For standard, pound (115 g) hamburger filling, separate ground beef into four balls or four evenly distributed portions.
The exact amount can depend on the size of the hamburger you want. For example, if you choose a very thin, diet-friendly hamburger filling, you could divide the meat into eight servings, making 1/8 pound (60 g) of hamburger filling. On the other hand, if you want a very large hamburger filling, you can divide the total amount into two servings, making pound (225 g) of hamburger filling
Step 3. Cover the hamburger mold with plastic wrap
Use actual hamburger moulds, round cookie cutters, plastic handles, or other round containers that are appropriately shaped and sized.. Place a layer of plastic wrap on top of the mold.
- This plastic wrap will prevent the hamburger filling from sticking to the other sides of the hamburger mould.
- If you're using an actual hamburger mold, choose the right size for your hamburger by weight. If using another item, such as a can cover, instead of an actual mold, choose a lid that looks slightly larger than the size of the hamburger bun you will be using.
Step 4. Press the hamburger into the mould
Place a separate portion of ground beef into a plastic-lined mold and press it into the mold with your hands. Gently remove it from the mold by lifting it out of the hamburger filling with plastic wrap.
- Make sure that the beef is pressed together into the mold to help the hamburger contents stick together more tightly.
- If needed, add more meat or remove any excess based on how much space is left in your mold.
- If the mold doesn't work for you at all, you can form each separate portion into a ball and use your hands to flatten it into a hamburger filling. It probably won't make for a perfect circle, but this trick is usually pretty good as long as you're not trying to impress others with the perfect shape of the hamburger filling.
Step 5. Flatten, if desired, for a thinner hamburger filling
If you want the filling to be even more even, you can press it down using the bottom side of a clean baking sheet.
More specifically, place the hamburger filling out on a clean table, cutting board, or upside-down baking sheet and cover it with plastic wrap or parchment paper. Press down on the beef hamburger filling using the bottom of the second baking sheet until it reaches the thickness you want
Step 6. Bend a little in the middle
Using your thumb, gently press the small indentation in the center of each hamburger filling. This indentation should not be deeper than inch (1.25 cm).
This small indentation or “well” is very important, especially for normal beef hamburger fillings and thick beef hamburger fillings, as this can prevent the hamburger filling from becoming too bubbly in the middle during the cooking process
Step 7. Store the hamburger fillings until ready to use
Ideally, you should wrap the hamburger in a plastic bag or airtight plastic wrap and let it cool in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before you cook it.
Method 2 of 5: Fill Hamburger Slider
Step 1. Combine beef and spices
Use your hands to mix ground beef with tsp (2.5 ml) salt and tsp (1.25 ml) pepper until well combined.
You can add more or less salt and pepper according to your taste. If you want to try something different, you can also use a prepared spice mix or other spices and herbs to suit your taste. The amount varies based on how strong you want the flavor to be
Step 2. Shape it into a rectangle
Place the hamburger meat in the center of the large parchment paper. Press down with your hands, forming a 6-inch (15.25-cm) by 8-inch (20. 3-cm) rectangle.
If you want to make the sliders even thicker, you can press the rectangular meat gently against the bottom of the pan or use a rolling pin. Cover the meat with parchment paper before using any of the methods above, so your beef doesn't stick to the bottom of your utensils
Step 3. Cut the rectangle into a square shape
Use a sharp knife with a fine blade to cut the beef rectangle into 12 square pieces, each measuring about 2 inches (5 cm) long and wide.
As a side note, this technique can also be used if you want your hamburger filling to contain the normal amount of ground beef, but you want it to be square. Just make sure that the size of the rectangle that you form can be divided into squares of even and perfect size. For example, you could shape the bacon into an 8-inch by 8-inch (20. 3-cm by 20. 3-cm) square and cut it into four flat hamburger fillings that are 4 inches (10 cm) long on each side.
Step 4. Store the hamburger filling until it is ready to use
Place the hamburger filling in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes before you plan to cook it. Keep it covered until you take it out of the refrigerator. Better, if you use a plastic bag or airtight plastic wrap.
Method 3 of 5: Stuffed Hamburger Patty
Step 1. Combine beef and spices
With your hands, mix ground beef with about tsp (3.75 ml) salt and tsp (2.4 ml) ground black pepper.
- Add more or less salt to taste. Likewise with black pepper.
- If you prefer, you can use a hamburger mix or other spices you can enjoy on your hamburgers, such as garlic powder or chili powder. Make sure that the spices you choose will complement the beef and cheese.
Step 2. Form four balls
Break the ground beef lumps into four separate, even pieces. Roll each piece into a ball shape.
These hamburger balls need to be pressed together tightly so that the meat becomes firm and will stick together on its own. When using this technique, you should not have a crumbly hamburger
Step 3. Make an indentation
Use your thumbs to make an indentation in the center of each ball. This indent should be deep enough to reach the center of the ball.
Otherwise, you can also use the end of a wooden handle or a plastic mixing spoon to shape the curves
Step 4. Fill the center with cheese and cover
Fill each groove with about 2 Tbsp (30 ml) grated cheddar cheese. Use your fingers to flatten the beef over the grooves, covering the cheese in the grooves.
Cheddar cheese is usually recommended, but you can get creative by trying other types of cheese. You can also stick small cheese slices or cheese slices in the center of the hamburger as long as it fits and equals about 2 Tbsp (30 ml) grated cheese
Step 5. Flatten into hamburger filling
Use your hands or a hamburger mold to flatten the hamburger stuffing ball into a patty.
For this hamburger, the easiest way to shape the hamburger filling is to use your hands. But you can still use a patty press or mould. Cover the mold with plastic wrap, then press the stuffed patty ball into it, and flatten the meat until it fills the mold
Step 6. Store the hamburger filling until it is ready to use
Wrap the contents of this hamburger in plastic wrap or in an airtight plastic bag and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before removing it and cooking it.
Method 4 of 5: Stuffed Turkey Hamburger
Step 1. Mix the ingredients together
Use your hands to mix ground turkey with both dry and wet ingredients. Continue mixing until the spices and herbs look evenly distributed and the whole turkey hamburger looks sticky and firm.
- Ground turkey tends to be drier than ground beef, but mayonnaise can add stickiness to the mixture to hold things together better.
- You can vary the spices to your liking. But remember that most turkey hamburger fillings have more seasoning than beef hamburger fillings. Turkey has a more bland, mild flavor than beef, so adding seasoning can help enhance the flavor of your turkey hamburger filling.
Step 2. Divide into four balls
For a standard turkey sized hamburger, separate all of the seasoned meatballs into four pound (115g) flattened portions.
Keep in mind that you can technically make the hamburger filling larger or smaller. While this practice is less common with turkey hamburger fillings than beef hamburger fillings, there's no reason it can't be done
Step 3. Flatten into hamburger filling
Use your hands or a hamburger mold to shape the turkey portion into an even hamburger filling.
Since turkey hamburger fillings tend to be less sticky than beef hamburger fillings, forming hamburger fillings with your hands is easier than using a hamburger press. But if you're comfortable enough to use your hamburger filling printer, you can still try it and it's very likely to work. Make sure you cover the plastic wrap before you press the turkey hamburger filling into it
Step 4. Store the hamburger fillings until ready to use
You can cook these turkey hamburger fillings right away, but if you wrap them in plastic wrap or a plastic bag and place them in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or so, you'll find it easier to cook the hamburger fillings more evenly and not stick together during the cooking process.
Method 5 of 5: Stuffed Vegetable Hamburgers
Step 1. Crush the black beans
Place the beans in a medium bowl and use a fork to crush them until they have a paste-like texture.
The texture of the nuts that have been crushed and mashed should be thick and lumpy. You will still be able to see some of the peel in the mixture. However, don't grind the black beans to a pulp in a blender or food processor at this point, as they will be too runny to form into a hamburger filling if you do so
Step 2. Process the vegetables
Place the green peppers, onions, and garlic in a food processor. Run the engine on medium speed until the vegetables become chopped into small, indistinguishable pieces. But don't let the mixture turn into a mush or paste.
Immediately after processing the vegetables, dip them into the black beans that you have mashed until thoroughly mixed
Step 3. Stir together with eggs and spices
In a separate small bowl, mix together the eggs, chili powder, coriander, and chili sauce, stirring gently with a fork or whisk until combined.
Egg yolks and egg whites should be well mixed. The spices should also be evenly mixed in the egg mixture
Step 4. Add the egg mixture and nut mixture, along with the breadcrumbs
Pour the egg mixture into the bowl with the peanut mixture. Mix everything together until evenly mixed. Add the breadcrumbs to the same bowl and mix again, making sure the breadcrumbs are also evenly mixed.
- When you're done, the entire mixture should be fairly sticky and should stick together when pressed into portions without any hassle.
- Remember that eggs help to bind all the ingredients together. Bread flour adds volume to the hamburger filling, and also prevents the mixture from becoming too moist.
Step 5. Divide into four portions of hamburger filling
Separate the vegetable mixture into four servings, and flatten each portion into the hamburger filling using your hands or a hamburger mold.
The veggie hamburger mix will be easier to shape into the hamburger filling if you use your hands, but if you choose to use a patty press or mold, wrap the mold in plastic wrap before using
Step 6. Store the hamburger filling until it is ready to use
Vegetable hamburger fillings usually cook right away, but if you decide to store them, wrap them in plastic wrap or a resealable plastic bag and store them in the refrigerator until you're ready to cook the hamburgers.
