How to make burgers

Shop-bought burgers are certainly the easy option but making your own is really simple and once you know a few basics, you can throw the recipe book away and customise to your heart's content.

Follow these tips for successful burgers every time:

1. Choose your meat

You want your burger to remain juicy so avoid going too lean. Choose a standard minced meat (usually around 20 % fat) or if you are set on leaner cuisine then 10 % fat is ok, don't go for less. Beef is the typical meat used in burgers but you could use lamb or pork, or a mixture of beef and pork.

2. Add your flavourings

The world is your oyster when it comes to flavouring your burgers. Grated onion, finely chopped spring onion, crushed garlic, ground spices (cumin, coriander, ground chilli, fajita spice mix etc), mustard, chopped fresh or dried herbs, ground black pepper - pick the flavours you like. Think of tried and tested combinations:
For Italian burgers, add crushed garlic, finely chopped parsley and grated parmesan to beef mince.
For Moroccan burgers, add chopped coriander, ground cumin and a dollop of harissa paste to lamb mince.
For Spanish burgers, add smoked paprika and finely chopped chorizo to pork mince.
If you're a fan of fromage, instead of topping your burger with cheese, make 2 thinner patties, pop a square of cheese in the middle, then squeeze the edges to seal, like a meat cheese sandwich... just warn your guests about molten oozing when they bite in!

3.  Bind it 

If you're going for a leaner meat or adding bulky ingredients (eg spring onions, onions, chillies), add an egg and a handful of breadcrumbs to bind the burgers.

4. Shape it 

Give everything a thorough mix, it's good to get your hands in for this, then shape into burgers. "Squash the burgers really flat before you cook them. As they cook the meat will constrict, which will make the burgers smaller and fatter. Flatten them down with a spatula during cooking," suggests Cassie, our food editor. 

5.  Season it

"Don't add salt to the ground meat before it's shaped, it'll draw the liquid out of the meat leaving you with a dry burger. Instead sprinkle the outside with salt as it cooks," adds Cassie.

6. Chill it or freeze it

"Chill your burgers for at least an hour before you cook them," says senior food editor Barney. "This will help them keep their shape when they're cooking and stop them falling apart." You can also freeze them before cooking. Lay them on a tray in the freezer and once they're frozen, pop them into freezer bags to save space. To defrost them, lay them back on the tray. Defrost throughly before cooking.

7.  Cook it

Pop your burgers on the barbecue or in a hot, non-stick frying pan with a little oil. Cook for 5 - 6 minutes each side for medium and 8 - 9 minutes on each side for well done.