The Perfect Burger

I found this recipe several years ago on www.Food.com and it has been my "go to" burger recipe from then on out. The recipe is pretty basic without any flavor add-ins... just a juicy delicious burger. I have experimented with some of the suggested flavor add-ins and some of them are really tasty such as BBQ sauce, teriyaki sauce, cajun seasoning, sour cream, fresh herbs, diced jalapenos, sesame oil and more! If you decide to use any of them, don't forget to count them towards your condiments or healthy fats. Also, if you choose one of the healthy fats, you will have to choose a leaner ground beef. I used 93% lean ground beef, so no healthy fat is required.

Here is the original recipe, if you want to check out some of their flavor add-ins.


I think the important part to remember when making a great burger is to loosely make the patties. Handle the meat as little as possible. Don't keep squishing and patting the meat together. This helps make them juicier!

Also when grilling, do not press the burgers down with a spatula. My husband thinks he is the number one grill master and he does this all the time! I constantly have to tell him he is letting all the wonderful juices escape when he does that! One more thing... don't flip the burgers frequently; just one time only. Be kind to your burgers and they will turn out wonderful! I absolutely hate dry burgers! Don't you?


I made the basic recipe for my burgers, but I did top it off with a tablespoon of Guy's Smokey Garlic BBQ sauce. This is one of my favorite sugar free BBQ sauce that I get from www.Netrition.com. I use it a lot on grilled chicken or hamburgers. Guy's BBQ sauce comes in 4 flavors: Original, Smokey Bacon, Smokey Garlic and Spicy. I have tried all 4 and all of them are excellent!


A very close second is G Hughes Smokehouse Sugar Free Hickory BBQ sauce, which you can find at Wal-mart. They also come in 4 flavors: Maple Brown, Original, Hickory, and Honey. I have only tried 2 out of the 4 flavors which were Hickory and Maple Brown. The Hickory was pretty darn good, but their Maple Brown BBQ sauce? Blech... I had to toss it. It did not taste like Maple at all. I just didn't enjoy it and I won't be getting it again. Everyone has their own opinions and different taste buds so if you try it, let me know what you think of it!



The Perfect Burger
Slightly adapted from www.Food.com

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs 93% lean ground beef
1 egg
1 tsp prepared mustard (1/3 Condiment)
1 tsp worcestershire sauce (2 Condiments)
1/4 tsp garlic powder (1/2 Condiment)
1/4 tsp onion powder (1/2 Condiment)
1/2 tsp salt (2 Condiments)
1/2 tsp black pepper (1 Condiment)

Directions:
Lightly oil the grill and heat the grill to medium.
Whisk egg with next five ingredients in a medium bowl.
Crumble in beef and use your hands or a fork to gently mix together.
Handle the meat as little as possible. 
The more you work it, the tougher it gets.
Gently shape (don't firmly press) mixture into burgers about 3/4 inch thick.
Using your thumb, make a shallow depression in the center of each burger 
to prevent puffing up during cooking.
Place burgers on the grill and close the lid. 
Grill until no longer pink inside, turning once, about 6 to 8 minutes per side.
An instant read thermometer should read 160 F.
Don't abuse your burger by pressing with a spatula, 
pricking with a fork, or turning frequently as precious juices will be lost!

4 Servings with 1 Lean and 1.5 Condiments per serving


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