Give your homemade beef burgers a twist with these kebab beef burgers. They are packed with wonderful kebab spices, onions, and fresh herbs, and served alongside homemade tahini sauce. This will be a recipe you will make over and over again this summer.
Have you already started with BBQs this summer? Oh, we have! It's a ritual here, almost every two weeks, the family wants to get together and the only cooking that's happening is BBQ. Of course, burgers and steaks mostly. While good meat needs nothing more than just salt and pepper for flavoring, you can't deny the extra kick you get from a few spices - can you?
Table of Content
About these burgers
These burgers are an absolute hit every single time. If you love Middle Eastern kebabs, then this recipe is going to blow your mind. The kebab spices added to the basic burger mixture just takes these to a whole new level of wow. Coriander, smoked cumin and fresh herbs with some onion, garlic, and ginger. This is one burger that's packed with flavors. Yum!
Homemade burgers are the best. And everybody claims they have the best recipe. The secret to perfect burgers is in the quality of the meat and the method of cooking. The process for these burgers is fairly simple and easy.
- Use good ground meat.
- Combine all the ingredients well. Season it well.
- Form the burger patties.
- Chill the burgers well.
- Cook them.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Beef - Always use good quality meat for grilling. The best meat for juicy burgers is the tender, full-fat meats with an 80% meat and 15 to 20% fat ratio. Chuk is a recommended cut for burgers.
- Onions - I love using a mix of red and white onions for my kebabs - to add more depth of flavor. While the white onion has a zing, the red is sweet. But either one works great in burgers and kebabs.
- Mustard - I think mustard is a must for red meats, especially on the grill.
- Kebab spices - These are very easily available in most supermarkets these days.
Step by step instructions (pin)
- In a bowl, place the ground beef.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Add mustard and Tabasco sauce.
- Next, add all kebab marinade ingredients - onion, garlic, ginger, spices, herbs, and lemon juice.
- Mix just enough to combine. (do not overwork the mixture as it will make the burgers tough).
- Divide your mixture into four large or six medium patties.
- Press lightly into a ball. Then, flatten with your fingers.
- You can keep these wrapped in the fridge until you are ready to grill them.
- Thaw burgers to room temperature an hour before grilling.
- Heat the grill on medium-high.
- Place burger - cook, for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until the desired doneness.
- For the last minute – add the sliced cheese. (optional)
Serve
- Split the burger buns and toast them on the grill.
- Place bun on the platter, top with sauce, burger, and veggies.
- Serve the burger with your choice of sides.
8 tips for making perfect homemade beef burgers every single time
- Always buy the best quality ground meat for your burgers.
- Avoid handling the meat too much. The more you handle the meat, the tougher it gets resulting in dense chewy burgers.
- Keep the burgers chilled until you are ready to cook them. This prevents them from falling apart.
- If you choose low-fat ground meat - stuff the burgers so you won't have to overcook them waiting for the center to get done. This is a great way to prevent low-fat burgers from drying out.
- Don't squish the juices out. When cooking burgers - leave them alone!! NEVER press down with a spatula as you will push the juices out making the burger dense.
- Don't flip the burgers quickly. You need to flip the burger just once or twice. No more. Place the burger on the grill or pan, wait till it is done on one side. If you try to lift and it's still stuck, it means that it's not ready yet. If you force it, all the beautiful caramelization you just got on the meat with the high heat will stay stuck to the pan!
- Always use good quality fresh vegetables. This makes the burgers appetizing. Fresh green lettuce, red tomatoes, red onions.
- Heat the buns on the grill so they are at least warm, not cold with the burgers. I think cold burgers are a big turn-off. Give the light kiss of those pan juices and you take your burger to a whole new level.
Frequently asked questions
Full-fat cuts of meat give you rich, tender, juicy burgers. The lean cuts tend to give you dry burgers because there is not fat to hold the moisture in.
Use full-fat meats. If you choose one with less fat, the burgers tend to shrink and become dry. Also, use coarse ground meat, not finely ground. The fine ground will tend to dry out faster.
One of the many reasons people choose to stuff burgers so the center won't need cooking. Often, the edges tend to dry out while the center is cooking. This typically happens when you cook burger past medium.
Olive oil has a low smoke point and burgers are to be cooked on high. Therefore it is highly recommended to use cooking oils such as canola or grapeseed.
Most people use ketchup and mayonnaise. These kebab burgers also go well with a good homemade tahini sauce.
You can buy readymade burger buns. And yet, if you are up to it, you must try my homemade soft burger buns. I also have whole wheat burger buns. Both are soft and wonderful. They are also very popular with the readers of this blog
For medium-well - cook about 4 minutes on the first side then 3 minutes on the other side.
Medium - about 3 minutes on each side.
Medium rare - about 2 ½ to 3 minutes on each side.
Rare - about 2 minutes should do.
How do you keep hamburger patties from falling apart?
There are few things you can do as I have explained in the tips section above.
- Keep the burgers chilled, since warm patties tend to fall apart.
- Don't over mix the burger mixture.
- Avoid flipping the burgers too soon, or often.
- Do not add too much liquid to the burger mixture. When using frozen ground meat, make sure to drain excess moisture before you form the patties.
- Lastly, if necessary beat an egg and add only as much as needed to bring it all together.
Why do my homemade beef burgers stick to the grill?
- Always use a well seasoned cast-iron pan to grill. Wipe the grill pan with a paper towel that's been moistened with oil. This helps the pan reach a nice smoking point.
- With full-fat ground meat, the burgers should not stick to the grill pan at all.
- But, if you use low-fat ground meat, it is a good idea to add some oil to the pan before adding the burgers.
- If your burgers are still sticking, check to see if the grill pan is clean - perhaps burnt residue from your previous BBQ is still stuck to the wires. Clean thoroughly.
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Recipe
Description
Ingredients
Makes 4 large or 6 medium Burgers
For the meat
- 1 lb (500 g) Ground beef
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) Mustard Dijon
- ½ tsp (½ tsp) Tabasco sauce optional
- ½ tsp (½ tsp) Salt
- ½ tsp (½ tsp) Pepper to taste
Kebab spice mix
- 1 cup (1 cup) Onions finely chopped
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) Garlic grated or minced
- ½ tsp (½ tsp) Ginger grated
- ½ tsp (½ tsp) Coriander powder
- ¼ tsp (¼ tsp) Cumin powder
- ¼ tsp (¼ tsp) Cinnamon powder
- 1 tbsp (1 tbsp) Lemon juice
- ½ cup (½ cup) Cilantro chopped
Instructions
- In a bowl, place the ground beef.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Add mustard and Tabasco sauce.
- Next, add all kebab marinade ingredients - onion, garlic, ginger, spices, herbs, and lemon juice.
- Mix just enough to combine. (do not overwork the mixture as it will make the burgers tough).
- Divide your mixture into four large or six medium patties.
- Press lightly into a ball then flatten with your fingers.
- You can keep these wrapped in the fridge until you are ready to grill them.
- Thaw burgers to room temperature an hour before grilling.
- Heat the grill on medium high.
- Place burger - cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until desired doneness.
- For the last minute – add the sliced cheese. (optional)
Serve
- Split the burger buns and toast them on the grill.
- Place bun on the platter, top with sauce, burger, and veggies.
- Serve burger with your choice of sides.
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
What do you serve on the side with these kebab beef burgers
The next best thing to burgers is of course what's on the side. Here are a few options that we often use when we have a BBQ or when we are invited to a BBQ party.
Helen
I love summer eating, and homemade burgers have got to be a real winner. Perfect for grilling in the garden and enjoying the light nights. Always tasty and wholesome. And of course the tahini sauce is a particular favourite of mine.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Helen. This one is a big hit in our home.You must try.
Farah Maizar
Such good tips and I like the spice combination. Seems delicious!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Farah
penelopi
I cooked this and it was absolutely delicious! Love the avocado on the burger!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Penelopi. So happy you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you so much for coming back to write this feedback. Love hearing from those who try my recipes.
Adriana
I have prepared the meat using your recipe and turns out fantastic. A super yummy option for summer cookouts!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Adriana. So happy you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you so much for coming back to write this feedback. Love hearing from those who try my recipes.
Dannii
A good beef burger is a must at a summer BBQ.
Veena Azmanov
Yes, perfect Dannii.