What is seasoning and why is it important?
Seasoning is the process of adding herbs, spices, salt, pepper, and other flavorings to food. It is a very important step in cooking that can truly take your dishes from bland and boring to delicious and mouthwatering. Proper seasoning allows the natural flavors of the ingredients to shine through while also adding layers of aroma, taste, and depth.
Seasoning is especially important for foods like hamburgers which can often be on the plain side without the right seasonings. The beef patty alone has a certain hearty, meaty flavor but not too much else going on. This is why spices, herbs, sauces, and other toppings are so commonly piled on burgers to add excitement to every bite. Applying the right blend of seasonings to your burgers before, during, and after cooking can really take them to the next level.
When should you season your burgers?
Typically, there are three main times during the cooking process to season your burgers:
1. Before forming the patties
2. While the patties are cooking
3. After cooking just before serving
Seasoning the beef before forming patties
Most seasoned burger experts recommend seasoning the ground beef meat before you even form the patties. This allows the seasoning to get mixed directly into the meat thoroughly and evenly throughout each bite.
Some of the best seasonings to mix into the raw ground beef include:
– Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – These classics add essential seasoning and flavor to beef. Use about 1 tsp salt and 1⁄2 tsp pepper per pound of meat.
– Worchestershire sauce – 1-2 tbsp per pound adds umami flavor.
– Minced garlic – 1 minced clove per pound lends aromatic flavor.
– Dried herbs – 1⁄2 tsp each of herbs like basil, oregano, thyme per pound.
– Spice blends – 1⁄2 tsp or so per pound of blends like chili powder, steak seasoning, or Cajun seasoning.
– Minced onion – For moisture and flavor.
After mixing the seasoning evenly throughout the raw ground beef, then you can form patties. The seasoning is now built right into the meat.
Seasoning while cooking the patties
The second prime time to add seasoning is while the burgers are cooking. As the patties cook on the grill or in a pan, sprinkle, brush, or coat them with flavorful sauces, spices, and herbs to add another layer of flavor.
Great ways to season while cooking include:
– Barbecue sauce – Brush on some sweet, smoky, or spicy sauce for delicious caramelized flavor.
– Steak sauce – For bonus umami and moisture, coat patties with a sauce like A1.
– Dry steak seasoning – Sprinkle on a blend as the burgers cook for a quick dose of spices.
– Fresh herbs – Add fresh herbs like rosemary, sage, or thyme on the patties in the last few minutes of grilling.
– Butter – Top with a pat of flavored butter as it melts to keep burgers extra juicy.
– Compound butter – Mixing herbs, spices, or condiments into butter then topping burgers allows flavors to melt together beautifully.
– Chili crisp oil – Drizzle a little bit of the spicy oil on patties while cooking for an addicting hit of heat and crunch.
Seasoning after cooking just before serving
The final step in seasoning burgers is to add any toppings and condiments after cooking and just before serving. This last layer of seasoning allows flavors to really pop and shine when the burger hits your plate.
Great final seasoning touches include:
– Cheese – Add cheese slices while burgers are still hot so they melt deliciously. Popular picks are cheddar, Swiss, provolone, or bleu.
– Bacon – Crispy cooked bacon crumbles add a smoky crunch.
– Caramelized onions – Sweet onions sautéed until deeply golden brown lend amazing depth.
– Avocado – Slices or guacamole add cool creaminess.
– Sauces – Condiments like ketchup, mustard, mayo, ranch, etc allow you to customize flavor.
– Lettuce/tomato/onion – Fresh veggie toppings provide texture and moisture.
– Pickles – Dill pickles are a classic burger choice to cut through the richness.
– Sautéed mushrooms – Earthy, meaty mushrooms are a perfect accompaniment.
What are the best seasonings and sauces for flavoring burgers?
When it comes to seasoning burgers, you really have endless options to create signature flavor combinations. Here are some of the best seasonings and sauces you can use:
Spices and dry seasonings
– Kosher salt and black pepper – The basic building blocks of seasoning. UseGENEROUSLY in each layer.
– Smoked paprika – Adds hints of smoky spice.
– Chili powder – Choose mild or hot based on preference.
– Cumin – Warm, earthy flavor.
– Garlic powder – Packs a punch of garlicky flavor without the raw punch and texture.
– Onion powder – Similarly provides just flavor without texture.
– Steak seasoning – Look for blends made with spices like garlic, onion, pepper.
– Cajun seasoning – Blends usually contain paprika, garlic, onion, oregano, thyme, cayenne.
– Fresh or dried herbs – Chives, basil, cilantro, thyme, rosemary, oregano.
Sauces and condiments
– Ketchup – Tangy, sweet, acidic.
– Mustard – Yellow, spicy brown, or Dijon.
– Mayonnaise – creamy texture and tangy flavor.
– BBQ sauce – Sweet, smoky, spicy, or a combination. Sticky and delicious.
– Steak sauce – Umami-rich worcestershire and soy sauce blend.
– Hot sauce – For spicy heat and vinegar tang.
– Ranch – Cool, herby creaminess.
– Burger sauce – Similar to special sauce with mayo, ketchup, mustard, pickles, etc.
– Buffalo sauce – Vinegary cayenne pepper sauce.
– Peanut sauce – Nutty and slightly sweet.
Other wonderful toppings
– Cheese – Cheddar, Swiss, provolone, pepper jack, bleu cheese crumbles.
– Caramelized onions – Deeply browned onions are perfectly sweet and rich.
– Sautéed mushrooms – Meaty, earthy flavor and texture.
– Avocado – Cool, creamy addition.
– Bacon – Smoky, salty, crispy pork.
– Fried egg – Oozy richness when cut into.
– Crispy fried onions – Onion strings for fun crunch.
– Jalapeños – Fresh spicy kick.
– Pickles – Dill pickles cut through the richness.
What are some seasoning combinations and recipes for flavored burgers?
Once you understand the wide world of seasonings available, it’s easy to start combining them into tasty blend to flavor your burgers. Here are some ideas to inspire you:
All-American burgers
– Mix 1⁄2 tsp onion powder into beef before forming patties
– Season patties with salt and pepper before grilling
– Top cooked burgers with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, ketchup, and mustard
Pizza burgers
– Add 1 tsp Italian seasoning and 1⁄4 cup shredded mozzarella into meat before patties
– Brush patties while cooking with marinara sauce
– Finish with more marinara, mozzarella slices, and grated parmesan
Southwest burgers
– Mix cumin, garlic powder, chili powder into beef before grilling
– Brush with barbecue sauce while cooking
– Top with pepper jack cheese, guacamole, roasted corn salsa, and crispy fried onion strings
Greek burgers
– Add crumbled feta and dried oregano into meat before forming
– Brush with olive oil and lemon juice while cooking
– Finish with feta, tzatziki sauce, tomato, and spinach
Jalapeño popper burgers
– Mix chopped pickled jalapeños into meat before patties
– Coat with cream cheese, then wrap in bacon while grilling
– Finish with more cream cheese, crispy bacon, fresh jalapeños, and scallions
Masala burgers
– Season beef with garam masala spice blend before grilling
– Brush with mango chutney while cooking
– Finish with sweetened yogurt, cucumber raita, and cilantro
French onion burgers
– Mix caramelized onions and thyme into beef before patties
– Coat patties with mustard and Swiss cheese while cooking
– Finish with more cheese and onions
As you can see, the possibilities are endless when it comes to seasoning and flavoring your burgers! Use your favorite spices, sauces, cheeses, veggies and other toppings to create your signature seasoned burger combinations.
What are some tips for properly seasoning burgers?
Now that you have a great overview on the wide world of burger seasonings, here are some handy tips to use them properly:
– Generously season every layer – Don’t be shy about seasoning the beef, then seasoning again while cooking, then seasoning again at the end. You want flavor in every bite.
– Use fresh ingredients – Spices lose potency over time. Use fresh ones and replace yearly or so.
– Grind spices just before using – Whole spices keep longer but grinding just before using maximizes flavor.
– Mix seasonings into meat thoroughly – Actually use your hands to evenly incorporate seasonings into the beef so flavor is consistent throughout patties.
– Let meat sit after seasoning – For 30 mins up to overnight. This allows seasonings to fully penetrate and marinate the meat.
– Use coarse sea salt – The larger grains stick better to the meat and provide bursts of salty flavor.
– Cook a test patty first – Cook a small test patty before committing all your burgers to the grill. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
– Use a seasoning baseline – Learn a basic burger seasoning blend you love, then tweak and experiment from there.
– Balance flavors – Use acidic, herby, spicy, savory, sweet, tangy flavors and sauces to create complex flavor.
– Don’t overwork the meat – For tender, juicy burgers, handle the meat as gently as possible when forming patties.
Conclusion
Cooking up delicious, well-seasoned burgers may seem intimidating but it is truly easy once you know the secrets of how and when to properly season them. Generously applying flavors throughout cooking using fresh spices, herbs, sauces, cheeses, and toppings results in amazing burgers bursting with texture, aroma, and taste.
Understanding the wide array of seasoning options as well as learning some simple seasoning techniques will have you making incredible gourmet burgers at home in no time. So fire up that grill or skillet and get ready to become a seasoned burger pro!