Mayonnaise is a popular condiment that is commonly spread on burgers. It adds moisture, richness, and flavor to the burger patty and bun. Some of the main effects that mayonnaise has on a burger include:
Adds Moisture
One of the main roles of mayonnaise on a burger is to add moisture and prevent the bun from getting dry. Burgers contain very dry ingredients like the meat patty and bun. The mayonnaise helps bind these dry components together and makes the burger easier to eat.
Mayonnaise contains oil and egg yolks which are emulsified into a thick sauce. This emulsion brings fat and richness from the oil and proteins from the egg yolk right into each bite of the burger.
Without mayo, the burger bun can become quite dry and start falling apart as you eat it. The mayonnaise helps maintain the structural integrity of the burger so it doesn’t become a crumbly mess.
Helps Spread Other Toppings
In addition to providing moisture directly, mayonnaise also helps spread and hold other wet toppings on a burger. Things like ketchup, mustard, and relish are commonly paired with mayo. The mayo helps these sauces evenly coat the burger instead of falling off.
When you spread mayo on both the top and bottom buns, it creates a protective barrier to hold in any juicy fillings and prevent sogginess. The mayo essentially waterproofs the bun so other moist ingredients don’t make it fall apart.
Adds Richness and Flavor
Aside from the practical moisture-providing ability, mayonnaise also adds its own richness and flavor to a burger. The oils and egg yolks in mayo provide a rich, indulgent mouthfeel with each bite. Even just a thin smear of mayo over the bun gives a noticeable richness.
The oils typically used in mayonnaise provide a natural creamy flavor. Things like soybean, canola, and olive oil have subtle flavors that complement the beef patty. The egg yolk also has a mild flavor that blends well with the other burger components.
Beyond the ingredients in plain mayo, aiolis and flavored mayonnaises can bring even more flavor. Options like garlic aioli, chipotle mayo, or herbed mayo add spices, herbs, and other seasonings into the mix.
Boosts Umami Flavor
In addition to the added richness, mayonnaise also boosts the savory umami flavor of burgers. Umami is considered one of the five basic tastes, and it makes foods taste more meaty, savory, and complex.
The egg yolks in mayonnaise contain compounds that have natural umami flavors. Adding mayo to a burger heightens the meaty flavors from the beef patty. It helps all the flavors blend together into a more cohesive, well-rounded burger profile.
Provides Texture Contrast
The thick, creamy texture of mayonnaise contrasts nicely with the other burger textures. You have the soft bun, the juicy beef patty, crunchy vegetables, and condiments like ketchup and mustard.
Mayo complements all those textures by adding something thick and creamy into the mix. Too many soft textures can make a burger seem mushy. The rich creaminess from the mayo balances with the other textures.
The mayonnaise also helps everything stick together into one cohesive bite. It blends the textures together nicely instead of having loose, sliding layers in the burger.
Improves Browning
Using mayonnaise on the burger buns can also help improve browning when cooking the burger. The small amount of oil on the mayo-coated surface helps transfer heat better to crisp and brown the bun.
A toasted bun brings great texture and flavor. The Maillard reaction that occurs during browning produces nutty, savory, almost meaty flavors. Mayonnaise helps achieve optimal browning on burger buns.
Holds Toppings in Place
In addition to moisture and flavor, mayo helps hold toppings in place on a burger. Things like lettuce, tomato slices, and other veggies can easily slide off a slippery burger patty. Using mayo helps create a tacky surface to hold the toppings in place.
When you spread mayo on the bun, toppings have something to stick to and won’t fall out of the burger as easily. The mayonnaise essentially glues the burger together into a cohesive package.
It can be very frustrating when half the toppings slide out with the first bite. Mayo prevents this by keeping the toppings firmly in place from start to finish.
Potential Drawbacks
While mayonnaise provides benefits for taste and texture, some drawbacks need consideration as well.
Can Make Burger Soggy
If too much mayonnaise is used, it can make the burger soggy. The moisture needs to be balanced out by the other ingredients. Too much mayo will soak into the bun and oversoften the burger.
Proper balance is key. Just a thin spread of mayo on each bun half provides enough moisture without making it soggy. Piling on heaps of mayo will almost certainly lead to a soggy mess.
Adds More Fat and Calories
Since mayonnaise is basically an emulsion of oil and egg yolks, it contains a lot of fat and calories. Using mayo adds even more fat on top of the beef patty’s natural fat content.
Each tablespoon of mayo contains about 90-100 calories and 10 grams of fat. This can quickly add more calories than you might expect onto an already calorie-dense burger.
For those watching their fat or calorie intake, using a lower-fat mayo or just using less may help cut down this drawback. But the fat is also what provides much of mayo's richness and moisture.
Can Mask Beef Flavor
While mayo often complements and enhances the beefy flavor, too much can also mask the patty’s natural flavor.
If you have a high-quality piece of meat, you may want to be able to fully taste the unadulterated beefiness. In this case, minimal mayo or none at all would be preferred to highlight the patty.
Simple lettuce-tomato-onion burgers can really let the flavor of the meat shine through. Mayo may cover up some of those meaty notes.
Fat and Calorie Content
To illustrate the amount of extra fat and calories that mayonnaise adds to a burger, here is a nutritional comparison of burger components with and without mayo:
| Burger Ingredient | Calories | Fat (g) |
|---|---|---|
| Hamburger bun | 200 | 1 |
| 1/4 lb beef patty | 220 | 15 |
| Onion, tomato, lettuce | 20 | 0 |
| 1 Tbsp mayonnaise | 100 | 11 |
| Burger without mayo | 440 | 16 |
| Burger with mayo | 540 | 27 |
As you can see, just a single tablespoon of mayonnaise adds 100 calories and 11 grams of fat to the burger.
Conclusion
Mayonnaise can provide great benefits to burgers by adding moisture, richness, flavor, and texture. It helps hold the burger together and promotes optimal browning. Just a thin spread provides plenty of advantages. Too much mayo, however, can make the burger soggy and mask the flavor of the beef.
When used properly in moderation, mayonnaise can take an average burger to the next level. It brings out the best in all the ingredients and combines them into a cohesive, mouthwatering sandwich.