Making meatballs for burgers is pretty simple. Although the process is undemanding and almost always the same, regardless of the recipe, there are some ingredients and steps that you can change to add a touch of novelty.
Ingrediants
Classic Beef Meatballs
For 2-8 burgers
- 450 g of ground beef
- Salt and Pepper To Taste.
Mini Square Meatballs
For 12 burgers
- 560 g of ground beef
- Salt and Pepper To Taste.
Stuffed Meatballs
For 4 burgers
- 675 g of ground beef
- 200 g of grated cheese
- Salt and Pepper To Taste.
Turkey Meatballs
For 4 burgers
- 450 g of ground turkey meat
- Half a teaspoon of flavored salt
- Half a teaspoon of salt
- A pinch of garlic powder
- Half a teaspoon of ground black pepper
- Two teaspoons of chopped onion
- 10 ml of lean mayonnaise
- 2.5ml Worcestershire sauce
Vegetable meatballs
For 4 burgers
- 450 g of black beans, drained and rinsed
- Half a green pepper cut into 2, 5 cm pieces
- Half an onion into wedges
- 3 cloves of peeled garlic
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon of chili powder
- 1 tablespoon of cumin
- 1 teaspoon of Thai hot sauce
- 70 g of breadcrumbs
Steps
Method 1 of 5: Classic Beef Meatballs
Step 1. Mix the beef with the spices
Use your hands to mix the salt and pepper into the ground.
You can change the quantities of aromas according to your tastes. If you wish, you can also add other spices to completely change the flavor of the meatballs. For example, you can rely on ready-made mixes of flavorings for meats
Step 2. Divide the mixture into portions
For classic 115g burgers, divide the mass into 4 equal balls.
The exact quantity depends on the size you want for each meatball. If, for example, you prefer very thin burgers, you can divide the meat mass into 8 parts, so that you have 60g meatballs. If, on the other hand, you want maxi-burgers, divide the whole mince into two 225g meatballs
Step 3. Line a hamburger tin with cling film
You can use a specific mold, a round pastry cutter or another utensil that conforms to size and shape. Place a sheet of cling film on the mold.
- The foil prevents the meat from sticking to the edges of the mold.
- If you decide to use a press, choose one that fits the size and weight of your burgers. If you opt for another tool, such as a lid, make sure it is slightly larger than the sandwiches you will be serving the meatballs in.
Step 4. Crush the hamburger into the mold
Insert in the instrument (previously lined with the transparent film) a portion of ground and flatten it with your hands. Remove the meatball carefully by lifting the cling film.
- The meat must be compact and well pressed inside the mold to maintain the meatball shape.
- If necessary, add more meat (or remove excess) according to the space available in the mold.
- If the mold isn't your thing, shape the portions into balls using your hands and then flatten them into a meatball shape. They won't be perfectly round, but they'll do just fine if you don't have to impress someone with exactly circular burgers.
Step 5. If you love very thin burgers, flatten the meatballs even more
To do this, use the underside of a clean baking sheet.
To be more detailed, do the following: Arrange the meatballs on the (clean) kitchen counter, cutting board, or upturned baking sheet and cover them with cling film or parchment paper. Mash the burgers with the bottom of a second pan until they are the thickness you want
Step 6. Make a small depression in the center of the meatball
With your thumb, lightly squeeze the center of the hamburger (do not exceed the depth of 1.25 cm).
This small hole is very important, especially for thick beef burgers; in fact it prevents them from swelling too much in the center during cooking
Step 7. Store the burgers until ready to cook
In theory, you should wrap them in plastic bags or cling film and place them in the refrigerator for at least an hour before cooking them.
Method 2 of 5: Mini Square Meatballs
Step 1. Combine the spices with the meat
Use your hands to mix the ground with the salt and pepper.
You can change the quantities of aromas according to your tastes. If you wish, you can also add other spices to completely change the flavor of the meatballs. For example, you can rely on ready-made meat flavor mixes and put in large quantities if you love strong flavors
Step 2. Shape the meat
Place it in the center of a large sheet of parchment paper. Flatten it with your hands until you get a 15x20 cm rectangle.
If you want burgers with an even thickness, you can mash the meat with the underside of a baking sheet or rolling pin. Cover the meat with parchment paper before proceeding with this technique, to prevent the mince from sticking to the utensils
Step 3. Cut the rectangle into squares
Use a sharp kitchen knife to divide the meat into 12 5cm squares.
This technique can also be used with burgers of normal thickness and size which, however, you want to give a different shape than usual. Just make sure the squares are equal to each other. For example, you could create a 20x20 cm square from which to make 4 10x10 cm meatballs
Step 4. Store the burgers until ready to cook
Put them in the refrigerator about 20 minutes before using them. Cover them with cling film or airtight bags and remove them from the fridge when you cook them.
Method 3 of 5: Stuffed Meatballs
Step 1. Mix the beef with the spices
Using your hands, mix in about 4 g of salt and 3 g of ground black pepper to the meat.
- Adjust the quantity of aromas to your taste.
- If you want, you can use other flavorings and spices, such as garlic powder or chilli. Just make sure they go well with the flavor of the meat and cheese.
Step 2. Form four balls
Divide the meat mass into 4 equal portions and shape them into a ball shape.
These "balls" must be well crushed and compacted so that the meat is able to stay together. When you follow this recipe you can't have burgers that fall apart
Step 3. Make a notch
With your thumb, squeeze the balls in the center. The hollow must be deep enough to reach the center.
Alternatively, you can use the handle of a wooden or plastic spoon to create the hollow
Step 4. Compact the cheese in the center of the hole
Fill each ball with about 2 tablespoons of grated cheese. Close the hole with your fingers, shaping the meat all around, thus hiding the cheese.
A cheddar type cheese is recommended for this recipe, but you can of course follow your creativity. You can also add small cubes or wedges of cheese that are equivalent to about 2 tablespoons of grated cheese
Step 5. Flatten the balls
Use your hands or a mold to create the classic shape of a meatball or hamburger.
It is better to model them with your hands even if the use of the mold is not prohibited. In the latter case, remember to line the instrument with cling film before inserting the meat and flattening it
Step 6. Store the burgers until you are ready to cook them
Wrap them in cling film or airtight bags and refrigerate them for 30 minutes before cooking.
Method 4 of 5: Turkey Meatballs
Step 1. Mix the ingredients together
Use your hands to combine the ground beef with the other dry and wet ingredients. Continue to work the mixture until the spices and herbs appear well distributed in the ground and this takes on a compact and sticky consistency.
- Ground turkey meat tends to be drier than beef. Mayonnaise gives texture and acts as a binder.
- You can change the spices as you like. Remember, however, that most turkey burgers are more spicy than beef burgers, since the meat has a more delicate and neutral flavor so you need a greater amount of flavorings to revive the flavor.
Step 2. Divide the mixture into four balls
To prepare normal-sized burgers, divide the entire mass of flavored meat into portions of about 115 g.
Remember that you can make larger or smaller meatballs; even if it is not normally made with turkey burgers, there is no reason why the final result should not be as good
Step 3. Flatten the balls
Use your hands or a mold to give the meatballs the classic burger shape.
Since turkey patties are slightly stickier than beef patties, it will be easier to shape them with your hands instead of the mold. If you are good at using the hamburger press, you can give it a try. Remember to line the mold with cling film before inserting the meat
Step 4. Store the meatballs until ready to cook
You can cook the burgers immediately or wrap them in cling film (or plastic bags) and refrigerate them for about 20 minutes. This way they will be less sticky and cook evenly.
Method 5 of 5: Vegetable Meatballs
Step 1. Crush the black beans
Put them in a medium-sized bowl and use a fork to purée them.
The consistency of the mashed beans should be thick and lumpy. You should be able to see some peels in the mixture. Do not use a food processor or a blender otherwise you will get a rather liquid puree unsuitable for making meatballs
Step 2. Blend the vegetables
Put the green pepper, onion and garlic in the food processor. Start the appliance at medium speed until finely chopped. However, it must not become a homogenized or a puree.
Immediately after blending the vegetables, add the beans and stir to incorporate them completely
Step 3. Mix the egg and the aromas together
Use a separate bowl and beat the eggs along with the chili, cumin and thai sauce until well combined, use a whisk or fork for this.
The yolk and the egg white must no longer stand out and the aromas must be evenly distributed in the mixture
Step 4. Add the egg mixture to the bean mixture and then stir in the breadcrumbs
Once you have evenly combined the eggs with the beans, add the bread and continue stirring until you get a homogeneous mixture.
- Once ready, the mixture should be sticky and moldable into meatballs without difficulty.
- The egg performs a binding function. The breadcrumbs gives the meatballs volume and prevents the mixture from becoming too moist.
Step 5. Divide the mixture into four meatballs
Flatten and shape them to the classic burger shape using your hands or a mold.
It shouldn't be difficult to shape the vegetable mixture if you use your hands; if you have opted for the mold, remember to line it with cling film
Step 6. Store the meatballs until ready to cook
They are usually cooked immediately, but if you prefer to keep them, wrap them in cling film or plastic bags and store them in the refrigerator.
