Kid-friendly homemade burger recipe

If ever there’s a night I don’t feel like doing dinner (and take-away where I live isn’t much of an option), I fall back on burgers. It’s fake-out take-out at its finest. And if you’re feeling really lazy, you can simply cut up the salad, plonk it on the table and let the kids build their own – which they love to do. Winning and high-fives all round!

This burger recipe is kid-friendly, it’s not at all hot and spicy, even with the addition of sweet paprika. If the kids don’t mind a bit of added oomph, add a tablespoon or two of Dijon mustard. This a great basic recipe to test the burger waters with (you can even sneak in some grated zucchini or carrot).

Burger patty ingredients

1.25kg minced beef
1 large brown onion, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
150g fresh breadcrumbs
100g grated cheese
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 eggs
1 tsp smoked sweet paprika
a pinch of both salt and pepper

Extras for burger building

for caramelised onion – 1 large brown onion, extra, sliced
burger buns
salad fillings – lettuce, tomato, cheese, cucumber, grated carrot
tomato sauce

Method

• Add all burger patty ingredients to a large mixing bowl and with wet hands, mix thoroughly.
• Using your hands, make balls of mixture and form into hamburger patties. If you have a Tupperware Burger Press lurking in the back of your plastics cupboard, now is the time to whip that into action. Let the burgers sit in the fridge for at least half an hour if you can – this helps them keep their shape.

• Heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add sliced onion to the pan and cook until caramelised – you want them to not cook too quickly – so they’re soft, sweet, and a golden brown colour with a few crunchy slightly burned bits (there’s a fine line). Remove from the pan and set aside and cover to keep warm. Turn the heat up on the pan to a medium high heat.
• Add burger patties to the pan and resist the temptation to move them around – they’ll form a nice crust and won’t fall apart if you leave them alone (but don’t let them burn). Cook for around five minutes each side, depending on the thickness and size of your burger patty. Rest them on a paper towel to drain any excess oil.
• Have your burger buns and salad bits and pieces at the ready to construct your burgers, and you’re done!

The recipe makes plenty, depending on how big you want your burger patties – but any uncooked leftovers freeze really well. I always have some handy in the freezer, ready at a moment’s notice.

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