Help making home made burgers! They keep falling apart.?

Question

I make home made burgers and they always fall apart. I've tried changing the amount of breadcrumbs and egg i put in the mixture both adding more and less but they still fall apart. Is there something extra to add?

Answer 1

start with chuck.................put nothing but salt and pepper..........put in a medium to hot cast iron skillet.................turn once after 3-4 minutes..............top with whatever you want..will not fall apart

Answer 2

Don't mix them too much.

For each pound of mince you should use no more than one beaten egg and the equivalent in breadcrumbs of one slice of bread. Add whatever other seasonings you want - finely chopped onion, ketchup, tomato puree, finely chopped herbs, spices etc. The more finely you chop the onion, the less likely it is to fall apart. Don't knead the mixture till it turns to a paste - that will always make it fall apart.

When the mixture is mixed, put it back in the fridge for 30-60 minutes to allow the flavours to get to know each other. This will also make it firm up a bit.

Finally, when you cook them, start them in a hot dry frying pan having coated them with a little olive oil first. As soon as they hit the pan, they should sizzle. Press them down, not too hard but firmly, with a spatula - this will cause them to brown more, and the browned surface will help them to stick together. Cook them until they're as browned as you like them and then transfer them to a preheated medium oven to finish cooking for about 15-20 minutes.

Answer 3

First how are you thawing the hamburger meat? If in a Microwave then they won't stick period! Second I wouldn't say that adding other ingredients ie. milk, bread, etc. is bad but just not necessary unless you like the taste. Also when making burgers as mentioned above fat content is critical. I personally like 75/25 beef (cut doesn't really matter but Chuck is good) but I wouldn't go any less than 85/15 as they will be dry and lacking taste. If you are on a heart healthy diet and you really must go less then use sea salt and then mix the lean meat untill it gets sticky. You should be able to put a patty on your hand and turn it over and it not fall off. Salt aids in protein extraction and protein extraction makes the product sticky and thus holds together better. I hope this helps.

Answer 4

I make pure beef burgers which means that i dont rely on egg or breadcrumbs to bind it. The thing is to work the fat content of your mince to a point where it will help bind the mixture.

for every 4kg of mince i use 1 onion very finely grated and drained of all liquid. 4 tbsp of tomato ketchup and 4 tbsp of dijon mustard. Place the mince into a mixer, add the sauces, onion and seasoning. Beat with a K-paddle attachment until thoroughly mixed. Test a small quantity for seasoning and there you have it. When beating it the fat will become pliable and ensure the burgers bind.

Answer 5

Avoid eggs or breadcrumbs. They detract from the favor. If the beef is lean it fall apart more easily, go don't be too afraid of a more fatty burger. Pack the patty meat tightly to avoid crumbling. Let it brown before flipping also helps. If all else fails, get the pre-formed patties.

Answer 6

I have had this problem too before and have found that putting the patties in the freezer before cooking them helps them stay together better. I also use breadcrumbs and egg in mine and that really helps. Also, if you use a really lean meat, your burgers will have a tendency to fall apart. I prefer using lean ground beef in my casseroles for the health benefits, but when it comes to a tasty burger, I actually go with ground chuck. If I'm going to splurge on a burger, it's going to taste awesome! Hope this helps! Good luck!

Answer 7

You don't mention where you are so "mince" is the UK term for hamburger meat.

All you need is the meat, salt, pepper, and onion salt. Make sure the meat isn't too warm when you form the burgers. Pat them down with your hands but also go around and pat it in towards the middle of the burger. You need to make the burger a bit thicker than you think because it will cook down and flatten. I don't use eggs or anything else and everyone seems to love my hamburgers.. Email if I can help you further. *S*

Answer 8

I don't add breadcrumbs, just some coarse mince, onion, mustard seeds, salt, pepper, smoked paprika and one egg to the mixture and then I use a burger press to shape them or you can hand shape them but make sure you chill them before you cook them as that will help to firm them up and they'll be less likely to break up.

Answer 9

I wouldn't add the egg or breadcrumbs, that's basically meat loaf.
We make them fairly flat and put them in the fridge to chill for awhile before cooking.
If your cooking on the grill try using a little bit of tin foil first to get them started, then put them on the grill.
My husband swears by this when he cooks them on the grill

Answer 10

Make sure you aren't using extra lean ground beef. Burgers need some fat to hold together.

I make mine with just egg, a little milk, and ketchup or BBQ sauce - no breadcrumbs at all - and they don't fall apart.

Answer 11

The way I do it is to add finely chopped onions and some beaten egg to the mixture before shaping into burgers. The egg binds everything together.