Add This Creamy Ingredient To Ground Beef For Juicier Burgers (Hint: It's Not Butter Or Milk)

Hamburgers are a quintessential part of American cuisine, and many versions of the dish are enjoyed throughout the United States. In addition to regional varieties, there are individual riffs on the classic, including substituting other proteins for beef or even deep-frying the patties. Nevertheless, many people probably assume that most hamburgers follow Bobby Flay's seasoning formula: just meat with salt and pepper. But if you search the internet, you'll find many recipes that include burger patty add-ins. Chef Alex Guarnaschelli has shared her technique for making her favorite beefy sandwiches, which includes adding breadcrumbs, sauteed vegetables, and one special ingredient for extra juiciness: mayonnaise!

Mayonnaise is a great addition to these hamburgers because it adds extra fat to the meat mixture. Fat not only means flavor but also helps burger patties remain rich and juicy, even if you like your burgers cooked well-done. It functions similarly to butter or milk. However, mayonnaise is something many home cooks already have in their refrigerators and won't require a special trip to the store. It is also already soft and easy to blend with the remaining ingredients, unlike butter, which needs to be softened or melted.

Milk can make your patties too loose unless you have a binder, such as bread or breadcrumbs, to soak it up. This can make the hamburgers tricky to form and cause them to release too much liquid during cooking. Mixing mayonnaise into lean ground meats is also an excellent way to add richness, especially to nonbeef varieties like turkey, chicken, and even seafood.

The beautiful thing about making old-fashioned hamburgers is that they invite you to infuse them with your creativity, and ground meat can take pretty much anything you throw at it. If you're working with a variety that has less fat and want to add more richness and moisture, you can opt for eggs. This classic addition is actually a multitasker: The buttery yolks add extra fat, which can create a moist burger with a luscious mouthfeel, while the whites act as a binder and help keep your patties from falling apart, especially if you add other ingredients to the mixture.

Alex Guarnaschelli adds breadcrumbs to her burgers, which can also help retain moisture in the finished patties. However, you can use many different alternatives. Cracker crumbs work beautifully, and ground flaxseed is another great option because it absorbs liquid and gels, potentially leading to juicier hamburgers. There are also many different vegetables you can add to your ground meat. Mushrooms contribute a deep savoriness that complements the flavors of beef, bison, ostrich, or lamb.

Mixing in scallions can give your hamburgers a big flavor boost without leaving them overly crunchy when used raw, eliminating the need to saute them beforehand. If you like the crunch, though, consider chopping up some peppers and tossing them into the mixture. You can add even more flavor with pickled or fermented vegetables, such as cucumbers, kimchi, or sauerkraut. The world is your oyster when it comes to this type of burger recipe.