Not Butter Or Milk: 11 Creamy Ingredients That Make Burgers Juicier

Aside from a rainstorm, not much brings sadness to a barbecue quite like dry hamburgers. When the chef manning the grill commits common burger faux pas, like pressing out all those delicious juices with a spatula — a major burger mistake grill master Bobby Flay wishes people would stop making — you're in for a stiff, tough, dry patty that serves better as a frisbee or hockey puck than a component of your alfresco meal. But you needn't be a victim of mummified meat any longer. In addition to ensuring you're cooking your beef properly, you can combat the calamity of dried-out burgers — and bring exquisite juiciness to the party — by integrating various creamy ingredients that add moisture, flavor, and all-around yum factor.

Take a look at some of these top-notch burger mix-ins that can help take your hamburgers into the culinary stratosphere. After tasting these juicy, scrumptious creations — each made possible by the inclusion of just one creamy addition — we doubt you'll want to go back to plain, parched burgers ever again. Note that some add-ins may need to be combined with other binding agents for optimum results.

Many people are ketchup purists when it comes to topping their burgers, but when the grease from a hot hamburger combines with creamy mayonnaise, some true melt-in-your-mouth magic happens. But this common condiment goes much further in upgrading burgers than merely acting as a topper — did you know mixing mayonnaise right into your raw beef actually deepens the flavor and adds moisture? Just one tablespoon per pound should do the trick.

A scrumptious way to juice up a burger is adding cheese — not on top of the patty but right inside it for some inside-out, melty awesomeness, which is an approach known as a Juicy Lucy burger. Opting for a certain type of cheese takes the concept over the top, and you should definitely be stuffing your beef with Velveeta for an extra-melty core of molten goodness (granted, Velveeta isn't "cheese" in the technical sense — it's a shelf-stable, processed cheese product — but why quibble over technicalities when you could be scarfing one of the yummiest, juiciest, gooiest burgers out there?). For every ounce of beef, add about a third of an ounce of cheese for a good balance (and insane cheese pull).

Delicious, luscious cream cheese is another creamy ingredient that helps create juicier burgers, imparting moisture as well as its incredibly rich flavor. Simply stuff your meat patties with the decadent dairy product before cooking, and you'll encounter a warm ball of flowing, scrumptious goo when you bite into it. Just make sure you really seal each burger well to avoid leaks.

Bacon is unquestionably top-tier when it comes to burger toppings, but the popular pork product can also serve your sandwich from the inside out. Residual bacon grease congeals into a creamy semi-solid once it cools, and it's a perfect vessel for adding extra fat, juiciness, and flavor to your burger — just mix some of the grease right into your raw meat before forming the patties. This is perfect if you have a leaner blend than 80/20 as you don't want to have too much fat or the patties may be too greasy.

Mixing plain, full-fat yogurt (Greek works beautifully as it has less water) into your ground beef helps tenderize the meat and makes it incredibly juicy. This rich dairy staple also aids in turning out a deliciously crusted final burger — no more dry, bland sandwiches to see here, folks. Best of all, it only needs two or so tablespoons per pound.

Adding cream of mushroom soup to your burger meat is another outside-the-box (outside-the-can, in this case) way to infuse both juiciness and great flavor into your patties, with about 1 tablespoon of the creamy ingredient, blended right into the raw, ground beef, being all you need per patty (increase as needed per the number of burgers you're making). The smooth add-in will help deliver a moist final result, but note that you should take the soup straight from the can in its condensed form and not add any liquids like you would if making soup.

Tangy, cool sour cream is another dairy product that adds moisture and creaminess, yielding tasty burgers that are anything but dry. It also contributes plenty of richness and helps create a uniquely tender texture that will have you coming back for bite after soft, juicy bite. All you need is a half cup per pound of ground meat.

Fiber-rich beans are another great mix-in for hamburgers, not only acting as a binder to help keep patties from falling apart while cooking but also making beef wonderfully juicy; this ingredient is also a budget-friendly option, helping stretch that pricey beef further. Using your canned bean of choice (some of the creamiest varieties are butter beans, pinto beans, navy beans, cranberry beans, and gigante beans), drain off the canning liquid, pat the legumes dry, and then lightly mash them (not needed if you're using refried beans) before incorporating them into your raw ground beef.

There are many ingredients you should be using in your burger patties to bring excellent flavor into play, and dry onion soup mix is among them — but that concept can also be applied when you want to add juiciness. Mixing not the dried flavoring but a premade onion dip into your ground beef is an excellent shortcut to instantly add yummy flavor as well as moisture and juiciness, thanks to the dip's creamy dairy or mayo base. One cup of dip for every pound of beef works a charm.

If you want a delectably moist, juicy burger that also benefits from some insta-flavor, hummus is another golden ingredient; you can use classic hummus if you just want the moisture and binding, though opting for a flavored variety (like roasted red pepper or garlic) adds those delicious extra taste elements right into your meat. In addition to mixing hummus directly into raw beef (roughly a quarter cup for every pound), you can also stuff the center of your burgers with the creamy spread for a unique, tasty, gooey surprise when you bite into them.

A simple veggie add-in (okay, technically it's a fruit) that can impart moisture and creaminess super easily, thanks to its plant-based fattiness, is avocado. Simply mash a ripe avocado, add your ground beef and spices, combine the components, form your burger patties, and cook — nothing more to do except enjoy an extra-moist, extra-delicious hamburger. Here, half of an avocado is usually enough for a pound of beef.