Recipe: 4 easy burger recipes (BBC Good Food)
From falafel to molten cheese-stuffed burgers, these recipes will add variety to your burger nights
Falafel Burgers
Ingredients
400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 small red onion, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
handful of flat-leaf parsley or curly parsley
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp harissa paste or chilli powder
2 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp sunflower oil
toasted pitta bread, to serve
200g tub tomato salsa, to serve
green salad, to serve
Instructions
Drain the chickpeas and pat dry with kitchen paper. Tip into a food processor along with the onion, garlic, parsley, cumin, coriander, harissa paste, flour and a little salt. Blend until fairly smooth, then shape into four patties with your hands.
Heat the sunflower oil in a non-stick frying pan, and fry the burgers for 3 mins on each side until lightly golden. Serve with the toasted pitta bread, tomato salsa and green salad.
15-minute chicken & halloumi burgers
Ingredients
2 skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp oil, plus extra for frying the halloumi, if needed
4 tbsp piri-piri sauce or other mild chilli sauce, plus extra for drizzling
½ lemon, juiced
burger buns, split in half
250g block lighter halloumi, sliced into 8 pieces
¼ small white cabbage, finely sliced
2 tbsp mayonnaise
4 tbsp hummus, tzatziki or soured cream & chive dip
handful of rocket or 4-8 soft lettuce leaves
2 large roasted red peppers from a jar, drained and sliced
Instructions
Put the chicken breasts between two pieces of baking parchment and bash with a rolling pin until 1cm thick. Cut each into two even pieces.
Heat two frying pans over a medium-high heat, heating the oil in one. Fry the chicken in the oiled pan for 3-4 mins on each side until cooked through. Season. Reduce the heat, drizzle in the chilli sauce and half the lemon juice and cook for 1-2 mins more until the sauce is reduced. Remove from the heat.
While the chicken cooks, toast the buns in the dry frying pan for 30 secs. Transfer to a plate, then fry the halloumi in the pan (add a bit of oil if the pan is not non-stick) for 30 secs on each side until golden. Toss the cabbage with the mayo and remaining lemon juice.
Spoon the hummus (or dip of your choice) into the toasted buns, then top with the rocket, chilli chicken, halloumi and peppers. Drizzle with a little more chilli sauce, spoon over the cabbage, season with black pepper, and top with the bun lids. Serve with any extra cabbage on the side, or a green salad.
Molten cheese-stuffed burgers
Ingredients
1½ tbsp olive oil
1 onion, very finely chopped
70g smoked pancetta, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
4 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
500g lean beef mince (no more than 10% fat)
50g fresh breadcrumbs
1 egg yolk
60g mature cheddar, grated
60g grated mozzarella
For the herby sauce
120g mayonnaise
2½ tsp English mustard
½ small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
½ small bunch of basil
50g baby gherkins, finely chopped
To serve
4 seeded burger buns, split
2-3 Little Gem lettuces, leaves separated
2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
Instructions
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onion with a good pinch of salt for 15 mins until soft and translucent. Add the pancetta and cook for 5 mins more, then add the garlic and thyme, and cook for 2 mins. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 15 mins.
Tip the mince into a large bowl. Massage with your hands for 5 mins to tenderise the meat, then add the cooled onion mix, the breadcrumbs and egg yolk. Season generously. Divide evenly into four, weighing for accuracy, if you like. Mix the cheddar and mozzarella together. Form the beef portions into patties, patting each into a 10cm round.
Divide the cheese mixture into four, and, in your hands, form each portion into a firm ball, then press into a roughly 4cm disc. Working one at a time, put a cheese disc into the centre of a beef patty, then bring the meat around the cheese to cover. Lightly pat with the palm of your hand to flatten slightly, then chill, covered, for at least 30 mins or up to 48 hrs.
Make the sauce by whizzing the mayonnaise, mustard and herbs together in a small food processor. Stir through the gherkins, then cover and chill until ready to use.
Light the barbecue. When the flames have died down, grill the burgers on each side for 4-5 mins until charred (if you don’t have a barbecue, see tip, below). Wrap individually in foil and leave on the barbecue for 5-7 mins so the cheese centre melts.
Grill the buns, cut-side down, for 1-2 mins until toasted. Spread all the cut sides with the sauce, then fill with the beef patties, lettuce, tomatoes and crispy onions.
Cajun Chicken Burgers
Ingredients
2 avocados
4 ciabatta rolls, split
4 thin slices of your favourite cheese
mayonnaise, to serve (optional)
For the cajun seasoning
1 tbsp ground coriander
Instructions
Mix the seasoning ingredients together with a good grinding of black pepper and a sprinkling of salt, then set aside in a large dish. Heat grill to high. On a board, flatten out the chicken slightly, then drizzle half the oil over and toss in the seasoning until completely coated. Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan, sizzle the chicken for 5 mins on each side until firm, push to one side of the pan, then fry the bacon for a few mins until cooked.
While the chicken is cooking, halve, stone, peel and slice the avocados, and toast the cut sides of the buns. Cover the tops of the buns with cheese, then grill until melted.
To assemble the burgers, spread the buns with mayonnaise if you want, top with a handful of spinach, then a rasher of bacon. To keep the avocado in place, slice the chicken, then alternate between a slice of chicken and avocado. Top with the bun, press down lightly and serve.