The Burger Handbook
Every part of a homemade burger, from the bun to the sauce. 22 recipes, in the order you build a burger.
Burger Haritası · 2020 I wrote and filmed these recipes in 2020 for Burger Haritası, my burger series. Here they are in one place, in the order you’ll use them.
Six rules
Before you start
A few things I keep repeating across these recipes. Everything else builds on them.
- Don’t knead the patty, and don’t salt the mix.Pressed or salted ground beef loses its juice and turns rubbery. Salt and pepper go on the outside only, right before it hits the pan.→ How to make a burger patty
- Use fatty beef, coarsely ground once.The fatty side of the brisket. Lean beef won’t make a good burger.→ Simple and pro blends
- Make the patty 1 cm (½ in) wider than the bun.Shape it in a ring mold, or a clay yogurt pot, without pressing.→ Shaping
- Cast iron or carbon steel, and properly hot.That brown crust only forms on a very hot surface.→ Smashed burger
- Internal temperature tells you doneness, not the clock.Medium-rare is 54–57 °C (130–135 °F). Timings change with the pan and the patty.→ Doneness chart
- Don’t skip the bun.Butter it and toast it in the pan. The bun is half the burger. And burger cheese is not cheddar.→ Melting burger cheese sauce
First time? potato butter bun, simple patty, melting cheese sauce, quick pickled onions.
6 recipes
Buns
All made at home, in an ordinary oven. The one you pick sets the burger’s character.
Potato Butter Burger Bun Soft and buttery from mashed potato. The most requested bun. 3.5 hr · makes 16 · 200 °C
Brioche Burger Bun Eggy, buttery and lightly sweet. The classic. 3 hr · bake 15 min · 190 °C
Sourdough Burger Bun Leave the dough in the fridge overnight for more flavor and more rise. 3 hr · bake 18 min · 200 °C
Pretzel Burger Bun Scored, deep-brown crust. Swap the milk and butter for water and olive oil to make it vegan. 3 hr · makes 5 · 210 °C
Japanese Milk Bread (Tangzhong) Hokkaido-style, with a cloud-soft crumb. Great for sandwiches too. 4 hr · makes 7 · 195 °C
Bao Buns and Bao Burger A soft steamed bun, and a burger to go with it. 3 hr · steam 8 min
2 recipes
Patty
Choosing the beef, shaping it and cooking it right. The two most important posts here.
4 recipes
Toppings
Acid, sweetness and crunch to cut through the fat.
Caramelized Onions Not onions fried with sugar. The lowest heat, for hours. 5–6 hr · keeps 3 months
Onion Marmalade Red onion, balsamic and pomegranate juice. Balances the richness of a burger. 45 min
Quick Pickled Onions Red onion, apple cider vinegar and whole spices. 10 min · 6 hr to pickle
Coleslaw Better with pulled and slow-cooked meats than with a patty. 30 min · 1 hr chill
4 recipes
Beyond beef
Burgers that leave the beef patty behind.
Chipotle Mayo Burger Smoky, spicy mayo and pico de gallo. beef · 150 g
Fish Burger Made with sea bass, or any fish you like. 10 min
Vegan Burger A base recipe of chickpeas, beans, lentils and rice, and its variations. 4 patties · 12 hr
Pita, Arayes and Tahini Sauce Spiced lamb cooked inside pita. The Middle East’s burger. 2 hr · lamb
Consulting
Opening a burger restaurant?
During my Burger Haritası years, many people planning a burger restaurant reached out to me. Today, with Anaterranean, we work on restaurant and hotel openings across concept, menu, brand and operations. If you want to take what’s on this page from a home kitchen to a real business, we can build it together.
Podcast
If you’d rather listen
Episode 9 · Burger 101Yemekte Bile Yemek Konuşuyoruz, with Nilay Örnek, on burgers. In Turkish.Episode page →
These recipes were first published in Turkish in 2020. Products and brands in the videos are from that time. All recipes →