Easy Paprika and Onion Burgers (Homemade UK recipe)

These paprika and onion beef burgers are made from beef mince and a short list of store cupboard seasonings. You can cook them on the barbecue, in a frying pan or on a griddle, and they freeze well if you want to make a batch ahead.

Paprika gives the burgers colour and a mild, slightly sweet flavour. Onion powder adds savoury depth without the extra moisture you get from fresh onion, which helps the patties hold together. The mix stays simple on purpose, so the beef is still the main flavour.

This is a recipe for homemade paprika and onion beef burgers made from mince beef and UK ingredients. They can be cooked on the barbecue, in a flat frying pan or on a griddle pan.

Contents

• 👨‍🍳 Introduction to easy home made burgers
• 🍽 Does paprika go on burgers?
• 🍔 Using a Burger Press To Make Patties
• 🧂 Flavour for burgers
• ❄ Storing homemade beef burgers
• 🥗 What to serve Paprika and Onion Burgers with
• Frequently Asked Questions
• The Recipe
• Your Comments

👨‍🍳 Introduction to easy home made burgers

I like to go to this recipe for when I have a few people round for a BBQ as it is a quick and simple burger recipe to prepare. It can also be made in advance and then the burgers can be pressed and then frozen for eating at a later date.

If you are looking for pizza dough options and detailed instructions how to make it, try my pizza dough calculator. This offers all weights and measures to get a great dough.

🍽 Does paprika go on burgers?

Yes. Paprika works well in and on beef burgers. It adds colour and a mild, slightly sweet flavour that suits beef without overpowering it. Add about 1 teaspoon of paprika per 500g of mince, mixed through the meat before shaping. Smoked paprika gives a deeper, barbecue-style flavour if you prefer it. There is no need to add much, as the beef should still lead.

The benefits of making your own burgers is you know exactly what goes in to them. I like to keep my recipe simple in order to get the meatiest burgers.

• Minced beef - The meat is the star of the show when it comes to this recipe so I don't believe in using anything other than a quality mince.

Choosing your mince

Fat is what keeps a burger moist and helps it hold its shape, so aim for mince in the 15 to 20% range.

Seasoning guide (per 500g mince)

Mix the seasoning through gently and do not overwork the meat, or the burgers turn dense.

• Onion - For this recipe I have opted to use onion powder which is a dried version of onion. Either work well and you can even use a fresh onion chopped and diced into fine pieces. I prefer onion powder for this recipe to save on the chopping, however this again is cooks preference.
• Salt - Regular table salt will be perfectly acceptable for this recipe. There is not a large amount needed and so fine grain salt will blend into the recipe well. You can omit the salt from the recipe if you are looking for a low salt version of the dish.
• Paprika - Paprika comes from the dried red pepper and is often found in the herbs and spices aisle of the supermarket. You can add this in a little more or less to your taste. I like to use the Rajah Paprika Powder for my needs.

🍔 Using a Burger Press To Make Patties

This recipe gets so much easier if you opt to use a burger press. You can pick up a burger press from plenty of online outlets. I have an Asdirne Stainless Steel Burger Press which I recommend for all basic burger needs. This particular press comes in two parts to allow for a neat burger shape. You can also buy patty press single sided press. These types of burger presses are for making a smash type burger, where the meat is pressed on the grill at the time of cooking.

Both are great burger press tools and a smash burger can be pushed thinner and wider. The contained press will make a uniform burger each time. Entirely your call, the taste is the same no matter which.

How to use a burger press

🧂 Flavour for burgers

You can pretty much add anything you want into a burger, but for me less is more. I have a little bit of onion and paprika for some kick, along with some salt and pepper for seasoning. Sometimes I add some chilli flakes in, but it's really up to you what you add.

For onion, rather than use a chopped up fresh onion, the dried onion flakes available from supermarkets are plenty good enough.

If you want even more onion, try my crispy onion rings recipe. These accompany this other type of burger I make - a guacamole burger - beautifully.

❄ Storing homemade beef burgers

The quantities used in this recipe will make around 4 quarter pound burgers. It may be the case that you do not want to cook all 4 at once and so there are a couple of options when it comes to storing beef burgers.

Freezing burgers

You have the option to freeze the burger for up to 6 months in the freezer. These can go straight into the freezer after wrapping in cling film. Before cooking the burgers, take them out at least 12 hours before and place in the fridge to gently defrost. You should only cook them once they have thoroughly defrosted.

Keeping Burgers In The Fridge

You can also refrigerate the burgers for up to one to two days before needing to cook them. This comes in useful when preparing for a BBQ. Make the burgers you want to cook the day before and then just unwrap them and place straight on the grill to BBQ at that point. Burgers should be seared on a direct heat (hot and fast) for best taste ensuring that they are cooked through to at least 70°C core.

Keep in mind that the mince use by date is the absolute latest you can use the mince, even if you have made it into a patty already.

Storing and freezing guide

🥗 What to serve Paprika and Onion Burgers with

These burgers go really well with some home made burger buns made from the simple white bread dough recipe. Use this recipe to make your dough and then split the dough into 8 equal size pieces and roll into burger shapes.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Recipe