Homemade burgers with garlic & herb butter

A proper garden barbecue deserves burgers with real flavour, and making your own means you can season them exactly as you like. These are juicy, gently spiced and easy to prepare ahead, with a soft garlic and herb butter ready for warm buns, corn or potatoes.

I first made these for a gathering where one guest insisted he did not like hot food. The burgers were only mild to medium, full of chilli, ginger, garlic and paprika rather than fierce heat—and he devoured them. Deseed the chillies for a gentler version or leave some seeds in if your guests enjoy more of a kick.

A burger press makes a neat, even batch and is particularly useful when freezing some for another day, but your hands and a small plate work perfectly well too. Serve them with brioche buns, your favourite sauces and my spicy homemade coleslaw for a relaxed help-yourself spread.

Ingredients

Makes 8 regular or 12 smaller burgers

For the burgers

750g beef mince, ideally with 10–15% fat
2 small red onions, roughly chopped
3 fresh chillies, deseeded for less heat if preferred
6 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tsp ginger purée
2 tbsp sweet paprika
½ tsp chilli powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
100g mature cheddar, thinly sliced, optional for stuffing

For the garlic & herb butter

100g unsalted butter, softened
4 garlic cloves, crushed
Small handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve

8 burger buns, brioche if you like
Salad leaves, sliced tomatoes and onions
Your favourite sauces and pickles
Spicy homemade coleslaw, optional

Method

1. Make the flavour base

Put the onions, chillies, garlic and ginger into a small food processor or tall jug. Blend with a stick blender until finely chopped and almost paste-like. It will smell wonderfully strong and may make your eyes water.

Onion, chilli, garlic and ginger being blended for homemade burgers on a pale kitchen worktop

2. Season and chill the mince

Put the beef mince into a large bowl and add the blended aromatics, paprika, chilli powder, salt and pepper. Mix with clean hands or a sturdy spatula only until evenly combined—overworking it can make the burgers dense. Cover and chill for 30 minutes so the flavours settle and the mixture firms.

Seasoned beef burger mixture resting in a bowl on a pale stone worktop

3. Mix the garlic and herb butter

Beat the softened butter with the garlic, parsley, dried herbs and a little seasoning. Keep it as one full-flavoured butter, or divide it between two bowls before adding the garlic if some guests prefer herb butter on its own. Chill briefly if the day is hot, but bring it out in time to soften before serving.

4. Shape the burgers

Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions for regular burgers or 12 for smaller ones. If using a burger press, lay out the separating papers before handling the raw meat so the remaining sheets stay clean. Put one paper into the press, add the meat, cover with another paper and press firmly. Without a press, shape each portion into an even patty and make a shallow indentation in the centre with your thumb.

A burger press and separating papers on a pale stone worktop in the Foodwizardry showroom kitchen

5. Add a cheese centre, if you fancy

For stuffed burgers, use half a portion of meat to cover the base of the press, add one or two thin slices of cheese without taking them right to the edge, then cover completely with the remaining meat. Seal the edges well before pressing so the cheese is less likely to escape on the barbecue.

Homemade burger mixture and cheese layered inside a burger press

Thin cheese slices placed in the centre of homemade burger mixture

6. Chill, cook and serve

Arrange the shaped burgers in a covered container and chill for at least 30 minutes, or until the barbecue is ready. Cook over a steady medium-high heat, turning only once or twice, until browned outside and thoroughly cooked through with no pink remaining in the centre. The exact time will depend on their thickness and your barbecue. Do not press them down as they cook—you will only squeeze out the juices.

Stacks of freshly formed homemade burgers in a container on a pale stone kitchen worktop

Let the cooked burgers rest for a few minutes. Split and lightly toast the buns, spread generously with garlic and herb butter, then let everyone add their own salad, sauces, pickles and coleslaw.

CATHERINE’S TIP

Prepare the separating papers before touching the meat—they are very thin and love sticking together. Make the burgers slightly wider than the buns because they will shrink a little as the fat renders, and keep them chilled until the barbecue is ready.

Make ahead and freeze

The uncooked burgers can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. To freeze, stack them with separating papers between each burger, wrap well and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost completely in the fridge before cooking. The garlic and herb butter keeps covered in the fridge for up to 5 days and can also be frozen.

Allergy note: contains milk, and the suggested brioche buns contain gluten, milk and usually egg. Check individual sauce, bun and cheese labels when cooking for allergies.

Useful kit: A press is optional, but it makes an even batch and tidy freezer stacks. You can browse my Foodwizardry Amazon shop for kitchen-tool ideas. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases.