How to cook beef patties

Burger patties are usually a combination of mince, egg and bread crumbs as a base. Then you can add any spices, herbs or sauces depending on what flavours you enjoy. The beef or lamb mince is incredibly versatile and once the mixture is shaped into patties they can be cooked and used in hamburgers, wraps or eaten with salad or veggies and your favourite dipping sauce on the side.

The cut

Patties are made from ground beef or lamb commonly known as mince. It comes in varying degrees such as prime or premium depending on the fat content. For patties it’s a good idea to look for a higher fat content which will add flavour and help hold the mince mixture together when cooking.

three raw hamburger patties are stacked on top of each other on a wooden cutting board .

How to cook

The best cooking methods for burger patties, whether they are made from beef or lamb mince, is to pan fry or barbecue. We like to start the patty off as a round shape, like a large meatball, and flatten it during cooking.

It is best to cook beef patties over a hot pan or barbecue grill. They need to be cooked through and have an internal temperature of 65°C.

Pan frying burger patties

A well-seasoned

cast iron skillet

is an ideal tool for cooking beef patties. The wide, shallow pan allows for a high, dry, even heat. You want to heat the skillet over medium-high heat until it just begins to smoke, about 2 minutes. At this point, place the patties in the skillet.

If your patties are shaped like large meatballs, allow them to cook for a few seconds, then use the back of a spatula to flatten the meat into a patty shape. Flattening it like this sears it beautifully and creates crispy, uneven edges as the burger sizzles and produces a mouthwatering crust known as the

Maillard Reaction

. Cook the patty, flipping once, until it is browned and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side, depending on thickness

You can then place a slice of cheese on top of the patty, cover the skillet, and continue cooking just until the cheese has melted, about 1 minute more.

a group of people are having a barbecue with meat at the beach

Barbecuing

Grilling meat on a barbecue will help to infuse it with a savoury, smoky flavour. When barbecuing beef patties, you ideally want to cook them over a compact charcoal or gas barbecue.

If using a charcoal barbecue,

build a medium-hot charcoal fire

(the coals are ready when they are fully ashed over but still hot enough that you can’t hold your hand an inch above them for more than two seconds).

When your barbecue is ready, place the patties on the grill and cook, waiting for at least 3 minutes before flipping.

Cook until both sides are browned and the patties are cooked to the desired doneness, about 6 minutes total depending on thickness.