Grilling Up Burgers For National Burger Day

 How can you celebrate National Burger Day? 

1. Plan a pool party and host a backyard barbecue
2. Ask your friends to particpate in a “contest” for the Best Burger
3. Offer unique burger toppings including: peanut butter, a fried egg, mac and cheese, avocado or let your imagination run wild!

Here is our favorite traditional burger classic & a few twists!

Classic Cheeseburger

Cheeseburgers are a mainstay on any outdoor barbecue party. The key is to use quality beef with a little bit of fat. Don’t worry about the extra calories. One bite of this will assure you that it’s going to so worth it!

Ingredients

1 ½ lbs lean ground chuck with 20% fat content
1 ½ tablespoons canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste
4 slices American cheddar cheese
4 hamburger buns split crosswise

Directions

1. Preheat your grill to high heat if you’re using a gas grill. If you’re using a charcoal grill, heat up the coals until they glow bright orange and ash over.
2. Divide the ground chuck into 4 equal portions, about 6 ounces each. Form each portion into a ¾-inch thick burger patty. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
3. Brush the burger patty with canola oil on both sides. Place on the direct side of the grill. Cover and grill about 3 minutes or until the burger patties are golden and slightly charred on the first side. Flip the burgers and grill for another 3 minutes.
4. Add the cheese onto the tops of the burgers. Place the buns on the indirect side of the grill, cut side down. Cover and grill for another minute to melt the cheese and toast the buns.
5. Remove the burger patties and buns from the grill. Spread a liberal amount of mayonnaise on the cut sides of the buns. Place the patty on top of the bottom half of the bun and top with the top part of the bun. Serve immediately.

Chicken Parmesan Burgers

You’re sure going to cry out ‘Bellisimo’ with this Italian classic in burger form.

Ingredients

1 ½ lbs. ground chicken
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
4 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
4 sourdough rolls
Fresh basil leaves
1 tomato, sliced
Mayonnaise

Directions

1. Preheat your outdoor grill to medium-high heat.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add in the ground chicken, parmesan cheese, garlic cloves, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix with your hands until well combined. Divide into 4 portions and shape them into burger patties, about 4 inches wide. Lightly brush the patties on both sides with oil.
3. Place the chicken patties on the direct-heat side of the grill. Cover and grill for 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the burgers and cook for another 3 minutes. Top each of the patties with the mozzarella cheese slices. Cover and grill for another 1 to 2 minutes or until the cheese have melted and the patties have cooked through. Remove from the grill and loosely tent with aluminum foil to keep warm.
4. Place the sourdough buns, cut side down, on the indirect-heat side of the grill for 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until toasted. Remove from the grill. Spread a liberal amount of mayonnaise on the buns. Place a chicken burger patty on top of the bottom bun and stack this with fresh basil leaves and tomato slices. Top with the top side of the bun. Serve immediately.

Spiced Lamb Burgers

Switch the standard hamburger bun for flatbreads like a pita to add a bit of Mediterranean flair to your National Burger Day backyard barbecue party.

Ingredients:

For the lamb burgers:

1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
½ cinnamon stick, broken up
A pinch of cayenne pepper
3 teaspoon paprika
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 lbs. ground lamb shoulder

For the spiced yogurt:

½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon coriander seeds
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 garlic clove, crushed with a little sea salt
1 dozen fresh mint leaves, finely shredded
A pinch of sea salt
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

To serve:

Canola or olive oil
8 Flatbreads
Romaine lettuce leaves
1 cucumber, sliced
1 small red onion, finely sliced

Directions:

1. Using a dry, shallow skillet, toast the cumin, coriander, fennel seeds, peppercorn, and cinnamon about a minute or two. Grind to a fine powder using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Transfer the ground up spices into a large bowl. Add the cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic and salt and mix until well combined.
2. Add in the ground lamb and mix thoroughly with your hands until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow all the spices to penetrate into the meat.
3. While you’re waiting for the lamb to marinate, prepare the spiced yogurt. Start by toasting the cumin, coriander, and sesame seeds in the same pan you used for toasting the burger spices until they become fragrant. Transfer the toasted cumin and coriander seeds into a small bowl. Stir in the Greek yogurt, garlic, mint, and salt until well combined. Sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds on the yogurt sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
4. Preheat your outdoor grill to high heat. Take out the lamb mixture and bring to room temperature. Break off a teaspoonful of the lamb mixture and quickly fry this until cooked through. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
5. Once you’re happy with the taste, divide the lamb mixture and form into 8 patties, each about ¾-inch thick. Lightly brush both sides of the patties with oil. Place on the direct-heat side of the grill. Cover and grill for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through and grill marks have formed. Remove from the grill and tent loosely with foil to allow the meat to rest and the juices to redistribute.
6. Warm the flatbreads for 1 to 2 minutes on the direct side of the grill. Wrap a lamb burger patty with a flatbread along with some lettuce, cucumber, and onion. Drizzle some of the spiced yogurt, and serve. Source: The Kichn