Burgers

Make these burgers for summer barbecues, tailgates, and last-minute weekend cookouts. Making your own burgers is easier than you think. Try these recipes from hamburgers (classic!) to lamb burgers (fancy!) to turkey burgers (healthy!) to black bean burgers (for the vegetarians in your life and your one friend who is vegan this week).

ACTIVE TIME: 20 MINUTES    | TOTAL TIME: 20 MINUTES    | MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Equipment

Cutting board
Sharp knife
Measuring spoons
Skillet

INGREDIENTS

burgers-beauty .jpg

1 pound ground meat, including chicken, turkey, pork, or lamb
1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
4 hamburger rolls, sliced in half and toasted, if you want
4 tomato slices
4 thin red onion slices
4 lettuce leaves
ketchup and mustard

Instructions

  1. Put the ground meat on the cutting board and divide into 4 balls of equal size.

  2. Form each ball into a patty about 3/4-1 inch thick.

  3. Using your thumb, make a half-inch dent about the size of a quarter in the middle of each side. (Handle the patties as little as possible and wash hands after touching raw meat.)

  4. Sprinkle both sides of the patties with salt and pepper.

  5. Put the skillet on the stove and turn the heat to high. Wait two minutes for the pan to heat up, and then add the patties to the dry pan.

  6. Cook until crusty brown on the outside, about 5 minutes, and then flip the patties and cook until crusty brown on the other side—and heated throughout—another 5 minutes.

  7. Assemble burgers as you like!