Josh's secret recipe for the best ever homemade beef burger patties. Perfect for burger night - especially if you put them in homemade hamburger buns!
This post was originally published in April 2015 – it has been retested, rephotographed, rewritten, and republished (to make it better for you!) in January 2019.
I do most of the cooking in our house but when it comes to homemade burgers I am given my marching orders.
I've made burger patties before, and they're ok I guess, but when Josh gets in the kitchen and makes a burger, I'm telling you, it's like no other burger you will ever eat.
This is a big call, but I'm making it. Josh makes the BEST burger patties around. And I've eaten a lot of burgers.
And guess what - he let me take photos and tell you about it! Today is the best day ever.
I'd never even watched him make the patties before. And I'll admit, even as I was watching I was thinking...hmmm, that is not how I would do it. I take it back. I take it all back. If I ever have to make a burger again (and I hope Josh always makes them for me) this is exactly how I will do them. And how you should too.
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There are a couple of little tricks that Josh uses when he makes burgers. One is to combine all the ingredients except for the mince first. Crack 2 eggs into a bowl and whisk up. Add the breadcrumbs, mixed herbs, beef stock cube (don't leave this out...I'm pretty sure it's the secret ingredient) crushed garlic and a squeeze of BBQ sauce and mix that all up.
Then add your mince and get in there with your hands and mix it all together. Split the mixture into 4 and shape into patties. It's important to note that normal people might make 6 patties out of this much mince but Josh likes to make man patties so we get 4 jumbo patties out of it. Big is good! If you are making your own burger buns, use this recipe and make it into 6 buns instead of 8 - this will get you the right sized bun for the burger.
Coat them lightly in flour and put them in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Josh tells me they hold together much better this way and apparently they stay juicier when you cook them! I would definitely agree with that.
Once they've been in the freezer, take them out and put em in the frypan. Fry for about 7-8 minutes on either side until they are cooked through. TIP...cover the pan with a lid and they will cook through better.
And make the most epic burger ever!
No other burger will ever compare.
Try making your own Hamburger Buns for an even better burger!
Made this? Tag me on Instagram @thekiwicountrygirl and hashtag it #thekiwicountrygirl.
Josh's Homemade Burger Patties
Ingredients
- 500 grams minced beef
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon mixed herbs
- 1 ½ teaspoon crushed garlic
- 1 beef stock cube (about 1 teaspoon powder)
- 2 tablespoon BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Crack 2 eggs into a bowl and whisk together. Add the breadcrumbs and whisk again. Add mixed herbs, garlic, beef stock cube and BBQ sauce and combine.
- Add mince and mix it all together using your hands.
- Split the mixture into 4 (or 6 if you prefer smaller burgers) and shape into patties. Coat each pattie lightly in flour and place on a baking tray in the freezer for 30 minutes. This helps the patties to hold together better when cooking and makes them much juicier!
- Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry the patties until cooked through (about 7-8 minutes each side).
- Put the burger in a bun, add your salads and sauces and enjoy the best burger ever!
Amy says
Yum!! I used 1 heaped tsp of tomato paste as I had no bbq sauce and Italian herbs instead of mixed herbs. Fastest I've ever seen the kids eat dinner 😍
Craig Langridge says
Made these for the family tonight and they where absolutely sensational!! Definitely a 10 out of 10 and I'll be making them again for sure.thank you.
JennT says
This is my new go-to burger recipe. They’re a bit thick for us splitting the mix into 4 so we’ll be splitting it to 6 burgers next time.
They have a great flavour, and stay moist - both issues I struggle with. But even the picky kids voted with their mouths: best burgers ever.
Kathryn says
The absolute best. Husband loves them too. Might try a little less garlic but otherwise amazing.
Jen says
So yummy! My go to recipe every time!
Jevan Cashmore says
A burger should NEVER have egg or bread crumbs added to the meat mixture. Seasonings only! This is not just my opinion but the opinion of great chefs all over the world.
This is a recipe for a meat loaf burger and the reason NZ often makes awful burgers. Don’t just take my word for it, do your own research!
(To make a great burger patty - Fresh ground beef, seasonings, flatten the patty well, super hot pan, medium well)
Laura says
I'm so sorry you feel this way Jevan! This is our absolute favourite burger recipe and is a hit with most other people who try it. I've never heard of a meatloaf burger but I'll do some googling! Laura
John Duncan says
Hi Jevan, John here from New Zealand Dunedin to be exact, Having read your comments on this site I am surprised that you need to be looking at recipes on line as your cooking knowledge is indeed wonderful. As a 75 year old Kiwi one of the things I have discovered over the time on this earth is that individually we do have different taste buds and I am happy about that as I have tried your recipe after trying Josh's and I dont think I would be trying your recipe again! My thoughts for what's there worth Cheers John D.
Laura says
John, you are a legend! Such true words, we all have different taste buds! I appreciate your support of this recipe (as does Josh! ;))
J Orsborn says
Nice to see someone on the same page as me (Jevan), my Dad (a keen kiwi cook who could cook and bake with the best of them) loved to pack out his meat patties with breadcrumbs and herbs. While the flavour was nice, there's no comparison to a well seasoned medium char broiled beef patty (condiments are key)
Aayushi thapliyal says
Thank you! I like your recipe.
Deborah Cudworth says
I have not brought a burger since trying this recipe, beautiful and so filling, lots of taste
Elizabeth Robinson says
One bite in and my husband said "These are the only burgers we will ever make again"! So delicious and easy to assemble. I didn't have any barbeque sauce so used some relish, fish sauce and tomato paste. Thanks for a great recipe!
Kimberley Arnold says
Just mad these they were a big hit in our house
Simon Williams says
I just shared this one on a Facebook "New Zealand Foodie" page I subscribe to. Here's what I said about it:
Hey folks.
I just wanted to share a recent discovery. I wonder how many of you remember (or knew about) Munchen Burger - the little place up near the old BNZ building in Cuba Street?
It was there for 30 years, and I was a regular customer for most of that time. Even after we moved up the coast, whenever I went into Wellington I just HAD to have a Munchen Burger for my drive home.
They were pretty basic, really. Just a big, thick meat patty in a nice fresh bun, with a sauce of your choice and a bit of coleslaw... but those patties!!!! Wow... so thick, so juicy, so tasty.. there was nothing, anywhere, like them. I begged Michael and Eva, several times, for the recipe, but they were staunch. They finally retired and closed down back in 2011, taking their secret with them. Which brings me to the next part of my post......
Last week I decided to make homemade burgers from scratch... essentially my own patties and buns, so I decided to Google a few patty recipes and ended up deciding to try the one I'm linking to here. It's from a Kiwi, so it must be good, right?
And they were good! And I said to Robyn, last night, these are the best burgers I've eaten since the Munchen burgers. So juicy and fat and tasty. Not quite the same texture as I remember of theirs (I reckon they included a big of sausage meat in theirs), but every bit as flavoursome.
So what did I change from the recipe? (don't we always?). I added finely chopped onion and a bit more garlic. I added chipotle sauce to the BBQ sauce. I used panko breadcrumbs ('cause that's all I had). And I added a little salt to the mix.
I'm not generally keen on processed things like stock cubes, but I made an exception this time, and I'm glad I did.
I did them over charcoal, but I reckon they'd be almost as great fried or under the griller. 🙂
https://www.thekiwicountrygirl.com/homemade-burger-patties-joshs-secret-recipe/
Laura says
Hi Simon! Oh wow, thank you so much for sharing the recipe on your page, I really appreciate that! Haha I love how you still tinkered with it - you are speaking my language! Glad you enjoyed the burgers. And funny that you say that about the stock cube, I don't usually like them so much either but they are what makes the difference! Laura
Jill says
These have become a favorite in our house 😋
Laura says
HI Jill, I'm so happy to hear that, they are a firm favourite here too! Laura
Eileen Kerr says
Josh Burger Patties
We have just had hamburgers wow 🤩 even made the breadcrumbs,right hit with the hubby
Even put them in the freezer
One was enough great flavor so easy to make
Another great recipe loving them 1st time comment here
Thanks
Eileen
Blanche Mansell says
I too, also live on a farm in Northland & came across your recipe, tonight I made them & I just wanna say these patties leave a beautiful aroma around my house & are now my family's favourite!
Thank you for sharing with us
Laura says
Hi Blanche! YAY!! Josh always makes them here and I loooove the smell when they are cooking! So good! Laura
Richard Rutgers says
Excellent mince pattie. The best I have made
Lisa @ Chocolate Meets Strawberry says
Yum, I want to try these! Thank you Josh for the recipe! We love homemade burgers and as I don't eat beef but love chicken I think I will just substitute chicken mince instead. Yummo!
Laura says
Ooo I haven't tried them with any other type of mince but I'm sure chicken would be delicious! I am pretty sure lamb would work too 🙂
Whisked Away says
We made these tonight for dinner and they were a HUGE hit! Tell Josh thanks for us 🙂 I'll repost the recipe on my site later and link back to yours.
Laura says
That's great!! I'm so glad you loved them ☺
Julia says
These look amazing!!! I love a good burger!
Laura says
Me too! Homemade burgers would have to be one of my favourite meals.
Sweet Tea Sweetie says
I love all of that garlic in there! Yum!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
Laura says
The garlic is so good in them!
K @ Peeled Wellness says
I bet the beef stock cube is a perfect secret ingredient. Mine are in the hard little bricks, I'll have to smash it. This is the perfect time of year to share this recipe, for sure. Thanks for linking up today!
xoxo K
http://peeledwellness.com
Laura says
Ours are in the hard bricks too but it works! Josh squishes it in the packet before he opens it...apparently that's the key!
Whisked Away says
I have hamburger patties on this week's dinner menu, I'll definitely have to give this version a try!
Laura says
Awesome, I hope you like them as much as we do!