Tips & Tricks: Perfect Hamburgers

Hamburgers are a super easy weeknight dinner. They're especially great during the summer. Have I mentioned that I love grilling? Haha! Anyhow, I've discovered a trick for forming the perfect hamburger patty. This method will make your hamburgers all come out the same size and shape which means they will all cook for the same amount of time. The pre-formed hamburger patties also cost more per pound than just bulk hamburger; by making your own patties, you can also save some money! So, what's my secret trick? This handy little plastic tub that contained crumbled bleu cheese at one time.

I saved the empty tub and washed it out. It's been so handy that I've had it for a couple of years now. If you need a reason to purchase bleu cheese, try making my Black and Bleu Cheeseburgers. You can get the same kind of tub when you purchase feta cheese or mascarpone cheese. Just remember to save the tub the next time you buy one of these items. In the picture, you can see that I've lined the tub with some plastic wrap. I learned the hard way that the hamburgers are much easier to get out if you use plastic wrap. If you skip this step, you'll have to really give the tub a whack to get the hamburger to come out.

Once you've got your tub lined with some plastic wrap, get the hamburger ready. For a pound of ground beef (or turkey or chicken), separate the meat into 5 evenly sized balls. Then take each ball and gently pat it down into the plastic tub.

Once you have a perfectly shaped hamburger patty, gently lift the plastic wrap out of the plastic tub and peel the plastic wrap off of the hamburger patty. Place the patty on a plate and set aside. Once all of your patties are formed, season them and cook them! It's that simple!

Here are my two favorite hamburger recipes:

Black & Bleu Cheeseburgers

Cheeseburgers with Sriracha Aioli