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Unusual Burger Ideas

Unusual Burger Ideas

If you are catering for friends and family informally over the weekend or hosting children in the summer holidays,  a homemade burger is a fun meal option. We have all used shop-bought burgers but if you are looking to customise your burger, a homemade patty is the way to go.

Burger Binding Tip:

If you want to make a burger that is juicy when cooked you should have a minimum fat content of 10%, up to the ideal of 20%. I always, and only ever, use oats as my binding ingredient. It was a tip from a butcher years ago. I now never use egg, soaked bread or breadcrumbs. Trust me your burger shrinks less, the oats can not be seen and the burgers retain all the meat’s juiciness. Try it next time you mix up a batch of burgers. You may want to use your trusted burger recipe, but perhaps make one burger using oats and see if I can convert you to using oats.

When you are choosing your meat, think of the cuisine you are wanting to customise your meat to and use that particular country’s flavourings:

Customising Your Burgers

Pork Mince Burgers:

Malaysian  Pork Burger

Finely slice leeks, five spice, soya sauce, sesame oil, served in a brioche bun with sweet chili sauce.

Sunday Roast Pork Burger

To your pork mince add fresh or dried sage to make your burger. Serve a dollop of apple sauce and salad with your burger in a bun.

Chicken Burger

Indonesian Chicken Satay Burger

Marinade your chicken breast in cumin, tumeric, garlic, cinnamon and sesame oil. Top with my quick and easy satay sauce, click here to make my super quick recipe for Satay Sauce

Moroccan Chicken Breast

Grill your chicken breasts and serve with a yoghurt dressing made with ½ cup of natural yoghurt and a teaspoon of harrissa paste.

Lamb Mince Burgers:

Indian Lamb Burger

Spice the mince with freshly chopped coriander, cumin, fresh chilli and mango chutney for sweetness, serve in a bun with a cool raita yoghurt and mint mixed together.

Greek Lamb Burger

Spice the mince a sprinkling of cinnamon, cumin and lots of flat leaf parsley, make a quick tzanziki (grated cucumber water squeezed out, garlic, dried mint and Fage Total Greek Yoghurt) serve in a pitta pocket with salad and crumbled feta cheese.

Pork Mince Burgers:

Malaysian  Pork Burger

Finely slice leeks, five spice, soya sauce, sesame oil, served in a brioche bun with sweet chili sauce.

Sunday Roast Pork Burger

To your pork mince add fresh or dried sage to make your burger. Serve a dollop of apple sauce and salad with your burger in a bun.

Beef Mince Burgers

Dirty Sauce Burger

Spruce up your classic beef burgers with a trendy sauce name for your classic mayo, tomato sauce and mustard. Calling it a Dirty Sauce Burger makes it sound different and names the trio of sauces brilliantly.  I ate my Dirty Sauce at the Smoke Haus in Birmingham which was a beef burger topped with brisket and served with Dirty Sauce. I recreated the sauce using a mix of 3 Tablespoons of Hellman’s mayonnaise, 1 Tablespoon Heinz Tomato Ketchup and 1 Tablespoon French’s Classic Yellow Mustard  (I used the Sweet with brown sugar bottle). It is delicious as a dipping sauce for your fries too.

Asian Style Burger

Beef mince a good dollop of teriyaki sauce and chopped spring onion and freshly chopped coriander. Serve rounds of cucumbers and lettuce.

Vegetarian Burger Options:

I always serve my vegetarian friends food in the style of what we are eating. I don’t think singling people out for their choice to abstain from meat should lead them to eating something totally different (and if we are honest in most cases, sometimes less exciting).

My take is serve what you are serving just make it without meat. I have used veggie lamb chops when we are eating lamb, veggie chicken breasts when I am serving chicken. The brilliant thing is you make all the same sauces and sides so they enjoy everything everyone else is enjoying too.

Here is what I would make for vegetarians if I was serving the burgers mentioned above:

Vegetarian Indian Burger

Using a thick slice of aubergine marinated in olive oil, freshly chopped coriander, ground cumin, fresh chilli and mango chutney for sweetness. Serve in a bun or wrapped in a chapatti with a cool raita (yoghurt and mint mixed together) and salad.

Vegetarian Greek Burger

Using a portobello mushroom, marinated in olive oil cinnamon, ground cumin and lots of flat leaf parsley. Grill or BBQ. Serve with a quick tzanziki sauce (grated cucumber water squeezed out, garlic, dried mint and Fage Total Greek Yoghurt) serve in a pitta pocket with salad and crumbled feta cheese.

Vegetarian Malaysian Burger

Using a thick slice of aubergine marinated in five spice, soya sauce, sesame oil, served in a brioche bun with sweet chilli sauce.

Vegetarian Dirty Sauce Burger

A huge portabello mushroom can mimic the texture of a beef burger and take the same sauces as toppings. Add dirty sauce to your BBQ or grilled mushroom.

Make Dirty Sauce using 3 Tablespoons of Hellman’s mayonnaise, 1 Tablespoon Heinz Tomato Ketchup and 1 Tablespoon French’s Classic Yellow Mustard  (I used the Sweet with brown sugar bottle). Serve your burger with cheese, lettuce, tomato and gherkins.

Vegetarian Asian Style Burger

Marinade a thick slice of aubergine in teriyaki sauce and freshly chopped coriander. BBQ and serve with rounds of cucumbers, chopped spring onions and lettuce.

Vegetarian Indonesian Satay Burger

Marinade your chicken breast in cumin, turmeric, garlic, cinnamon and sesame oil. Top with my quick and easy satay sauce.

Vegetarian Moroccan Chicken Breast

Grill your chicken breasts and served with a yoghurt dressing made with ½ cup of natural yoghurt and a teaspoon of harissa paste.

Gluten Free Bun

A lovely idea for gluten intolerant friends is to serve wrapped iceberg lettuce as the bun. Place your burger patty into a large lettuce leaf and wrap the whole burger so it is surrounded by the lettuce.

I hope you are inspired to create a delicious burger soon.