Nothing beats a juicy, delicious patty flattened between two pieces of buns with some, fillings, and drippin' good sauce.
Whether you’re a double patty, extra cheese or no tomato fan, what better way to celebrate International Burger Day than with your favourite bite?
Traditionally, a hamburger consists of a ground beef patty that is pan-fried and is served in a bun. In the burger, condiments such as mustard, lettuce, cheese, tomato, ketchup, bacon, and pickles are used. There are many other variations of the burger such as veggie and turkey burger.
If you have the above ingredients at home, why not celebrate this day and make one or both of these?
Head of Capsicum Culinary Studio's in Johannesburg, Nadia Barnard and a chef from the school - Marlon De Freitas share below their favourite burger recipes.
Crumbed Chicken Burger. Picture: Supplied
Crumbed Chicken Burger
Makes: 4
Ingredients
4 skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
Toasted corn flakes
Flour
Chilli powder
2 eggs
Burger toppings
Pineapple and cucumber chilli salsa with fresh coriander
Iceberg lettuce
Feta cheese
Whole roasted red pepper with skin removed and sliced.
Home-made lemon aioli
Method
Clean and butterfly the chicken breasts and season with salt and pepper.
Finely crush cornflakes and add to flour that has been seasoned with the chilli powder.
Whisk eggs and place in a bowl. Dip each chicken fillet into the egg then into the seasoned flour. Do this process twice to get a great crust.
Add enough oil to a pan to shallow fry. Once the oil has heated (make sure not too hot!) add the crumbed chicken fillet and cook each one for 4-5 minutes each side until both sides are sealed with a golden colour.
Remove from the pan and drain on a paper towel.
Cover with a lid and allow to steam for 5 minutes.
Place onto toasted sesame seed bun and add toppings.
Method for salsa
Peel pineapple and slice, finely chop one red chilli. Cut the cucumber into bite-size pieces and mix with chilli, pineapple, and the juice of ¼ lemon. Chop coriander, add to the mixture season with salt, and set aside to infuse.
Method for lemon aioli
Zest and juice ½ a lemon. Whisk two eggs yolk in a bowl and slowly pour in 100ml oil, whisking constantly until blended. Add the lemon juice and zest and whisk until incorporated. Add salt and pepper for seasoning and set aside for later use.
Recipe by Chef Marlon De Freitas'.
Lamb burger. Picture: Supplied
Lamb Burger
Makes: 4
Ingredients
Burger patties
1 onion finely chopped
250g lamb mince
250g lean beef mince
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 egg
1tsp cumin
1tsp paprika (not smoked
¼ cup mint finely chopped
¼ cup parsley finely chopped
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp oil
To build the burger
4 burger buns
2 tomatoes sliced
½ red onion sliced
4 gherkins sliced
For the Tzatziki
¾ English cucumber peeled and sliced
1tsp sea salt
2 cloves of garlic peeled & minced
1tsp white vinegar
1tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cups Greek yoghurt
¼ tsp ground white pepper
Method for the burger patties
In a large bowl combine the beef and lamb mince, finely chopped onion, finely chopped garlic, egg, cumin, paprika, finely chopped parsley, finely chopped mint, salt, and pepper. Combine well.
Shape into patties and refrigerate until ready to cook.
Heat the oil in a frying pan to medium heat and cook the patties for 7 to 10 minutes on each side or until cooked through.
Assemble the fresh ingredients for the burger.
Spread each top and bottom bun with tzatziki sauce.
Stack your fresh ingredients and cooked patty on the dressed burger buns.
Method for the Tzatziki
Prepare the cucumber by peeling and deseeding the cucumber. Grate the cucumbers with a medium-coarse grater.
Toss the grated cucumber with ½ teaspoon sea salt.
Transfer the salted and grated cucumber to a fine-mesh strainer over a deep bowl to drain. Spoon the grated cucumber into a muslin cloth or a double thickness napkin and squeeze dry. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, place the minced garlic with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, white vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil. Mix to combine.
Add the grated cucumber to the large bowl with the garlic mixture. Stir in the yogurt and white pepper. Combine thoroughly. Cover tightly and refrigerate for a couple of hours.
When ready to serve, stir the tzatziki sauce to refresh and add dollops of the sauce onto the burgers.
Recipe by Nadia Barnard's.