Hamburger with Homemade Herb Butter and Hot Sauce

This is a simple hamburger where the flavor primarily comes from homemade herb butter and hot sauce. The herb butter melts over the meat towards the end of cooking, while the hot sauce is served on the side so you can control the heat.

The recipes for both the herb butter and hot sauce can be found at tommysworld.no.

Flavor Profile

Juicy and meaty burger with salt, herbs, and butter from the herb butter. The raw onion adds sharpness, the tomato brings freshness, and the hot sauce adds acidity, chili, and heat.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the burger with hot sauce in a small bowl on the side. This way, you can either dip the burger or add some sauce as you go.

Hamburger with Homemade Herb Butter and Hot Sauce

It's easy to make a hamburger more complicated than it needs to be. You can use many types of cheese, several sauces, and a long list of toppings, but that doesn't necessarily mean the burger will be better.

In this recipe, I keep the burger itself simple. It is made from regular ground beef and topped with lettuce, tomato, and raw onion. What gives the burger its unique character is the homemade herb butter and hot sauce.

The recipes for both the herb butter and hot sauce can be found at tommysworld.no.

Regular Ground Beef Works Well

For two large burgers, I use 400 grams of regular ground beef. This yields two burgers of about 200 grams each.

The burgers are shaped gently without overworking the meat. If the ground beef is pressed and worked too hard, the burgers can become firmer and more compact after cooking. The goal is to shape them just enough to hold together.

Make the burgers slightly larger than the hamburger buns. The meat tends to shrink a bit during cooking.

Be Careful with Salt

The burgers are seasoned with black pepper and a little salt just before they go in the pan. However, it is important to be cautious with the amount of salt in this recipe.

The herb butter already contains salt and will melt over the burger towards the end of the cooking time. Too much salt on the meat can make the finished burger unnecessarily salty.

It's easier to add a little extra salt later than to fix an over-salted burger.

Get a Good Crust

The frying pan should be well heated before the burgers are added. Use a little neutral oil and let the burgers sit long enough to develop a nice crust.

Don't move them back and forth all the time. When the meat has good contact with the hot pan, more flavor develops on the surface.

The burgers are cooked until they are well done. Towards the end of the cooking time, place a good slice of homemade herb butter on each burger.

Let the Herb Butter Melt Over the Meat

The herb butter is the most important flavor element in this burger. When placed on the hot meat, the butter gradually melts down over the burger.

It adds fat, herbs, and salt. At the same time, you avoid having to fill the burger with several different dressings and sauces.

Feel free to use a lid over the pan for a few seconds if you want the butter to melt a bit faster.

Simple Vegetables

Assemble the burger with lettuce, tomato, and raw yellow onion. This is a simple combination that provides freshness, juiciness, and a bit of sharpness.

The onion is sliced into thin rings so it doesn't become too overpowering. The tomato is cut into even slices, while the lettuce is washed and dried before use.

The hamburger buns are split and quickly toasted in the same pan. This adds a bit more flavor and helps the buns hold up against the butter and meat juices better.

Hot Sauce as a Dip or Right on the Burger

Pour it over like "ketchup" or in a small bowl on the side.

This has two advantages. First, each person can decide how spicy they want their burger to be. Second, the burger retains the flavor of the herb butter without the hot sauce completely overpowering it.

You can dip the burger directly into the sauce or add a bit of hot sauce to each bite.

This also makes the dish easier to serve to people who enjoy different amounts of chili.

A Simple Burger with Distinct Flavor

This is not a burger that needs many ingredients. The point is to use a few things that work well together.

The meat provides a solid base. The herb butter adds richness and herbs. Tomato and lettuce provide freshness, while raw onion adds sharpness. The hot sauce adds acidity and heat to your liking.

The result is a simple hamburger that tastes more than the ingredient list would suggest.