Making your own hamburger patties is a great way to control the ingredients and additives in your meat. In addition, this allows you to customize the size and flavors of the meat. However, you may have noticed that some hamburger meat recipes call for eggs. So you’re now wondering why you put an egg into hamburger meat?
Adding egg to hamburger meat can help bind the meat. This allows the hamburger to keep its shape and prevents it from crumbling while it cooks. You can add a whole egg or just the egg whites. Usually, you only have to add an egg to hamburger meat if you use lean beef, turkey, or vegetables.
This article will discuss why some people add eggs to hamburger meat and how they contribute to the finished product. In addition, we’ll also discuss what substitutes you can use for eggs in case of allergies or if you are vegan. Then, we’ll touch on some other tips for ensuring you have deliciously juicy hamburgers.
Why Should You Add Eggs To Hamburger Meat?
Home-made hamburgers are delicious! You can choose what spices and ingredients you want to put in your burger. In addition, you also control how many preservatives and additives make it into your hamburgers.
However, if you’ve researched the perfect hamburger recipe, you may have noticed some recipes call for the addition of eggs. Why is this, you might ask?
In most cases, you add eggs to hamburger meat to bind the meat and other ingredients. This helps the hamburgers keep their shape and prevents them from crumbling while they cook.
In addition to helping bind the ingredients, eggs are a great addition to veggie burgers to increase the protein content of the burgers.
You might be wondering if you should always add eggs to your hamburger meat? The answer is no. Eggs are mainly required when adding other ingredients, such as onions or cereal fillers, to the hamburger meat.
These ingredients change the texture of the hamburger and dry the meat out. Therefore, the egg is added to bind the meat and ensure your hamburger stays juicy and intact when cooked.
However, if you use high-quality beef with a fat percentage of 20, the meat will have enough fat and juices to stay together while it is cooked. You don’t need to add eggs, but you can if you want to or if you are afraid that the hamburger will crumble.
Chefs recommend buying the best quality ground beef (chuck) that you can afford. The higher the meat quality, the better the chances of getting a juicy hamburger.
However, in the case of lean, turkey, or veggie burgers, there isn’t enough fat to do the job. Therefore, you can add an egg or two to bind the mixture and keep the burger from crumbling.
You can add one or two eggs, depending on how dry your mix is. You can also add egg whites if you are on a calorie-controlled diet. Two egg whites equate to one whole egg.
So, suppose you’re using lean beef, ground turkey, or you are making veggie burgers. In that case, there isn’t enough fat content in the meat to hold the hamburger together.
The fat in regular beef shrinks while cooked, pulling the protein fibers together and preventing the hamburger from crumbling and falling apart.
If your hamburger mixture is too wet, add breadcrumbs or cereal. The perfect hamburger consistency is wet and slightly sticky, but not so sticky that it breaks apart in your hands.
Once the hamburger texture is to your perfection, you can shape and cook them according to your wellness.
Higher-quality meat is also safer to cook less. In contrast, meat from a questionable source should be cooked medium. Chefs recommend cooking the hamburgers to an internal temperature of 160°F to remove any bacteria.
This temperature will also ensure your hamburger isn’t overcooked, making it juicy and tender. It should take you 10 minutes to cook a hamburger.
Can You Use A Substitute For Eggs In Hamburger Meat?
In some cases, you might see that your recipe calls for eggs or that your hamburger meat needs eggs, but you cannot add eggs for some reason. For example, if you are vegan or allergic to eggs, you cannot add eggs to your hamburger meat as a binding agent. Fortunately, there are some substitutes for eggs in hamburger meat.
1. Vegan Substitutes For Egg In Hamburger Meat
The easiest substitute for an egg in hamburger meat is to make a flax egg. Flax eggs are effortless to make. They are also tasteless and have the same binding properties as a real egg.
Mix three tablespoons of water and one tablespoon of ground flaxseed to make a flax egg. Let this mixture sit until the flaxseed powder has absorbed all the moisture. This mixture is equal to one egg. The flax egg will have a very gooey and sticky texture, and this is what will help bind the hamburger.
2. Egg Substitutes For Hamburger Meat In Case Of Allergy
For those allergic to eggs, you can also add a flax egg to the mixture to bind your hamburger meat. Or, you can add some unflavored beef gelatin to substitute the eggs in your recipe.
First, mix two tablespoons of gelatin with one cup of water. Once the mixture is set, use three and a half tablespoons of gelatin per egg in your hamburger meat.
Tips For Making The Perfect Hamburger
Eggs will help prevent your hamburger from crumbling and breaking apart when you cook it. However, here are some other tricks for ensuring you have a perfectly cooked, juicy hamburger. These are some tips to keep in mind when making your hamburgers.
- Don’t overhandle the meat. This causes the protein to tense up and results in a dry hamburger.
- Mix the egg before adding it to the hamburger mixture to prevent overworking the meat.
- Make an indent in the hamburger to ensure other ingredients, such as tomato and relish, can sit on top of it on your burger.
- Don’t press the hamburgers too tight or flatten them with the spatula on the grill. This presses out all the moisture and may cause your patties to break.
These are some tips for making the best hamburgers from scratch that you can brag about at family gatherings, block parties, and barbeques.
Final Word
You can add eggs to your hamburger meat to help bind the mixture and add protein to veggie burgers. Eggs will significantly help bind lean beef or turkey hamburgers with a lower fat percentage. However, if you have ground beef with 20% fat, you don’t need to add an egg.
You can also use a flax-egg or unflavored gelatin to help bind your hamburger meat if you don’t want to use eggs. Hopefully, these tips will help you make perfect hamburgers in the future!
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Sources
https://oureverydaylife.com/how-to-use-egg-in-a-burger-12517176.html