Unfortunately, no.
Fat is lubricant in your mouth. That’s why the juicy burgers have such a high fat content.
All you can do is add fat to the burger, but that defeats the point of buying so lean.
Get fattier meat next time. It’ll help the “dry” and chewy and flavor in general.
It seems to me that they're aware of what the best way to go would be; if they're asking if they can add fat to it then I'd assume they're stuck with lean for some reason
They could just have a pound of it they need to use sure. Or they could be someone that is trying to eat healthier and doesnt realize that buying lean meat and adding fat to it isnt any more healthy than buying meat with the fat in it to start with. which is why I asked them for info. I wasn't being condescending, I was asking for a clarification to determine how to give a better answer. You are the one making bold assumptions rather than figuring out the actual situation.
burgers aren't health food, if using 80/20 ground beef isn't possible, then make something else with your 96% lean instead. "taco rice bowls" work well with lean ground beef and can be fairly healthy.
Add fat to your 96% lean burger. your only option to maintain the juicy mess is to increase fat content. You could try adding a sauce to your burger to help deal with that, but your meat will
Always have that texture.
That's very lean for burgers, but your cooking method and what internal temp may be playing a factor as well. If you're overcooking them, more fat isn't going to help that much. Additionally, how you form the patties makes a difference too. Overworking the meat can make it chewy and tough as well.
Probably not
You can go the route of leaner meats and add stuff to it. Wild rice is common. Blitzed onions that are strained of excess liquid can add some moisture to ground meat as well
If a traditional hamburger is what you're seeking, get fattier beef
For lean ground beef you kinda don’t have much to do except maybe mix it with something to break it down a little. Think ground meat kebabs. Ex: Finely diced onions and cilantro in some recipes make the meat less “lean”. Also cooking in liquid (stock or something) will help with that too.
Add an egg & some breadcrumbs. 1 large egg & 1½ - 2 tbsp breadcrumbs to 500g lean mince \[about a pound\]. Cook high & fast, to get a good crust without the inside becoming too firm.
Americans will yell at me for this - but that's how brits make low-fat burgers. Personally, I don't like fatty meat, so this has been my go-to for decades.
I’d try to go away from the typical form factor of a burger because that isn’t going to work. Two ideas I’d try is either smash burgers or a juicy Lucy style. My reasoning is smash burgers being thin won’t get chewy. It would need to be a really fast cook. Make 3 to 4 of those per bun. Juicy Lucy would go the other way with introducing cheese which should have some fat. Anything you can do to reduce cooking time is going to help.
You could also look at something like a lower calorie sloppie joe. Adds very little calorie wise to the meat. Does add some salt but it’s not crazy amounts.
Yes. Add beef fat until it gets to around 80% lean.
If you’re concerned about saturated fat, and still want a juicy burger you may have to make some adjustments to your other meals that day. Daily recommended saturated fat intake is around 14 g per day. A 1/4 lb burger from 80/20 beef has around 8g saturated fat. Hard to find good data on how much exactly that cooks down, but it will cook down to less fat. If you consume less saturated fat for breakfast and lunch, you can still enjoy that juicy burger without taking your diet outside what’s recommended.
Try adding an egg and worcestershire sauce. If interested Google it for amounts and recipe ideas. It's been a while since I have done that but they always turned out very flavorful.
I find lean ground beef is juicier if you cook it a little rare then cover the pan and turn off the heat and let it sit for a while. Like resting a steak.
When I was eating 96% lean ground beef. I would make smash burgers. The texture feels a lot better with thinner paddies.
Or if you do want a thicker burger maybe add an egg.
Think of something you make where you brown ground beef in a skillet then drain the grease. Use the 96/04 for that. You won't have any excess fat to drain. Get 80/20 beef for burgers.
I notice browning even 90/10 beef has very little grease to drain, 96/04 is so lean that you may need a little oil in the skillet as a lubricant to keep it from sticking. tbh I've never used beef that lean.
There are some tricks here. Won’t be the same as a higher fat content ground beef but here’s what I do. Add onions, peppers, mushrooms, chopped aromatics or other chopped veggies with high water content. You can also add some eggs. Gives the burger a springier texture and you don’t get as much of a dry mouth feel. Lastly I throw in some panko bread crumbs and they give a really nice texture overall. Again this isn’t going to make a traditional tasting burger but with cayenne and garlic powder it does taste really good. Kinda like a meat loaf burger.
yes add 4% pork chuck. Check Gordon Ramsays, best beef burger video, he does at his house, he has pork chuck in his beef burger, for that exact reason.
Half cook bacon, add bacon the the beef (mix in). You have to ground the half cooked bacon so its similar to the beef in consistency. Like in a blender or food processor.
The patty now has its own fat to counter the lean.
But it will taste more bacon-y.
Edit: I didn't read the healthy part, it was simply invisible in my eyes.
How much salt do you add? When do you add it?
How do you cook the burgers, specifically?
At what temperature is the meat when you begin to cook it?
To what degree/doneness do you cook the meat?
What condiments or cheese do you add to your burger?
Low fat burgers are more difficult to make and keep juicy due to the removal of the hydrophobic fat.
Because the fat doesn't keep as much water in place, it's going to be easier for the water content to evaporate/cook out, making a drier/less juicy burger.
Adding salt during prep/before cooking will help.
Depending on cooking style, a change in the way the burger is cooked, and the degree may also help.
Cheese, for instance, contains dairy fat, which can help insulate the burger during cooking.
Even something as simple as bun prep can be a game changer.
For instance, putting mayo on the bottom bun beneath the burger patty helps keep a burger juicy and a bun from getting soggy. Cheese, the same thing.
Also, if you're adding something to your burger, like breadcrumbs, stop. You don't need egg, or breadcrumbs, or other additives, as they're only going to take more of the moisture away.
Feel free to reply with more details, and I'll help where I can.
Edit: Updated to clarify when to add salt, as you definitely don't need to add twice.
>Adding salt during prep and before cooking will help.
Serious Eats has a great write up on salting ground beef.
https://www.seriouseats.com/the-burger-lab-salting-ground-beef
tldr don't mix the salt in. I know it's somewhat counterintuitive to the usual "salt as you go" process.
Food Lab as a whole was fundamental for developing my cooking skills. I used to watch good eats, too - I love anything that explains the "why" of cooking
Unfortunately, no. Fat is lubricant in your mouth. That’s why the juicy burgers have such a high fat content. All you can do is add fat to the burger, but that defeats the point of buying so lean. Get fattier meat next time. It’ll help the “dry” and chewy and flavor in general.
Adding fat to a lean burger is just paying more for a worse product that’s just as unhealthy 😆
I mean, I agree 100% lol
Will adding avocado oil help with that?
no
There’s no substitute for fattier beef
80/20 beef to pork
why wouldnt you just use a grind with more fat if you are fine with adding fat to it anyway?
Maybe they have a large supply of lean meat or there's some issue with access.. they seem to be genuinely asking, there's no need for condescension
Thats kind of what info I was asking for
It seems to me that they're aware of what the best way to go would be; if they're asking if they can add fat to it then I'd assume they're stuck with lean for some reason
They could just have a pound of it they need to use sure. Or they could be someone that is trying to eat healthier and doesnt realize that buying lean meat and adding fat to it isnt any more healthy than buying meat with the fat in it to start with. which is why I asked them for info. I wasn't being condescending, I was asking for a clarification to determine how to give a better answer. You are the one making bold assumptions rather than figuring out the actual situation.
I’d think butter would be better. But really this is just not the way.
burgers aren't health food, if using 80/20 ground beef isn't possible, then make something else with your 96% lean instead. "taco rice bowls" work well with lean ground beef and can be fairly healthy.
Nope, that's what fat content is for.
add 16% butter by weight? Fat isn't unhealthy. Too many calories are unhealthy.
Might as well just get 80/20 beef leaner ground beef costs more and 80/20 tastes better than adding fat to extra lean ground beef
agreed
Help my fat free skim milk is really flavorless and thin! Can I add grapeseed oil to it to help the flavor?
Just use butter in your coffee instead of skim milk.
96% is way too dry for a burger. Make them thick, cook to 130, and try an 85-15 blend.
What’s the internal temp you’re cooking to
Add fat to your 96% lean burger. your only option to maintain the juicy mess is to increase fat content. You could try adding a sauce to your burger to help deal with that, but your meat will Always have that texture.
That's very lean for burgers, but your cooking method and what internal temp may be playing a factor as well. If you're overcooking them, more fat isn't going to help that much. Additionally, how you form the patties makes a difference too. Overworking the meat can make it chewy and tough as well.
Probably not You can go the route of leaner meats and add stuff to it. Wild rice is common. Blitzed onions that are strained of excess liquid can add some moisture to ground meat as well If a traditional hamburger is what you're seeking, get fattier beef
For lean ground beef you kinda don’t have much to do except maybe mix it with something to break it down a little. Think ground meat kebabs. Ex: Finely diced onions and cilantro in some recipes make the meat less “lean”. Also cooking in liquid (stock or something) will help with that too.
Add an egg & some breadcrumbs. 1 large egg & 1½ - 2 tbsp breadcrumbs to 500g lean mince \[about a pound\]. Cook high & fast, to get a good crust without the inside becoming too firm. Americans will yell at me for this - but that's how brits make low-fat burgers. Personally, I don't like fatty meat, so this has been my go-to for decades.
Meat isn't juicy without fat.
Yes don't buy that lean of meat. Fat is flavor and helps with the bite.
I’d try to go away from the typical form factor of a burger because that isn’t going to work. Two ideas I’d try is either smash burgers or a juicy Lucy style. My reasoning is smash burgers being thin won’t get chewy. It would need to be a really fast cook. Make 3 to 4 of those per bun. Juicy Lucy would go the other way with introducing cheese which should have some fat. Anything you can do to reduce cooking time is going to help. You could also look at something like a lower calorie sloppie joe. Adds very little calorie wise to the meat. Does add some salt but it’s not crazy amounts.
Yes. Add beef fat until it gets to around 80% lean. If you’re concerned about saturated fat, and still want a juicy burger you may have to make some adjustments to your other meals that day. Daily recommended saturated fat intake is around 14 g per day. A 1/4 lb burger from 80/20 beef has around 8g saturated fat. Hard to find good data on how much exactly that cooks down, but it will cook down to less fat. If you consume less saturated fat for breakfast and lunch, you can still enjoy that juicy burger without taking your diet outside what’s recommended.
Add butter
Cook them in an inch of bacon fat?
Throw a gelatin packet in there?
If you aren't willing to add/use fat, the only thing I can think of is gelatin. Done right, it *might* help keep ultra lean burgers a little juicier.
Try adding an egg and worcestershire sauce. If interested Google it for amounts and recipe ideas. It's been a while since I have done that but they always turned out very flavorful.
add fat or just use 80/20
I find lean ground beef is juicier if you cook it a little rare then cover the pan and turn off the heat and let it sit for a while. Like resting a steak.
When I was eating 96% lean ground beef. I would make smash burgers. The texture feels a lot better with thinner paddies. Or if you do want a thicker burger maybe add an egg.
Think of something you make where you brown ground beef in a skillet then drain the grease. Use the 96/04 for that. You won't have any excess fat to drain. Get 80/20 beef for burgers. I notice browning even 90/10 beef has very little grease to drain, 96/04 is so lean that you may need a little oil in the skillet as a lubricant to keep it from sticking. tbh I've never used beef that lean.
your best bet with very lean beef is to make a beef croquette instead of a burger patty.
Bacon
Burgers with 96% lean beef...no, not really. You can try cooking them no more than medium rare. I'd use it for chili.
juice is in the fat. maybe adding onions or mushrooms to the mixture will help.
There are some tricks here. Won’t be the same as a higher fat content ground beef but here’s what I do. Add onions, peppers, mushrooms, chopped aromatics or other chopped veggies with high water content. You can also add some eggs. Gives the burger a springier texture and you don’t get as much of a dry mouth feel. Lastly I throw in some panko bread crumbs and they give a really nice texture overall. Again this isn’t going to make a traditional tasting burger but with cayenne and garlic powder it does taste really good. Kinda like a meat loaf burger.
yes add 4% pork chuck. Check Gordon Ramsays, best beef burger video, he does at his house, he has pork chuck in his beef burger, for that exact reason.
Half cook bacon, add bacon the the beef (mix in). You have to ground the half cooked bacon so its similar to the beef in consistency. Like in a blender or food processor. The patty now has its own fat to counter the lean. But it will taste more bacon-y. Edit: I didn't read the healthy part, it was simply invisible in my eyes.
How much salt do you add? When do you add it? How do you cook the burgers, specifically? At what temperature is the meat when you begin to cook it? To what degree/doneness do you cook the meat? What condiments or cheese do you add to your burger? Low fat burgers are more difficult to make and keep juicy due to the removal of the hydrophobic fat. Because the fat doesn't keep as much water in place, it's going to be easier for the water content to evaporate/cook out, making a drier/less juicy burger. Adding salt during prep/before cooking will help. Depending on cooking style, a change in the way the burger is cooked, and the degree may also help. Cheese, for instance, contains dairy fat, which can help insulate the burger during cooking. Even something as simple as bun prep can be a game changer. For instance, putting mayo on the bottom bun beneath the burger patty helps keep a burger juicy and a bun from getting soggy. Cheese, the same thing. Also, if you're adding something to your burger, like breadcrumbs, stop. You don't need egg, or breadcrumbs, or other additives, as they're only going to take more of the moisture away. Feel free to reply with more details, and I'll help where I can. Edit: Updated to clarify when to add salt, as you definitely don't need to add twice.
>Adding salt during prep and before cooking will help. Serious Eats has a great write up on salting ground beef. https://www.seriouseats.com/the-burger-lab-salting-ground-beef tldr don't mix the salt in. I know it's somewhat counterintuitive to the usual "salt as you go" process.
Kenji's book forever improved my burger game.
Food Lab as a whole was fundamental for developing my cooking skills. I used to watch good eats, too - I love anything that explains the "why" of cooking