Secret Ingredient Hamburgers
A Retro Hamburger Treat
These Secret Ingredient Hamburgers are made with just a few simple ingredients including ground beef, mustard glaze, and the titular secret ingredient. These burgers come out juicy and flavorful whether they’re grilled or made in a pan.
These Secret Ingredient Hamburgers are straight out of my Mother In Law’s 1960s cookbook. I made them for Mr. Tipsy the other night and he said they are exactly like the hamburgers he remembers his grandma making.
The Secret Ingredient
Are you sure you’re ready for this? I’m about to divulge a secret more than half a century in the making.
The secret ingredient for these Secret Ingredient Hamburgers is Tennessee Pride Mild Country Sausage. The mild version is great but you can also use the HOT version or the sage.
I really like the texture and flavor this adds to the burgers. I also like how it adds flavor without me having to add a bunch of seasonings and other things to the meat mix.
Why Mustard?
This mustard, honey, and Worcestershire sauce mix that you brush on the burgers adds a delicious tanginess and helps caramelize the burgers. I was taught this trick years ago at a diner I was a waitress at and I have never looked back.
Even if you don’t like mustard, you will like this.
Secret Ingredient Hamburgers Recipe
You can bring my mother-in-law's recipe into the modern day with these delicious, juicy burgers. The beef and secret sausage mixture is topped with mustard glaze for an explosion of incredible flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs of ground beef, I used the 80/20 blend
- 1 lb Package of Tennessee Pride Breakfast Sausage (you can also use the hot version, I used the original)
- 2 Tablespoons of Worcestershire (can use soy sauce if allergic to fish)
- 1/2 of a medium sized yellow onion, minced
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of celery salt
- Black pepper to taste
- Cheese slices of choice
- Buns and Burger Toppings of your choice
- FOR THE GLAZE:
- 2 tablespoons of yellow mustard
- 1/2 tablespoon of honey
- 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire
Instructions
- Combine the Ground Beef, Tennessee Pride Sausage, Onions, Worcestershire, Black Pepper, Celery Salt, and Garlic Powder. Combine well, but do not over mix. Over mixing causes the burgers to be tough.
- In a bowl combine the mustard, Worcestershire, honey, and black pepper in a bowl.
- Roll the meat into loose balls, about 4 inches if you want to serve them as sliders like I do. Set them aside on a sheet pan for 30 minutes. Since it is just us two, I freeze some of these balls to use at a later time that we can easily throw on the grill for a quick dinner.
- Heat your grill or pan until it is very hot, but not smoking. If cooking inside you may want to add butter or oil to the pan.
- Add the burgers in their ball form and cook for about two minutes. Then use your spatula to gently press down on them until they are the thickness you want. Press a little thumbprint size divot in the center of each burger patty. This helps keep the burger flat.
- Cook the burger for about 4 minutes, then flip and brush the one side with the mustard mixture. Cook for about 5 minutes, flip, and brush the other side with the mustard mixture. Cook for another five minutes. I cook my burgers to medium or medium rare. The cook time will depend on the thickness of your burger, your pan type, and your personal grill. Get a meat thermometer until you learn how your meat cooks and for how long to the doneness you like. I cook my burgers until they are 125 degrees in the middle. They also feel firm all around except slightly soft in the center. This is for medium rare.
- Add the cheese, and turn off the heat, letting the cheese melt and the meat rest for about 3 minutes before taking them off.
- Use your favorite buns and toppings.
The Perfect Side Dish
We ate these burgers with my Beefy Baked Beans. This is another recipe my mother-in-law left us with. I recommend baking these beans and letting them sit overnight in the fridge and then reheating.
If you like burgers, might I also recommend my popular recipe for Mini Big Macs?