What to make with extra lean ground beef? Of course, This ultimate homemade burgers patties recipe! This recipe is the best burger recipe to use extra lean ground beef, a simple and juicy burger patty recipe full of flavor. Your family will request to make this healthy recipe over and over again. These pan-fried extra lean ground beef burger patties on a hot cast-iron skillet are ready to serve in 30 minutes. Without sacrificing taste, this delicious recipe is keto-friendly, dairy-free, and gluten-free.

Nothing is faster and easier than ground beef to make quick, nutritious, and delicious burger patties. However, making burger patties taste good is hard unless you use ground beef with much fat content. And juicy enough for kids to enjoy without the help of their milk beside them. But, I was never a fan of using high-fat content ground beef. First, it just does not taste the best and makes your house smell like burned fat for days; second, burger patties, when cooked, become almost nonexistent when all the fat starts melting on the hot skillet.
So I needed to figure out how to make the extra lean ground beef burger patty recipe taste good. And, of course, kids and family approved. I recently figured out this easy-to-make and healthy recipe, and my family can't get enough of it. This is a great 30-minute meal for today's busy life.
This burger recipe results in a crispy outside and juicy and tender inside burgers even when well-done and is ideal for kids and whoever wants their burgers well-done.
I served extra lean ground beef burger patties with homemade naans. Then, I used a mix of tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, and avocado to make a quick and simple fresh salad. This recipe is on our weekly rotation.
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Ingredients
- Ground beef. I used extra lean ground beef- a 93/7 lean-to-fat ratio. You can use any other ratio of meat for this ground beef/hamburger recipe.
- Onion. I used red onion. Red onions are sweeter. You can instead add saute onion. Use any onion you like the most. shallots work fine too.
- Baking soda. The secret ingredient to make the easiest and juiciest lean hamburger patty recipe ever.
- Garlic and onion powder. Both add a lot of flavors. Or use 1 clove of finely chopped fresh garlic instead.
- Oil. I use avocado oil to fry the patties. Avocado oil has a high smoke point, which is excellent for frying.
- Salt and pepper. Add any other seasonings such as sauces, spices, or herbs you like.
Instructions
Step 1. Grind the onion. Use a grater or food processor to grind the onion. Place the extra lean ground beef in a bowl and add to it grated onion.
Step 2. Combine the ingredients. Add the onion, garlic powder, baking soda, salt, and black pepper to the bowl. Mix all the ingredients well to combine, do not overdo it.
Step 3. Divide and shape. To make the burger patties, take a knife and divide the mixture into eight equal portions and shape them into balls, and flatten them using your hands.
Step 4. Cook to the desired doneness. Let the cast-iron skillet heat up well over a medium-high flame over the stovetop. Add frying oil to the skillet. Let the oil heat until shiny. Transfer burger patties into skillet four at a time. Let them cook for about 4-6 minutes until the desired doneness is on each side or until golden brown.
Step 5. Serve. Serve it with your favorite side dishes, and ENJOY!
Tips
- Use a cast iron skillet. To make the perfect burgers, fry burger patties in a cast-iron skillet. This will make for better searing to create a browning crust.
- Use avocado oil. Use a high smoking point cooking oil like avocado oil.
- Make a double batch. Double the cooked recipe and save the rest in the fridge for another day or make a freezer stock. Or use the same recipe to make turkey burgers.
- Do not skip onion and garlic. Add onion powder and garlic powder to boost the flavor.
- Let it rest. A secret to a great lean hamburger meat recipe is to let the patties sit in baking soda for five minutes before frying them. This will tenderize meat further.
- Adjust cooking time. If you want your burger patties medium and red inside, cook them for less time.
- Turn them once. Let the burger patties fry evenly on one side before turning them over.
- Make them flat. Using baking soda in the recipe makes the burgers somewhat puffed up which I like. But, you can make an indent/depression in the middle of the patties before cooking them so that they will stay flat after cooking.
Substitutes and variations to the recipe
- Customize protein. Substitute grounded lean beef with ground chicken breast or turkey breast, or salmon fillet.
- Make them into desired thickness. Make burger patties thin like mine for dinner hamburger patty or thick as a steakhouse burger. Adjust for cooking time.
- Make them vegan. Use grounded chickpeas instead of meat and 1 tbsp. flour to hold the patties together.
- Make them Vegetarian. Use grounded chickpeas or your favorite grounded legumes. In this case, you can use 1 egg to hold the patties better together.
- Use other seasonings. I made my burgers simple as a basic recipe. Use your favorite spices and herbs, and sauces to your taste. This is an easy way to customize the flavor without adding calories. (e.g. cayenne pepper, cumin, turmeric, paprika, Italian seasonings, steak seasonings, scallion, dill, cilantro, or parsley. Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, bbq, or soy sauce).
- Make them spicy. Use more black pepper, chili powder, or red pepper flake.
- Add in other vegetables. You can add almost any vegetable to make these burger patties more nutritious. 4 tbsp. of crunchy or starchy vegetables all work great. Finely chop carrot, celery, pepper, spinach, or kale or ground potatoes, peas, beets, or butternut squash well using a food processor and remove their liquid. you can use 1 egg to hold the patties better together.
- Use other cooking methods. Another great way to use this recipe is to bake the burger patties on a baking sheet in a super hot oven ( 500 °F), air fryer, or grill them in the oven or outside. Follow the above instructions for the perfect and juiciest hamburger patties regardless of the method of cooking every time.
- Use them in a stew, soup, chili, meatball, or meatloaf. Shape them into tiny little balls and add them to your favorite sauce, such as tomato sauce, and make a stew. You could add them to your favorite soup recipe for an additional protein bonus. Or add them to your beloved chili recipe. Use them in your meatball or meatloaf.
- Substitute baking soda. Mix 4 tbsp. of bread crumbs/crushed crackers, 1 egg, and 1 tbsp. milk and add it to the meat mixture. This helps to hold the meat's natural juice in the burgers.
Equipment
- I used this 10-inch cast-iron skillet (affiliate link) to fry the burger patties. Everything tastes extra delicious when cooked in cast-iron cookware.
- Grater (affiliate link).
Storage and reheat
- Store these cooked extra lean ground beef burger patties in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Whenever ready to serve them, let them heat up low and slow on a stovetop or microwave them for a few seconds.
- You can freeze them cooked in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Let them thaw in the fridge the night before, then heat them on the stovetop or microwave them.
How to serve burger patties
- Serve them as a classic burger. Serve them like classic burgers with hamburger buns, slices of tomatoes and onions, cheddar or mozzarella cheese, lettuce, and fried potatoes with your favorite hamburger patties toppings, sauces, and condiments- e.g. pickles, mayo, mustard.
- Serve them with grains. Rice, quinoa, biscuits, naans, or flatbread are great options.
- Serve them low-carb. Serve them with sauteed green beans, broccoli, slaw, or spring salad.
I hope you get to love this best healthy lean hamburger patty recipe as much as we do! This lean homemade hamburger recipe is the winner! Perfect every single time!
Please let me know how you did it. I love to hear from you!
Please rate, comment, and share this recipe on Pinterest. Thank you!
FAQ
The amount of lean protein in extra lean ground beef is at least 90 percent. Therefore, extra lean ground beef has less fat and more protein which means fewer calories overall and healthier extra lean ground beef burger patties.
In my recipes, I use a 93/7 lean-to-fat ratio of extra lean ground beef. In other words, it has 93 percent lean protein and only 7 percent of fat.
So the secret ingredient to cooking juicy and tender extra lean ground beef burger patties is baking soda. Add half a teaspoon of baking soda to one pound of lean ground beef mix and fry it in a skillet. Baking soda raises the PH of the meat. This will prevent the strong bonding between meat protein strains—so less moisture loss during the cooking process. As a result, moisture gets luck inside the ground meat, making it tender and juicy. Less moisture out means faster cooking and browning, which results in tenderized extra lean ground beef burgers.
Parings
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this dish:
Related
Looking for other recipes like this for dinner? Try these:
Recipe
Juicy extra lean ground beef burger patty
This easy-to-make juicy extra lean ground beef burger patty recipe is so tasty that everyone will love it.
Ingredients
- 1 pound extra lean ground beef
- 1 medium-size grated onion
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. onion powder
- 2 tbsp. avocado oil
- ½ tsp. kosher salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Grind the onion. Use a grater or food processor to grind the onion. Place the extra lean ground beef in a bowl and add to it grated onion.
- Combine the ingredients. Add the onion, garlic powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Mix all the ingredients well to combine, do not overdo it.
- Divide and shape. To make the burger patties, take a knife and divide the mixture into eight equal portions and shape them into balls, and flatten them using your hands.
- Cook to the desired doneness. Let the cast-iron skillet heat up well over a medium-high flame over the stovetop. Add frying oil to the skillet. Let the oil heat until shiny. Transfer burger patties into skillet four at a time. Let them cook for about 4-6 minutes until the desired doneness is on each side or until golden brown.
- Serve. Serve it with your favorite side dishes, and ENJOY!
Notes
Tips
- Use a cast iron skillet. To make the perfect burgers, fry burger patties in a cast-iron skillet. This will make for better searing to create a browning crust.
- Use avocado oil. Use a high smoking point cooking oil like avocado oil.
- Make a double batch. Double the cooked recipe and save the rest in the fridge for another day or make a freezer stock. Use the same recipe to make turkey burgers.
- Do not skip onion and garlic. Add onion powder and garlic powder to boost the flavor.
- Let it rest. Let the patties sit in baking soda for five minutes before frying them. This will tenderize meat further.
- Adjust cooking time. If you want your burger patties medium and red inside, cook them for less time.
- Turn them once. Let the burger patties fry evenly on one side before turning them over.
- Make them flat. Using baking soda in the recipe makes the burgers somewhat puffed up which I like. But, you can make an indent/depression in the middle of the patties before cooking them so that they will stay flat after cooking.
Substitutes and variations to the recipe
- Customize protein. Substitute ground beef with ground chicken breast or turkey breast, or salmon fillet.
- Make them into desired thickness. Make burger patties thin like mine for dinner hamburger patty or thick as a steakhouse burger. Adjust for cooking time.
- Make them vegan. Use grounded chickpeas instead of meat and 1 tbsp. flour to hold the patties together.
- Make them Vegetarian. Use grounded chickpeas or your favorite grounded legumes. In this case, you can use 1 egg to hold the patties better together.
- Use other seasonings. I made my burgers simple as a basic recipe. Use your favorite spices and herbs, and sauces to your taste. This is an easy way to customize the flavor without adding calories. (e.g. cayenne pepper, cumin, turmeric, paprika, Italian seasonings, steak seasonings, scallion, dill, cilantro, or parsley. Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, bbq, or soy sauce).
- Make them spicy. Use more black pepper, chili powder, or red pepper flake.
- Add in other vegetables. You can add almost any vegetable to make these burger patties more nutritious. 4 tbsp. of crunchy or starchy vegetables all work great. Finely chop carrot, celery, pepper, spinach, or kale or ground potatoes, peas, beets, or butternut squash well using a food processor and remove their liquid. you can use 1 egg to hold the patties together better.
- Use other cooking methods. Another great way to use this recipe is to bake the burger patties on a baking sheet in a super hot oven ( 500 °F), air fryer, or grill them in the oven or outside. Follow the above instructions for the perfect and juiciest hamburger patties regardless of the method of cooking every time.
- Use them in a stew, soup, chili, meatball, or meatloaf. Shape them into tiny little balls and add them to your favorite sauce, such as tomato sauce, and make a stew. You could add them to your favorite soup recipe for an additional protein bonus. Or add them to your beloved chili recipe. Use them in your meatball or meatloaf.
- Substitute baking soda. Mix 4 tbsp. of bread crumbs/crushed crackers, 1 egg, and 1 tbsp. milk and add it to the meat mixture. This helps to hold the meat's natural juice in the burgers.
Equipment
- I used this 10-inch cast-iron skillet (affiliate link) to fry the burger patties. Everything tastes extra delicious when cooked in cast-iron cookware.
- Grater (affiliate link).
Storage and reheat
- Store these cooked extra lean ground beef burger patties in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Whenever ready to serve them, let them heat up low and slow on a stovetop or microwave them for a few seconds.
- You can freeze them cooked in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Let them thaw in the fridge the night before, then heat them on the stovetop or microwave them.
How to serve burger patties
- Serve them as a classic burger. Serve them like classic burgers with hamburger buns, slices of tomatoes and onions, cheddar or mozzarella cheese, lettuce, and fried potatoes with your favorite hamburger patties toppings, sauces, and condiments- e.g. pickles, mayo, mustard.
- Serve them with grains. Rice, quinoa, biscuits, naans, or flatbread are great options.
- Serve them low-carb. Serve them with sauteed green beans, broccoli, slaw, or spring salad.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 137Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 164mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 17g
XMC.PL
Fascinating information! I cant believe Ive finally found the information Ive been searching for for so long. Thank you!
Deliciousnutritiousfood
Thank you, I am glad you found it helpful!
Ray
Baking soda did the trick to make the lean ground beef juicy and I mixed in some chopped cilantro for extra flavor. This recipe was so easy and delicious to make during weekdays. Thanks
Deliciousnutritiousfood
I absolutely love the addition of cilantro to the recipe; well done! enjoy it!
Debra
I am going to make this tonight for dinner Looks like a great recipe. Thanks for sharing it!
Deliciousnutritiousfood
Thank you, Debra! Thanks for stopping by!
Tara
What a great recipe! Thanks for sharing it
Deliciousnutritiousfood
Thank you, I am glad you like it.
Alias
This recipe is the best way to get lean ground beef Patties tender and juicy. My family loved it! I served mine with some roasted potatoes and green beans. Thank you for your awesome recipe!
Deliciousnutritiousfood
Thank you for your comment!
Mat
So tender and juicy, I added some paprika and pepper flakes
Deliciousnutritiousfood
I am glad you like it! Thank you!
Sheri
Awesome burgers
Thank you so much! These were delicious. They were so flavorful and juicy! I added a drop of liquid smoke and topped the with sharp cheddar cheese.
Deliciousnutritiousfood
Thank you, Sheri! I am glad you liked it!
Helen
This is my go to recipe for burgers, so tender and juicy. Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
Deliciousnutritiousfood
Thank you, Helen!