How To Season Burgers For Grilling

Millions of Americans fire up the barbecue grill each year and one of the most popular foods to grill are hamburgers. There are many ways to season burgers for the grill and it's easy to find the method that best suits your individual tastes. Basic seasoning used by countless cooks is salt and pepper. Change salt to seasoned salt for a little more flavor or try a pepper blend. Fresh ground pepper from a mill offers a richer, fuller taste. Lemon pepper blends, with or without salt, add a zesty flavor. Garlic powder and/or onion powder can enhance any burger.

A dry barbecue rub applied to meat or mixed through the ground meat will also add barbecue flavor. Mix the ground beef (or turkey or lean pork or venison) with your favorite barbecue sauce before making patties. Borrow an old trick of the trade from restaurants and place chopped fresh onion between two thin patties, then seal the edges. Make "souper" burgers by combining the meat with dry onion soup or try mixing with a can of cream of mushroom condensed soup. Add your favorite steak seasoning to the meat. Worcestershire, A-1, Heinz 57, and other condiments can add a burst of flavor to any burger. Teriyaki sauce also can be worked into the patties before grilling for something delicious. Countless salt-free seasonings can add flavor without sodium - an important consideration for anyone on a salt-restricted diet.

Mrs. Dash offers full line of flavor blends, all minus the salt. Flavors like lemon pepper, tomato-basil-garlic, garlic/onion, table blend, and extra spicy are just a few of the available blends. Give your backyard burgers heat with the addition of ground red pepper to the meat or douse the burgers with some tabasco before grilling. Or add the citrus type taste of Caribbean jerk with a little orange or lemon juice. Top the burger after it's been flipped with a slice of pineapple for a sweet, smoky taste treat. Some barbecue cooks count on a mixture of meats for a tender, juicy burger. Try ground beef mixed with lean ground pork or combine ground pork with venison. Sausage can be blended into ground beef for a zesty flavor but if you try this, be aware that dripping fats may cause grill fires to flare. Many marinade products now available on the market can be used either with the ground meat or to baste the burgers for a taste to fit individual cravings. An occasional cook may use a liquid smoke product but purists prefer to smoke meats with wood chips on the grill. Hickory chips and mesquite will provide different flavors to the meat. Other woods are sometimes available. Try apple wood or even oak and compare flavors. The length of time your burgers spend in the smoke adds to the authentic wood fired taste of the meat. Flavoring burgers can be as varied as individual taste. Any seasoning you enjoy can be added to your burgers. Experiments with tastes and find the combination that suits you and your guests best.