For Juicy Burgers With Rich Flavor, Texture, And Fiber, Add A Scoop Of This To Your Mix

A lot of burger tips aim to make the meat a little juicier, more flavorful, more nutritious, or to improve its texture. But most patty pointers don't achieve all four goals at once. Adding some hummus to your next ground beef mix hits each of those marks, whether you use it subtly or boldly.

Basic hummus is made with chickpeas, olive oil, tahini, garlic, and lemon. Each ingredient adds flavor: the chickpeas provide fiber and protein, the oil and tahini add moisture-boosting fat, and the finished product lends its signature smoothness to your meat. About a half cup of hummus per pound of ground beef is enough to make its presence felt while adding upwards of 5 grams of fiber, according to the USDA, and also acting as a binder to help you form the perfect burger patties.

Once you combine the beef, hummus, and seasonings of your preference, you can grill or griddle the burgers however you usually would. Simply stuffing or topping your burgers with hummus could have a similarly flavorful effect, but fully melding it with the meat mince ensures better distribution for improved juiciness and heft. You can even use a garlic hummus variety to amp up the allium, or the pine nut kind for an even more dynamic consistency. Additional toppings will also make it feel more intentional by bringing related tasting notes together.

Swapping your burger's usual mayo with the very same tahini in your ground beef blend's hummus will bring out even more of the sauce's sesame seed-derived nuttiness. It's also just as silken as the more typical condiment thanks to the olive oil that helps those seeds reach the proper tahini consistency. Should you be cheesing those burgers, tahini also goes well with a grilled halloumi's mild tanginess or feta's bracing saltiness. This is also a great way to use tzatziki, should you want your hummus burger spread to have more of the dip's cooler, refreshing elements.

Exchanging your burger's typical tomato for roasted red peppers is also such a brilliant combination that you'll often find store-bought hummus varieties with the veggie already inside. And you can even stuff your patties and toppings into pita bread instead of your usual burger bun. But hummus-zhuzhed burgers are also terrific on an ordinary potato roll, with the regular American cheese, onions, ketchup, mustard, and whatever other items that you'd typically add, all with the benefit of extra fiber, moisture, and low-key unique flavor hiding in the patty's juicy inside.