For Burgers With Irresistible Flavor, Just Add A Packet Of This To Your Patties

There are as many ways to make burgers as there are to argue about them. Celebrity chefs like Bobby Flay say all your burger needs is salt and pepper, while others suggest more elaborate rubs. Like the patty itself, there is also always a happy medium. A packet of something like Lipton's Herb with Garlic Soup and Dip Mix per two pounds of your burger blend strikes that balance with little more than the shake of an envelope.

A lot of seasoning packets have way more use cases than the soups and dips that their labels name. That versatility might be more familiar from the ranch seasoning that you may have previously added to mac and cheese or scrambled eggs. Lipton's Herb with Garlic Soup and Dip Mix is similarly situated. Burger purists may shy away, as the actual ingredients inside skew closer to the complex end of the flavor spectrum than your basic salt and pepper. However, for those wishing to pack more savory flavor in burger patties with little effort, it's a no-brainer.

Lipton's Herb with Garlic Soup and Dip Mix includes the titular allium, parsley among other unspecified herbs and spices, as well as salt, tomato powder, onion, and sugar. All items that meld perfectly well with a burger — including the sweetener that some folks use even in scratch-made preparations to promote browning. Keep a packet in the pantry and these ingredients make a considerably flavorful burger with minimal planning on your part. Mixed (but never overmixed!) in with your ground meat before shaping and sizzling, this seasoning mix actually creates a polished burger finish. And you can always more carefully consider all of your other accoutrements to complement the easily added packet.

One great way to make any dish seem more intentional, not to mention tastier, is to layer its flavors. And you have a lot to work with in your savory herb and garlic mix burgers. Swapping an ordinary bun with an onion variety will amplify the subtler sweet, pungent notes tucked into the seasoning packet. Exchanging an everyday mayo with a garlic version will further bring everything together. You can even stir additional fresh herbs, like Lipton's explicitly stated parsley, or whatever ones you prefer, right in with the condiment before spreading.

Blends such as these do tend to be pretty salty, so you can balance some of that salinity by using a peppery, leafy green in lieu of the usual lettuce. Arugula is an excellent choice in this case. Provided it isn't too salty itself, you could even pivot to something like coleslaw for the sharp bite of cabbage beneath its own, often cooling, creamy coating. Other little additions like sweet pickles or relish will also provide a nice, congruous contrast. It's easy to build your burger around the seasoned patty.