Make More Flavorful Burger Patties With One Canned Ingredient

When it comes to making burgers at home, most of us have our go-to methods and special ingredients. Whether you like stovetop burgers in a cast-iron skillet or with a little char on the grill; whether you use onion powder, garlic, or maybe even a little cayenne pepper, you really can't go wrong with a good beef patty. But we're all for adding simple recipe tweaks to expand the palate and discover new flavors. So, if you're ready for a delicious new twist on the classic burger, try adding a little canned tomato paste to your next burger recipe.

Tomato paste adds a tasty tang, a slight sweetness, and the perfect dash of umami flavor; just a touch of it will bring out the richness of the beef. Thanks to the high glutamic acid content of tomatoes, they provide some of the highest concentration of umami of any plant-based ingredient. As such, tomato paste will boost the taste of your burger, rather than piling on component flavors. Plus, especially when using lower fat ground beef, tomato paste works as a great binding agent that won't make your patties too rubbery or chewy.

A good rule of thumb for adding tomato paste to your burger patties is to start with about 1 tablespoon per pound of ground beef — provided your other additives are all dry ingredients. Simply add your dollop of tomato paste to the ground beef, top it with dry ingredients, then mix it all together. The main thing to be aware of is the overall water content of your recipe. If you generally use other liquid ingredients, like Worcestershire or balsamic vinegar, just add slightly less of these ingredients and a bit less of the tomato paste, so they don't add up to more than about a tablespoon per pound of beef.

To make the perfect burger patties, don't over-mix your ingredients or they'll bind too thoroughly and become tough when cooked. Try adding a little tomato paste to this all-American cheeseburger recipe to sample the tangy, sweet, umami goodness. Just be sure to keep the ratio in mind when you increase the amount of beef in your recipe, and adjust your tomato paste quantity as needed. It's always nice to have a new ingredient in your recipe arsenal. And when you're ready to expand your burger horizon even further, check out the rest of these 15 secret ingredients you should be using in your burger patties.