Hairy Bikers Mediterranean Burgers Recipe

Hairy Bikers Mediterranean burgers put grated courgette and grated onion into 400g of lean steak mince, with light mozzarella melted on top. In about 33 minutes they feed 4, and the original Hairy Dieters book puts each one at 413 calories.

Here they bulk the beef out with veg and promise “no one will notice the difference”, which is funny given what came later. By Make It Easy, they’d come round to thinking “the best burgers are made with just meat and seasoning”.

Keep the pan on low for the whole 10 minutes, turning once, and let the patties brown slowly. With so little fat in lean steak mince, I’d expect a fierce pan to dry the outside before the grated onion inside softens.

Hairy Bikers Mediterranean Burgers Recipe

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Frying Cuisine:British Mediterranean Courses:Main Course

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 15 minutesCook time: 18 minutesRest time: minutesTotal time: 33 minutesServings:4 servingsCalories:413 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

Courgette and onion go into the beef with garlic, dried herbs and sun-dried tomato paste, then get shaped into four thick patties. After a slow fry, the reduced-fat cheese melts over them under the grill, ready for toasted rolls, tomato, basil and balsamic.

Ingredients

For the burgers

• 1 small courgette
• 1 medium onion
• 400g lean beef steak mince
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste or tomato purée
• 1 tsp sunflower oil
• fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve

• 4 ciabatta rolls
• 100g reduced-fat (light) mozzarella, well drained and cut into 4 slices
• 2 large ripe vine tomatoes, sliced
• fresh basil leaves
• balsamic vinegar, for drizzling

Instructions

1. Grate the veg: Trim the courgette and grate it coarsely into a large bowl, followed by the peeled onion, grated coarsely too.
2. Mix the burgers: Add the mince, garlic, oregano, dried basil and tomato paste or purée, then season well with salt and pepper. Work it together with clean hands until everything is thoroughly combined.
3. Shape the patties: Divide the mix into 4 evenly sized balls, then flatten each one into a patty about 2cm thick.
4. Fry them gently: Brush the oil over a large non-stick frying pan and put it over a low heat. Then fry the burgers gently for about 10 minutes, turning halfway, until nicely browned and cooked through. And I also check for 70°C in the middle, held for 2 minutes, as the Food Standards Agency advises.
5. Toast the ciabatta: While they cook, heat the grill to its hottest setting, then halve the ciabatta rolls and toast them cut side up on the grill pan. Set them aside.
6. Melt the mozzarella: Put the hot burgers on the grill pan and top each with a slice of mozzarella. Then grill for 1 to 2 minutes, until the cheese has melted.
7. Build and serve: Top the bottom half of each roll with tomato slices and basil, then add a dribble of balsamic vinegar and some black pepper. Add a hot burger, put the lid on and serve straight away.

FAQs

How many calories are in these diet burgers?

Each one is 413 calories with its whole ciabatta roll, as printed. Or share 2 rolls between four and eat them open, and their figure drops to 332.

I reckon most of that is the ciabatta, since the cheese is only 100g of light mozzarella split four ways. And the beef is already modest at 100g a burger, half the steak in each of their chuck steak burgers.

Should I squeeze the grated courgette?

Their method doesn’t, so the courgette goes in wet and the raw mix is softer than plain mince. Still, I squeeze mine in a clean tea towel, since their meatless meatloaf in Eat Well Every Day squeezes out its courgette as well.

In that loaf it’s salted and left in a colander for at least half an hour first. For burgers I leave the salt out at that stage, because the mince gets seasoned anyway.

How do I know they’re cooked through?

Use a thermometer, because the Food Standards Agency wants 70°C in the centre for 2 minutes, and colour can fool you. If you make them as written, each patty is about 175g, so on a low heat they can run a little past the 10 minutes.

Can I make diet lamb or veggie burgers this way?

For lamb, the lentils in their lamb kofta from Eat Well Every Day do the job the courgette does here, stretching less meat further.

For no meat at all, the veggie burgers swap the mince for black beans and brown rice, held together with breadcrumbs and an egg.

Can I make them ahead?

I shape mine up to a few hours ahead and keep them covered in the fridge. But I wouldn’t leave them overnight, because I’ve had grated veg start weeping into the mince.

Allow chilled patties a few extra minutes on the low heat, then check the middle as above. Since the mozzarella should be well drained, I slice it at the last minute too.