Secret to Cooking Burgers in a Pan

Add cheese and other toppings to your burger right in the pan.
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A grilled burger might have that special smoky appeal only outdoor cooking can achieve, but cooking burgers indoors yields juicy, satisfying patties in a snap. It doesn't matter if you use a non-stick, aluminum or cast-iron pan to get the job done; the same techniques apply regardless of your cookware preferences. The secret to cooking burgers in a pan -- or even on the griddle – is as much about your choice of meat as it is about the proper heat.

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The Right Meat

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Pan-fried burgers cook in their own fat. Lean ground beef might be friendlier for your waistline, but if you want a truly delicious burger, opt for meat with a higher fat content. Chef Bobby Flay recommends making burgers with Certified Angus ground chuck. More expensive types of ground beef don't necessarily yield a better burger, but using ground chuck that's only 80 percent lean -- with a 20 percent fat content -- ensures an inexpensive, flavorful end result. Handle the meat as little as possible when forming patties to avoid tough burgers. For perfect homemade burgers that stay uniformly flat, press a dimple into the center of each patty with your finger before you put them into the pan.

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The Right Heat

Searing your burger in a hot pan seals in the juices. Preheat the pan at a high setting, arrange the patties in the pan with space between them, and then lower the heat to a medium-high setting. Pan-frying over high heat gives burgers a lovely, browned outer crust, but dusting patties with flour or cornstarch before cooking makes them even crispier. While your burgers are cooking, resist the urge to flatten them with a spatula. You'll only squeeze out the juices and end up with a dry burger. Cook your burger for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, depending on how "done" you like it.

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Faster Burgers

Cookbook author David Joachim recommends adding ice water to ground beef before forming hamburger patties. Not only will burgers cook faster, they'll also retain more moisture. In a chilled bowl, gently blend ground beef and water – approximately one teaspoon per 6 ounces of meat – with a fork. In a hot pan, the water trapped in the meat turns to steam and cooks the center of the patty 10 percent quicker.

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Healthier Burgers

A burger can taste great and deliver a healthful bite if you bulk it up with ingredients other than ground beef. Replace approximately an eighth of the ground beef you'd normally use with peppers, cauliflower or zucchini; sauteed, finely chopped vegetables blend more easily and help your patties bind together. Ground turkey, chicken or soy crumbles could replace half of the ground beef in your patties, creating a lower-fat burger that still cooks up moist and juicy.

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