If you love sauerkraut, run, don’t walk, to get your ingredients to make these kraut burgers. Kraut burgers are transformative and you simply won’t stop craving them. To make a good kraut burger, you need to really focus on quality ingredients. That means fermented sauerkraut, baby swiss cheese and the popular Dijon-mayo sauce.
First, I must credit the hipster diner in Phoenix called Ingo’s Fine Food for introducing me to the kraut burger concept with their Farmer’s Daughter burger. Love the name. I also used to order their smashed potato chips and fermented jalapeno hot sauce and now feature my version of those dishes here on the blog because I had to have them at home (and now you can, too).
Best Ground Beef for Burgers Is Angus, Grass-Fed, Freshly Ground
Confession, I stalked the kitchen cook form Ingo’s and asked him for his pro tips for recreating their burgers in my home kitchen, and he told me it’s really all about sourcing quality ingredients at the end of the day. On that note, I recommend you source Angus or grass-fed ground beef and try to bake your hamburger buns from scratch.
Source Quality Ingredients for a Curated Burger Experience
If you’ve ever wondered why so many people order burgers from restaurants when they are so easy to make at home, listen. It’s actually not that easy to make a great burger. Unless, you really take each individual ingredient seriously and really focus on quality, quality, quality.
Ingredient Tips: Instead of yellow mustard, make a Dijonnaise; that’s equal parts Dijon mustard (Grey Poupon lives in my fridge 365 days per year) and mayonnaise (I like avocado mayonnaise). Instead of swiss cheese, look for cheese labeled “baby swiss cheese” because it melts nicely for burgers. With sauerkraut, definitely select refrigerated sauerkraut which is alive with active cultures. You can totally make your own raw sauerkraut which is always my preference from a flavor perspective.
Pro Tips for the Perfect Patty
3/4 inch to 1 inch raw (5 to 6 ounces)
Flatten beef then use thumb to make a dimple (indentation) in the center. This allows the beef to brown without it curling up.
Season generously right before cooking. Salting too soon draws moisture to the surface and moisture will inhibit browning. Definitely don’t mix the seasoning into the meat.
Don’t over-work the beef. Handle briefly. Use 80% beef (20% fat) for best flavor to moisture ratio.
Kraut Burgers with Baby Swiss
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef Angus or grass-fed, preferably freshly ground
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or any high-heat oil
- salt and pepper for seasoning
- baby swiss cheese thinly sliced
- 4 sesame seed hamburger buns preferably freshly baked
- 1/2 cup sauerkraut raw, fermented (not canned)
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Instructions
- Divide the ground beef into 4 roughly equal portions and then flatten to make 4 burger patties about 3/4-inch thick by 4 1/4 inches in diameter. Preheat a skillet to medium-heat and add your favorite high-heat oil. Season burger patties front and back with salt and pepper and place in the hot skillet. Without moving, cook for 5 minutes then gently flip them over and top with the cheese. Cook 5 minutes longer. Note: A safe internal temperature to target is 160℉.
- [optional] If you can butter your buns and toast them, I highly recommend this step. Simply place the bun (butter side down) and toast in the skillet for 30 seconds.
- To assemble the burgers, place the burger on the toasted bun followed by the sauerkraut. Combine the Dijon and mayonnaise in a small bowl and smear the top of the bun generously with the Dijonnaise. Serve immediately.
