by Jennifer Flood

Created on: June 29, 2007

Low Fat Beef Hamburgers

Many people are cutting back on fat in their diets either as a mandate from their doctors or for the desire to lose weight. Hamburgers are a favorite food of many people and are usually quite high in fat. The leanest hamburger you can buy can result in a dry, crumbly, and tasteless hamburger because of the limited amount of fat. However, with a few tricks and some good recipes you can avoid a burger that falls apart and lacks taste.

By adding ingredients, such as tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, barbeque sauce, hot sauce and /or vegetables to your lean hamburger you can ensure a juicy burger. Also, to keep your burgers juicy remember that the very leanest hamburger cooks faster than its fatty counterparts. So keep an eye on the internal temperature of your burgers to be sure that you do not overcook them, which will dry them out. A hamburger should be cooked until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. To prevent your lean hamburgers from crumbling add one egg white per pound of meat to bind the mixture together. Adding your favorite spices will put flavor in the lean hamburger that has been diminished by the removal of fat.

The way you cook your burger will also contribute to the amount of fat that you consume. The best way to ensure the lowest amount of fat stays in, or on, your burger is to cook it on a grill. Both outdoor gas or charcoal grills and indoor electric grills can work for this. I prefer to use my George Foreman Grill since it not only drains the fat away, but it also helps the burger from dramatically shrinking since it provides constant pressure from above, keeping the burger flat.

Here are some of my family's favorite low fat burger recipes:

Basic Hamburger:

Ingredients:

1 pound leanest ground beef possible
1 egg white
1/4 cup minced onion
1 clove crushed garlic
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in large bowl and then form into four hamburgers. Using your favorite way to grill, cook the burgers until they reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

We like to top these hamburgers with grilled onions and green peppers and low fat provolone cheese.

Mexican Hamburgers:

Ingredients:

3/4 pound leanest ground beef available
1 cup cooked black beans, well rinsed
1 egg white
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 finely chopped jalapeno pepper
1/4 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

In a large bowl, mash the black beans with a fork.

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