Gourmet Rissoles — The Better Aussie Burger

The Aussie rissole is the original burger patty — beef mince + breadcrumbs + onion + a few flavour additions, panfried golden, slapped between bread or in a roll. Cheap, easy, satisfying, kid-friendly. The "gourmet" version adds mushrooms, plum sauce, honey + a touch of tabasco for genuinely interesting flavour.

Forget the supermarket frozen burger patties. These take 15 minutes start-to-finish and taste 10x better.

Photo by Dahlia E. Akhaine on Unsplash

Makes: 6-8 patties (depending on size) · Prep: 10 minutes · Cook: 15 minutes · Equipment: mixing bowl, BBQ or large frying pan

Photo: Anna Barabanova / Unsplash

For the patties:

• 500g coarsely-minced beef steak (chuck or rump mince — not the super-fine supermarket stuff)
• 150g button mushrooms, finely diced
• 1 large brown onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (in mixture)
• 1 tbsp plum sauce OR tomato sauce
• ½ tsp dried mixed herbs (or 1 tbsp fresh thyme + parsley)
• 1 tsp honey
• ½ tsp Tabasco sauce (or to taste)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• Salt + cracked black pepper
• 1 cup breadcrumbs (for coating)
• Olive oil for cooking

For burger assembly:

• Hamburger buns OR slices of lightly-toasted Vienna loaf
• Sliced tomato
• Lettuce leaves
• Cooked bacon strips
• Sliced tinned beetroot
• Sliced cheese (cheddar, tasty, Swiss)
• Fried egg (the Aussie way)
• Caramelised onions (slow-fry an onion in butter for 10 mins)
• Tomato sauce, BBQ sauce, mustard
• Avocado slices or smashed avocado

1. Combine all rissole ingredients in a large mixing bowl: mince, mushrooms, onion, 1 cup breadcrumbs, plum/tomato sauce, herbs, honey, Tabasco, eggs, salt + pepper.

2. Mix gently by hand. Don't over-work — gentle handling keeps the patties tender. Over-mixed patties become dense + tough.

3. Form into patties. Wet hands first to prevent sticking. Form 6-8 patties about 2cm thick. Make a slight dimple in the centre of each patty (helps them cook flat instead of swelling into a dome).

4. Coat in breadcrumbs. Pour the second cup of breadcrumbs onto a plate. Roll each patty in the crumbs, pressing to adhere. The crumb coating creates the crispy crust.

5. Heat the BBQ or pan to medium-hot. Add a thin layer of olive oil.

6. Cook 6-8 minutes per side for medium-well. Total cooking ~15 minutes for 2cm thick patties. Internal temp 70°C for fully cooked.

7. Rest 2-3 minutes before assembling burgers — lets juices redistribute.

8. Build your burgers. Toast the buns lightly. Sauce on the bun first (prevents soggy bottom). Lettuce next (extra moisture barrier). Then patty. Then your choice of toppings — bacon, tomato, beetroot, cheese, fried egg, caramelised onion. Top sauce. Top of bun.

• Coarse mince beats fine mince. Ask the butcher for "coarse beef mince" — chuck or rump mince. Better texture, more flavour
• Mushrooms add umami + moisture. Don't skip them — they make the patty juicier without being noticeably "mushroomy"
• Make ahead: form patties up to 24 hours ahead, refrigerate. They actually firm up + cook better after a few hours
• Freeze in batches: separate frozen patties with baking paper, freeze flat. Defrost in the esky during the trip
• Lamb version: swap mince to lamb + add 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint + 2 tsp ground cumin. Mediterranean style
• Pork version: swap to pork mince + add 1 tsp fennel seeds + extra honey. Italian-style
• Cheese stuffed: press a cube of cheese into the middle of each patty before forming. Molten cheese surprise
• Stretch the meat: add ½ cup cooked + cooled rice or grated zucchini to extend further. Doesn't change flavour, halves the cost
• Without breadcrumb coating: works fine, less crispy crust. Good for low-carb eaters
• Cook ahead, eat cold — leftover rissoles in lunch sandwiches the next day are excellent

The Aussie burger night that beats every restaurant burger for half the price. Good mince, good toppings, fresh buns. Kids inhale them. Adults reminisce about the rissoles their grandparents made.

Make a double batch + freeze the spare patties — instant burger night for the next trip. The 15-minute camp dinner that everyone loves.