Cooking Lesson #306: Instant Pot “BBQ’d” Hamburgers

…from the California Kitchen

How you doin’? As you know by now, I’m an Instant Pot aficionado, but even I never realized you can make a great steamed burger in the Instant Pot. In some parts of the country, this may not seem the least bit strange. But for the rest of you, a steamed burger sounds just plain weird. If you’ve ever had a White Castle burger… it was steamed! If you’ve ever been to a burger joint where they put a lid on the grill to melt the cheese, you’re getting a steamed burger.
 
Instant Pot Hamburgers are so easy to prepare at home and compare well to those famous burger chains that make steamed burger patties. Instant Pot burgers are simple and fast and are a great option for those who don’t have backyard grills or don’t want to clean a messy stove top or oven broiler.
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  15 minutes
Yield:  4 servings

Ingredients
For the Instant Pot
1-1/2 cups water (for a 6-qt. pot)

For the meat block
1-pound ground beef (80/20)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons liquid smoke (Wright’s brand)

For the burger builds—build to your taste
4 hamburger brioche buns  
4 slices American cheese (I like the way it melts)
4 tomato slices
lettuce (shredded or whole leaves)
Other toppings (as desired)
Thousand island dressing
BBQ sauce
Mayonnaise
Ketchup
Mustard
 
Directions

1. Add 1-1/2 cups of water to the inner stainless pot of the 6-quart Instant Pot.
2. Place a trivet in the pot.
3. Lightly mix all the meat block ingredients together in a bowl. Do not over mix or your burger patties will be tough and chewy.
4. Divide the meat mixture into equal sized patties… four 4-ounce patties, three 5-ounce patties, or two 8-ounce patties. Press your thumb into the center of each patty to make an indentation.
5. Wrap the patties in foil or parchment. Wrapped patties and cooking under pressure are the secrets to success.
6. Stack the wrapped patties on the trivet in a staggered pattern. Then place the lid on the Instant Pot and close the release knob.
7. Set the Instant Pot to HIGH PRESSURE and set the + or – button to select:

• 10 MINUTES for 4 oz patties (7 minutes rare)
• 13 MINUTES for 5 oz patties (9 minutes rare)
• 14 MINUTES for 8 oz patties (11 minutes rare)

      8. When the cooking cycle is finished, QUICK RELEASE the vent.
      9.  Carefully remove the patties from the pot using tongs. Then let them rest for 5 minutes before
           you unwrap them.
     10. Unwrap them on a plate to catch the drippings, add the cheese atop the burger so it melts while
           you’re preparing your bun with condiments. Then build your burger with all your favorite toppings!

ChefSecret: Here are some handy secrets for making hamburgers in the Instant Pot. You can figure, the thicker the patty, the longer the cook time. If you like very round patties, they will need to cook a couple minutes longer than thinner, flatter patties—if you like a very thin patty, you should reduce the cook time a little. Making a thumb sized indent in the center of one side of the burger patty helps reduce puffing up as well as shrinkage. Planning a party? This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.
 
Quip of the Day: “I went to see my doctor this morning. “Someone decided to graffiti my house last night!” I raged. “So why are you telling me?” the doctor asked. “I can't understand the writing,” I replied. “Was it you?”
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