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Smoking Chimney

Recipes from a working kitchen · Cape Town

Beef Hamburger

By Marna Ross Updated 12 August 2026 4.74 from 31 ratings American
This delicious beef hamburger, is a creation of my own which I invented while working at my last job. The owners wanted to have a lovely beef burger on the menu, so I took time to combine a few lovely ingredients to make a spectacular beef hamburger. The beef patties I make from scratch too, and my husband absolutely love burger nights. He still think, after each time, that I make the best beef patties ever. The secret ingredient I would say that absolutely make this recipe stand out is the dark opal basil. I must agree that if I were to be given a few hamburgers, blind folded, taste each hamburger and tell which one is mine, I would for sure taste mine out of a million hamburgers. The dark opal basil, together with the ground coriander and chutney just gives it a distinct lovely flavour. At home we usually buy a packet monkey gland sauce - I am very much for home-made sauces but this particular “packet” monkey gland sauce is just the best supermarket sauce if you don’t have time. If you do have time, you can make the tzatziki sauce, it is great with it too! I sincerely hope this would become your Friday evening meal or your weekend spoil!Enjoy this with a light strawberry mousse as dessert.Try this Zinfandel Rosé as the pefect wine companion to pair with the beef hamburger.If you prefer a healthier hamburger alternative, then this Ostrich Hamburger is the perfect solution for you.
A juicy grilled beef hamburger with melting cheese, lettuce, and tomato on a brioche bun.
Prep 20 min
Cook 20 min
Total 40 min
Serves 6

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Ingredients

Beef Patties

  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • ½ green pepper, finely chopped
  • 500 g beef mince
  • 3 Tablespoons chutney
  • 1 Tablespoon ground coriander
  • 6-7 tablespoons crumbs
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • a handful chopped parsley
  • 3 hand full chopped dark, opal basil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • a few turns of black pepper corns grinder

Assembling

  • a good quality, fresh bun, cut in half and buttered
  • lettuce to cover the bun
  • onion marmalade onions (see my recipe) or balsamic onions
  • a few slices tomatoes, seasoned with salt and pepper
  • a cheese slab or grated cheese
  • the beef patty fried, and afterwards dipped into Jimmy or Lappies Sauce
  • 2 slices streaky bacon, fried
  • tzatziki sauce(¼ cup grated cucumber, mixed with 2 tablespoons double cream Greek yogurt, seasoned with salt and pepper and a dash op lemon juice)
  • or the ready made supermarket monkey gland sauce
  • a long skewer to add in the middle of the stacked hamburger to keep it together, with a piece of cucumber and cherry tomato onto the top to be a garnish as well
  • balsamic glaze to decorate the plate
  • chippies if you want to serve some on the side

Method

Beef Patty

  1. Combine the onions and green pepper together and mix well

  2. Add the mince and mix well

  3. Add the coriander, chutney, crumbs, egg, the parsley and opal basil and mix well together

  4. Add the salt and grated black pepper

  5. weigh the patty seize you want- 150 g/200 g or 250 g and form a ball

  6. Press it down and take a large cup or ramekin to make a round circle

  7. TIP: At this step it is important to see that the patty is firm

  8. Sometimes it is not firm enough and then once you start to fry it, it will break

  9. If you see it is not firm enough, add more crumbs to the mixture

  10. This will prevent it from breaking while frying them

  11. Fry in a pan on low heat until cooked

  12. IF DOING WITHOUT THE MONKEY GLAND SAUCE: Add the Jimmy or Lappies sauce during frying or dip the patty in it afterwards

Assembling

  1. Butter the buns

  2. Add the lettuce and cover the bun

  3. Layer with a spoonful or 2 onion marmalade or balsamic onions

  4. Add the seasoned tomato slices

  5. Layer with the cheese

  6. Layer with the Patty

  7. Last add the monkey gland sauce

  8. IF DOING WITH THE TZATSIKI SAUCE: Add the 2 slices of bacon and last add the tzatziki sauce on top

  9. Add the other half of the bun on top TO GARNISH: Add the skewer through the middle with the cherry tomato and cucumber stick on top

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