How To Make A Great Toddler Burger

Let’s face it: you don’t need to make a good hamburger; kids like bad ones. Use a frozen puck of pink slime; overcook it to death. Make the patty too thick; make the patty too thin. Doesn’t matter. As long as there are two buns to slide it in between and condiments to douse/drown it in, a toddler burger will get eaten.

But a good burger? That’s joy; that’s love. Your kid can taste it; he or she will feel and know it. It’ll make them want to eat whatever else is on his/her plate or table, including vegetables; it’ll make them excited to try the other things you can make, including and especially the things you want to cook. It’ll even make them want to try non-beef burgers. A gateway, this.

Now, you don’t need us to tell you how to cook a burger; what you may be interested in knowing, though, is how to make a good toddler burger. It requires no extra skill; there are no fancy ingredients or equipment needed. Indeed, the only notable difference between it and the burgers you might make for yourself is attention–that is, some intentional consideration toward the details that would make your child love burgers as much as you do.

Here, then, four considerations when cooking a toddler burger:

1. The Meat: preformed frozen patties, however convenient, neither cook nor taste well; you really need to use fresh meat whenever possible. Easy compromise if that’s not always possible: buy a bulk amount of ground beef, divide it into relatively equal sized chunks, then freeze; thaw a chunk or two when needed.

Go with a grind of at least 15% fat content; we prefer 20% ourselves.

2. The Cook: a relatively high cooking temperature, coupled with a pat of butter to grease the pan, produces the ideal Medium doneness: nicely charred on the surface, a bit of pink and some juice inside. Two minutes a side, smashing down each side when put to pan or turned over. Can’t make it any easier.

3. The Bun: whether using a slider roll or a regular-sized bun, our rules are the same: generously toast the bottom bun, then slather with mayo; lightly toast–but don’t slather–the top bun. This ensures the bun mimics the texture of the meat, making it easier for your child to enjoy the whole thing.

4. The Condiments: If your child(ren) is anything like ours, the finished product usually turns out to be more condiments-with-a-topping-of-burger than, you know, a burger with some squiggles of red and yellow. Fair enough. Our only recommendation: make sure there is something tangy and acidic–say, mustard or pickles–on there to neutralize the sweetness of ketchup, barbecue sauce, etc. Too much of the latter will overwhelm your child’s rather primitive palate, and do so quickly; 

Check out our other great burger recipes!