Add This Unexpected Ingredient To Your Burger Mix For Out-Of-This-World Results

If you want a burger that stays tender and juicy all the way through, even past the medium mark, there's an unexpected ingredient worth folding into your next batch of burger mix: ricotta. Yup, ricotta as in the cheese. This soft, fresh Italian cheese is known for its mild flavor and creamy, slightly grainy mouthfeel. Texture-wise, ricotta sits somewhere between cottage cheese and cream cheese and should taste fresh and milky. You're probably most familiar with it as a lasagna filling, but it can also be blended into cheesecake or even added to boxed cake mix for better texture.

If you've ever made burgers from scratch, you know that ground beef loses moisture quickly as the proteins tighten and fat renders out. Ricotta changes all that. When it's gently mixed into ground beef, it acts like a tiny moisture bomb. As the burger cooks, the cheese softens and disperses, creating tiny pockets of delicious creaminess throughout the patty. 

If you're a hardcore burger stan, you might follow Alton Brown's lead and grind your own meat. But for most home cooks, they head to the butcher for an 80/20 blend of ground beef – that's 80% lean and 20% fat. But for health-conscious cooks who prefer an even leaner 85/15 blend, adding ricotta is a game-changer for extra moisture and flavor. Before mixing, drain ricotta slightly, as you don't want the burger too wet. For one pound of ground beef, add 2 heaping tablespoons of whole-milk ricotta.

Adding ricotta to your burger mix means gently folding it in, along with salt and pepper, and any seasoning you'd like to add. Don't overwork it, as over-mixing can make burgers dense. Because ricotta increases moisture, these burgers will stay softer as they cook. It also means you'll need to carefully use high heat to build a proper crust. Cook them in a cast-iron skillet or on a well-preheated grill. Let the patties develop a deep brown crust before flipping. 

This trick also works beyond beef. Turkey burgers, which are notoriously dry, benefit even more from the addition. A spoonful of ricotta can make a mouthful of difference. For the best version, look for fresh, whole-milk ricotta with minimal ingredients: milk, vinegar or citric acid, and salt. The shorter the label, the better the flavor. 

If you have any ricotta left over, it's easy enough to use up. Ricotta's versatility makes it popular in both sweet and savory applications. Plus, it lasts for two weeks in the fridge after opening.