I got the idea for these beetroot beef burgers from the Australian fondness of serving a beef burger with slices of beetroot on top. I’ve gone a step further and ‘hidden’ the beetroot in the burger. I say ‘hidden’ but it’s pretty visible, as the beetroot gives them a deep pinky purple. Mini Jones is not the biggest fan of meat at the moment, however he was taken with the colour and gobbled a burger up in no time! The step of cooking the onion and garlic first is optional – it dulls the onion-flavour, which Mini Jones liked, however Mr Jones preferred the flavour of making the burgers with raw onion and garlic.
Beetroot Beef Burgers
Ingredients
1 dsp olive oil
1 small red or white onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
500g lean beef mince
1 small raw beetroot, peeled and finely grated
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
Dash Worcester sauce – optional
Salt
Black pepper
Method
Lightly grease a baking tray with olive oil.
Optional step - Pour the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion over a medium heat until soft, add the garlic and cook for another minute then place to one side to cool.
In a large bowl, mash the beef mince with a fork to break it down. Stir through the cooled/raw onions and garlic, beetroot, egg, ground cumin, ground coriander, Worcester sauce and salt and pepper, mixing until well combined.
With wet hands, take a small handful of the mixture – slightly larger than golf ball size – and shape into a ball. Place on the greased tray and flatten to around 2cm thick.
Once all burgers have been shaped, drizzle over a little more oil, then cover with clingfilm and place in fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
Heat the oven to 220˚C/ 425˚F.
Take the clingfilm off the burgers and place the tray in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the burgers are cooked through.
Serve in a bun with avocado, lettuce and tomato – or any combination you or your child eat!
Barbecue – heat the barbecue and cook for 3-4 minutes each side until cooked through.