The Easiest Way To Achieve An Umami Punch In Every Burger

Whether you're grilling them in the backyard or searing them in a stovetop pan, burgers already come packed with meaty, savory flavor. But sometimes you just want that little extra dose of umami goodness to really kick it up to the next level.

You could add a sauce on top, or pile on extra ingredients like bacon or a fried egg. But one subtler way to get that savoriness to spike is something you likely already have in your refrigerator. Use a dash of soy sauce in your meat mix and savor the added umami punch in your burgers.

Soy sauce adds a bit of rich, salty flavor complexity that pairs well with red meat and highlights the natural flavors of the burger. A little goes a long way: Just a tablespoon or 2 of soy sauce mixed into raw ground beef is enough to season the meat thoroughly and elevate your grilling to gourmet status.

If you're unfamiliar with the word umami, it's one of the five basic categories of taste (along with sweet, sour, salty, and bitter). The term is a Japanese loan word, translating to "deliciousness" or "essence of deliciousness." It describes a savory flavor profile; something you would taste in grilled meats and rich stews. Umami as a flavor is linked to the presence of glutamates (which is also a component of MSG); these molecular compounds are usually found in foods with high protein content.

Foods high in umami compounds include aged cheese, meats and seafood, tomatoes, mushrooms, and — you guessed it — soy sauce and other soy products. In fact, soy sauce can have up to 1,700 mg of glutamate per 100 grams (compare that to 10 mg per 100 grams of beef). It's no wonder that just a few drops can make an enormous difference in your recipe.

Want to really make your taste buds sing with savoriness? Soy sauce is a good start, but there are plenty of other ways to turn your next burger into the optimal umami bomb. In addition to soy sauce, you can also mix a bit of grated parmesan or a drop of fish sauce into your burger mix. Both of these ingredients are also packed with glutamates. Just be sure not to overdo it on any one of these ingredients; all of them have a high salt content, and mixing in too much can make your burgers overly salty.

Need a little additional flavor kick but don't want to pile umami-rich bacon on top of your burger? Top your burger with some sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions, or a thick slice of ripe heirloom tomato. These vegetables also contain strong umami flavors, but won't make your burger overly heavy.