The Creamy Cheese That Leads To Juicier Burger Patties Every Time

If your burgers come out like hockey pucks no matter what you do, we've got a solution. There's one creamy cheese you can add to the mix to produce juicier patties that are succulent and tender: Ricotta.

Unlike hard cheeses, such as Parmesan, that are inherently pungent and intense, ricotta is a mild and mellow Italian soft cheese that has a slightly sweet flavor and fluffy texture. This means it can be added to your burger blend without overpowering the natural taste of the ground beef. All you need to do is incorporate a scoop of ricotta into your regular burger blend and give it a mix to gain all the benefits of this protein-rich dairy product. That said, you might want to nix any liquid add-ins, like beaten eggs, to account for the extra moisture in the cheese. Ricotta has a creamy and grainy consistency, which makes it an incredible binder that will hold the ground meat and seasonings together anyway, so you might be able to get away without using eggs, depending on the variety of meat you're using (white meats like ground chicken and turkey are naturally drier than beef, pork, or lamb).

As ricotta cheese doesn't melt like a cheddar or mozzarella, it will simply warm through, soften slightly, and release a dash of moisture into your patty. This will produce a juicier burger that doesn't have an unstable gooey center, retains its structural integrity, and doesn't fall apart when you take that first bite.

Overcooking meat patties is the main reason that burgers end up being dry, but they can also become chewy and tough from overworking the ground beef. To avoid this mistake, take care to gently stir your ricotta through the meat so it doesn't become compacted. Similarly, be light-handed when you shape your patties, or they will end up dense and heavy versus light and succulent. The ricotta should meld into the meat as it cooks and be virtually undetectable. There are plenty of high-quality ricotta cheeses at the grocery store, but you can prepare your own batch with milk, lemon juice, and salt if you enjoy cooking from scratch. However, one mistake people run into when making ricotta at home is using ultra-pasteurized milk. The high temperatures that this ingredient is exposed to during the pasteurization process prevent the curds from forming correctly.

The ice cube hack for making juicy burgers works well if you don't have any ricotta on hand. However, it does mean you can't prepare your burgers in advance (you have to place an ice cube in the center of each patty and mold the meat around it moments before grilling).