Garlic Curry Burgers

These aren’t your standard backyard burgers. Mild curry powder and a generous hit of fresh garlic get worked right into the meat, so every bite is seasoned all the way through instead of just on the surface. The warm spice plays surprisingly well with the smoky char off the grill.

Because the recipe uses lean ground beef, there’s a smart bit of insurance built in. An egg and a splash of evaporated milk bind the patties and keep them from drying out, while sweet Vidalia onion melts in for moisture and a gentle sweetness that balances the curry.

The grilling detail matters: cook these over indirect heat. The spices and onion on the surface scorch easily over a direct flame, but a gentler, indirect zone lets the patties cook through evenly without burning. About 5 minutes a side does it. Just don’t overwork the meat when mixing, or the burgers turn dense.

Pro Tips

• Mix the meat just until the seasonings are evenly distributed; overworking makes for tough, dense patties.
• Press a shallow dimple into the center of each patty so they cook flat instead of puffing into domes.
• Grill over indirect heat so the curry and onion don’t scorch before the centers are done.

Variations

• Bump the heat with a hotter curry powder or a pinch of cayenne.
• Top with a cooling cucumber-yogurt raita or mango chutney instead of ketchup.
• Use ground turkey or lamb in place of beef; lamb especially loves curry spice.