This Cheap Seasoning Packet Is Your Key To Instant Flavor Bomb Burgers

Making burgers is not as easy as it seems. There are a number of mistakes that can happen while cooking the patties, and which will prevent you from delivering on the promise of a good burger: tender, flavorful, and intensely beefy. While there are tricks to make a burger juicy, not everyone knows the secret to turning even the most ordinary burger into a savory flavor bomb. Well, the secret is finally out: Adding au jus mix to the burger can elevate it in more ways than one.

Au jus, a French term that literally translates as "with juice," typically refers to a dry seasoning blend that makes a beef-flavored gravy or dipping sauce. While you can buy this in packet form from your local grocery or online, you can also make a homemade version, which is basically a mixture of pan drippings from roasted meat and meat broth. A tweaked variant forgoes the pan drippings for beef bouillon powder, and there's another variant that includes red wine for a more satisfying and deeply rich flavor profile.

When used on burgers, the seasoning powder gives ground beef a concentrated boost of meaty and aromatic flavors from its combined ingredients, including dried beef stock, salt, onion, garlic, and other herbs and spices. The savory notes intensify along with the powdered aromatics, making the beef taste like a restaurant-style patty.

Incorporating au jus seasoning mix, whether your own or bought from a store, into a burger recipe can be done in two ways. The first option is to add the seasoning powder directly into the ground beef before molding the patties. Use an entire au jus mix packet for every 2 pounds of meat, or add 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons of the powdered seasoning for every pound of ground beef. Sprinkle the dry seasoning over the meat, then gently mix with clean or gloved hands until the seasoning is evenly distributed, just like how you would mix the Korean chili paste gochujang with burger meat for a huge kick. Avoid overworking the beef, or mixing and kneading it excessively, as this can make the patties too dense instead of tender and juicy.

Another way is to cook the burger in the au jus mix. To do this, prepare a gravy by adding enough water to the powdered seasoning as indicated on the label, simmering until it thickens, and then setting it aside. After that, cook the beef patties in a pan. Once they are partially done, remove them from the pan and add the gravy. Return the patties to the pan and finish cooking them in the gravy so the beef can absorb the flavors of the sauce. To elevate the dish further, top with Swiss or provolone cheese and sautéed onions. Serve with more au jus gravy on the side for a fancy, French-dip-inspired burger experience.