Make your own homemade burgers for less

A great burger is incredibly tasty, but it can also very unhealthy and expensive. So why not make your own instead?

It’s an easy way to cut costs and improve your diet in one go.

And that can make a big difference as you try to make the money you spend in the shops go a bit further.

What you’ll need 

Makes around eight to ten burgers

• 1kg of 5% fat minced beef
• a drop of oil

Optional extras

• one finely chopped or grated onion
• two finely chopped chillis
• Your favourite seasoning, like dried herbs or garlic granules

How to make them

1. Put the mince into a bowl and add the seasoning
2. Add in optional extras if you’re using them
3. Mix everything together
4. Divide the mixture into eight or ten equal portions
5. Shape each portion into a burger patty with your hands

You can then either:

• fry them in some oil for five or six minutes on each side until fully cooked through
• or pre-heat the oven to 200°C and cook for 20 to 25 minutes

Once cooked, serve the burgers in a bun with cheese, salad and some delicious homemade chips.

Why you should buy a big packet of mince

You’ll notice that we recommended a 1kg packet of lean mince in our recipe.

Yes, that’s more expensive that a smaller pack or a box of pre-made burgers, but it can work out better value in the long run.

With 1kg of mince, you can make extra burgers at the same time that can be put in the freezer for another day.

So next time you’re feeling lazy, you won’t need to look at the takeaway menu.

You can pull out a tasty and budget-friendly fakeaway immediately.

And because it’s just 5% fat, it’s leaner and healthier than processed, manufactured burgers, whether it’s from a takeaway or the supermarket.

Even if you don’t plan to make an extra batch of burgers, it’s still worth getting the big packet of mince.

If you use just half of the packet to make burgers for the whole family, you’ll have the other half left over to use in other meals like a chilli, shepherd’s pie or spaghetti bolognese.

Sometimes, buying in bulk can make a big difference over time.

So look at the bigger picture when you’re out shopping and see what can be used in different ways or bunged in the freezer.