Ina Garten Has 4 Perfect Burger Ideas for Your Summer Barbecue

Ina Garten is ready to invite friends over again for dinner parties and barbecues after months without socializing. Of course, the Barefoot Contessa star has plenty of recipes for such an occasion, including four perfect burger ideas.

Ina Garten introduced her Smashed Burgers recipe in ‘Modern Comfort Food’

In her latest cookbook, Modern Comfort Food, Garten highlighted classic recipes with a new twist. One of the recipes she introduced to fans was Smashed Burgers with Caramelized Onions.

“I think what makes comfort food is a remembered flavor, and then I update it by adding more intense flavors,” she told People magazine. “During times of stress, there’s just something about a hamburger and a Coke that makes us feel better.”

Smashed Burgers are ready in less than 30 minutes

For Garten’s Smashed Burgers with Caramelized Onions, you’ll only need a handful of ingredients. These burgers are easy to make on the grill or stovetop.

The recipe calls for canola oil, sliced red onions, granulated sugar, red wine vinegar, dry mustard powder, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, ground beef with 20 percent fat, shredded Gruyère cheese, sandwich potato rolls, and ketchup.

To make these burgers on the stove, you’ll need a 12-inch skillet, small bowl, medium bowl, plate, large cast iron skillet, and metal spatula. Follow Garten’s directions exactly, and you’ll have delicious burgers in under 30 minutes.

Ina Garten’s Sliders recipe will be a hit at your summer barbecue

The Barefoot Contessa’s Sliders recipe does have a few things in common with her Smashed Burgers. But they aren’t just mini versions of that dish.

For the Sliders, you’ll need premium ground beef, Dijon mustard, olive oil, chopped thyme leaves, chopped garlic, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, grated Gruyère, small Brioche buns, baby arugula, tomatoes, red onions, and ketchup.

For blue cheese lovers, Garten has a Blue Cheese Burgers recipe on her Barefoot Contessa website that’s perfect for grilling. This recipe stands out from Garten’s other burger recipes because it calls for both ground chuck and ground sirloin.

You’ll also need: steak sauce, egg yolks, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, cold unsalted butter, blue cheese (Garten suggests Danish Blue), hamburger buns, arugula, and sliced tomatoes.

Her classic cheeseburgers feature 1 ingredient that is so Barefoot Contessa

For a classic cheeseburger recipe from The Barefoot Contessa, Garten swears by Niman Ranch beef, which is 80 percent lean, 20 percent fat. She even calls the recipe Niman Ranch Burgers.

Niman Ranch beef is easy to buy online; just be prepared to pay as much as $15 per pound plus shipping. The price tag is due to the fact that Niman Ranch beef is grown naturally without antibiotics and is primarily grass-fed.

The other ingredients required to make Garten’s classic cheeseburgers are: Dijon mustard, olive oil, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, sandwich-size English muffins, and mayonnaise.

Ina Garten’s fans say her Niman Ranch Burgers are a ‘masterpiece’

Garten recommends splurging on good quality ingredients to make this simple recipe. Follow it to the letter, and you’ll get burgers that are “out of this world.” One reviewer even called the burger a “masterpiece.”

According to reviews, you’ll get the best results with this recipe if you avoid compressing the ingredients. Instead, mix them gently. Also, be careful not to pack the beef when making the patties. And when they’re on the grill, don’t pierce the patties with a fork and release the juices. Doing either of these things will result in dry burgers.

The Barefoot Contessa airs Saturdays on The Food Network.