These pork burgers are incredibly juicy and flavorful. They are made with ground pork and spices and cooked in olive oil. Ready in about 20 minutes, these pan-fried burgers are the perfect dinner year-round.
I got the idea for these burgers from Ann. She commented on my pork meatballs recipe, saying, "I make this recipe a lot, so I changed it up and made pork burgers. They turned out incredibly juicy!" Ann was right. These burgers are flavorful and easy to make, and pan-frying elevates their flavor and texture compared to baking.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Unlike Ann, I made a few changes to the original recipe. See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
- Ground pork: I use an 85/15 mix. You can use a fattier mix, keeping in mind that the nutrition info will change.
- Mustard: A tablespoon of Dijon mustard adds flavor and juiciness. You can replace the Dijon mustard with mayonnaise.
- To season: Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dried thyme, and ground cumin. Smoked paprika can be used as a substitute for regular paprika, and dried oregano is a great alternative to dried thyme.
- Olive oil: I use olive oil for frying. Other good fats for frying include avocado oil and clarified butter (ghee).
- Optional: Sometimes, I add ½ cup of finely chopped parsley or cilantro.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Combine the ground pork, Dijon mustard, and spices. Form the mixture into four ½-inch-thick patties. Make a shallow dimple in the center of each patty.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the burgers and cook them until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Note that about half the olive oil will remain in the skillet, but all of it is needed to coat the bottom.
Serve immediately with veggies, pickles, and (if using) buns.
Recipe Tips
Seasoning the Burgers
- The spices are the secret ingredient that makes these burgers so flavorful! I encourage you to use them all. You can streamline the process by combining the spices in a small bowl and then adding them to the meat.
- I use just ½ teaspoon of cumin because it's quite potent.
- Please use only ½ teaspoon of salt unless you use the Diamond Crystal brand. It has half the sodium of most salts, including other brands of kosher salt.
Preventing Puffy Burgers
Making a shallow dimple in the middle of burgers helps prevent them from puffing and losing their shape when they are cooked. However, this trick doesn't always work, and the burgers can still puff up, especially if overcooked. See the photo below - I slightly overcooked these burgers, and they puffed up despite the dimple. They were still delicious!
Making Pork Cheeseburgers
To turn these into cheeseburgers, as shown in the photo below, cook the burgers for 5 minutes on one side, flip them, and cook for 4 minutes on the other side. Top them with a slice of cheddar or Gouda and place a lid on the skillet. Cook them for 30-60 seconds until they are cooked through and the cheese has melted.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat them covered in the microwave. You can freeze the cooled leftovers in a single layer in a freezer bag for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
As shown in the photos on this page, I like to serve pork burgers on a platter with large lettuce leaves to serve as wraps, plus tomato slices, red onions, and pickles - store-bought pickles, homemade quick pickles, or pickled red onions.
You can top the burgers with caramelized onions. They are also good with simple side dishes like steamed broccoli, homemade coleslaw, and creamy cucumber salad.
If you like your burgers in a bun but want to keep the meal low-carb, you can use a store-bought keto bun or make cloud bread.
Recipe Card
Juicy Pork Burgers
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork - 85/15
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the ground pork, Dijon mustard, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dried thyme, and ground cumin.
- Form the mixture into four ½-inch-thick patties. With your thumb, make a shallow dimple in the center of each patty.
- Heat the olive oil in a large, 12-inch skillet over medium heat.
- Add the burgers and cook them until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Their internal temperature should reach 160°F.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- You can streamline the process by combining the spices in a small bowl and then adding them to the meat.
- The spices are the secret ingredient that makes these burgers so flavorful! I encourage you to use them all.
- Please remember to use just ½ teaspoon of salt unless you use the Diamond Crystal brand. It has half the sodium of most salts, including other brands of kosher salt.
- About half the oil will remain in the skillet, but all of it is needed to coat the bottom of the skillet. The nutrition info reflects this.
- Making a shallow dimple in the middle of burgers helps prevent them from puffing too much and losing their shape when they are cooked.
- To top the burgers with cheese, cook them for 5 minutes on one side, flip them, and cook for 4 minutes on the other side. Top them with cheese and place a lid on the skillet. Cook them for an additional 30-60 seconds, until they are cooked through and the cheese has melted.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat them covered in the microwave.
- You can freeze the cooled leftovers in a single layer in a freezer bag for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Nutrition per Serving
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Disclaimers
Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
John and Judy says
made your Pork Burgers x 3 that's 1.5 kg, your spices but added fine diced onion,with olive oil,cooled, 2 eggs,@ 125grams each. Pan fried olive oil. Great taste, thank you. Made dash of honey, low salt soy sauce, sesame oil, dry sherry, warmed, to serve. John.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Sounds amazing, John! Glad my recipe was a good starting point for your delicious tweaks.
Patti says
Can these be baked?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Patti,
You can use the baking instructions in this recipe for baked hamburgers.
Judy says
This is actually a question. Do these hold together for grilling? Or if I use my non-stick stove-top grill or non-stick skillet, would I still need the oil? Thanks! They sound good!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Judy,
They should hold together for grilling.
I would use oil even if using a nonstick grill or skillet.