Yield: 4 patties (4 oz / 113 g raw beef each)

Baking Soda Burger Patties: Dose, Rest Time and Texture

A fact-check of baking soda in formed hamburger patties: the dose per pound, the rest, the 160 F check, what a student study found on flavor, and the sodium per patty.

Prep Time10 minutes

Cook Time10 minutes

Rest after mixing15 minutes

Total Time35 minutes

Ingredients

Patties

• 1 lb (454 g) ground beef, 90/10 or 80/20, 454 g; the nutrition below uses 90/10, the WTAMU study used 80/20
• 1/4 tsp (1.15 g) baking soda, 1.15 g; food-grade, aluminum-free, not baking powder
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) water, 15 mL; dissolves the soda so it spreads evenly
• salt and pepper, season the outside of the patties just before cooking

Instructions

Method

1. Dissolve the soda. Stir 1/4 tsp (1.15 g) baking soda into 1 tbsp (15 mL) water until no grains are left.
2. Work it through lightly. Pull 1 lb (454 g) beef apart in a wide bowl. Drizzle the solution over it and fold with your fingertips just until it is spread evenly. Overworking is how burgers turn dense.
3. Rest 15 minutes. Let the beef sit for 15 minutes. A longer soak adds very little, and raw ground beef should not stay out of the refrigerator past 2 hours in total.
4. Shape loosely. Divide into four 4 oz (113 g) portions. Form each into a loose patty, handling it as little as you can. A shallow dimple in the center is optional.
5. Season and sear. Season the outside. Heat the skillet, add the patties without crowding and leave them alone until the bottom is browned, then flip once.
6. Check 160 F. Insert a food thermometer into the thickest part of the patty, or sideways if it is thin. Cook until it reads 160 F (71 C). Color is not a reliable sign it is done.

Notes

Dose: 1/4 tsp per lb is the low end of the published range. ATK used 1/4 tsp per 12 oz (340 g), about 1/3 tsp per lb, and The Daily Meal uses 1/2 tsp per lb.

Nutrition note: values are estimates calculated by us from typical USDA FoodData Central values for raw 90/10 ground beef (FDC 174030) plus the baking soda, per 4 oz (113 g) raw patty. Salt is not counted. The calculation uses 90/10, not 80/20, so an 80/20 patty has more calories and fat. Cooking loss changes the final numbers.

Sodium: about 79 mg per patty comes from the baking soda and about 75 mg from the beef, for about 154 mg total, roughly 6.7 percent of the 2,300 mg Daily Value.

Storage: treat the mixed beef as raw ground beef and keep it refrigerated. We found no source on refrigerating or freezing patties already treated with baking soda, or on reheating cooked ones.