I like to get back to basics now and then, but I typically can’t just do basic… So I wanted a burger, and decided to try some Wild Herb Nando’s Peri-Peri sauce for something different.

I made a good sized burger (about 6 ozs). One thing I find with burgers is that too lean is too dry, so I like to use something like a 70/30 mix of lean to fat. I made this burger by simple pouring some Nando’s on the raw meat and mixing it by hand. I used the Lemon & Herb because I didn’t want too hot, and I wanted to try the flavor.
I grilled some onion slices, too (Vidalias are SO darn good on the grill!), and grilled the burger over a medium hot fire. I also grilled the bun a bit, which was a really good poppy seed bun. The meat was cooked to 160 degrees, then rested for a few minutes. I served it with dijon mustard, tomato and pickle, topped with the grilled onion slice.
The result was a burger with a really nice, bright flavor. The lemon didn’t show through too much (a good thing), the herbs were there but not too strong, and there was just a pleasant lingering heat. There wasn’t so much heat as to need to drink milk with it… It was just a nice touch of spice at the end.
Overall, this is a nice way to easily change the basic burger without going nuts trying to do anything fancy.


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May 24th, 2007 at 2:47 am
Great idea!! My husband and I (my husband is back now!!) grilled some burgers last night too, although I just added the usual worcestershire sauce and random assortment of seasonings. Next time I’ll try some Nando’s!
May 24th, 2007 at 6:02 am
Nicole,
I’m really glad to hear your husband is back! And now you get to cook lots of great stuff for him… Or teach him to cook stuff for you.
I was really surprised how much I liked the Nando’s in the burger. It’s a nice heat with the beef.
May 24th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
Curt did you use Extra Mild Peri-Peri Sauce or Lemon and Herb grinder on your burger?
May 24th, 2007 at 1:32 pm
Dave,
I think I used the Wild Herb, actually (they all seem to have a bit of lemon, which is nice). It was good stuff… but I’ll recheck the bottle when I get home!
May 30th, 2007 at 8:00 pm
Oh I love Nando’s…great idea trying it with a burger!
Have you ever made Grilled whole Vidalias with butter and brown sugar. It is one of my all time favorite ways to grill Vidalias.
May 31st, 2007 at 6:30 am
Kristen, I usually do Vidalia onions by quartering them, then putting in 2 layers of foil, drizzling balsamic vinegar over them, and then placing them directly in the coals for about an hour. I love them that way, and it keeps the fat and some of the sugar out of the final product.
May 31st, 2007 at 10:47 pm
That sounds really good…. I can’t wait to try them that way.
We usually do ours like this:
Take one onion and make a small hole from the top down to the middle of the core. Inside that tuck in one chicken bouillon cube, spray some butter flavored Pam, and then pack with one teaspoon brown sugar. Double wrap in aluminum foil and grill until tender. We usually do several at a time. In weight watchers, these are only 1 point per onion. They are really tasty!
June 1st, 2007 at 5:37 am
Kristen, I love Vidalia onions; I may have to set up a few different ways to fix them and do a taste test… Just an excuse to make several of them while they’re still out!