Australian Burger with the Lot
Australian Burger with the Lot Say it: AW-stray-lee-un BUR-gur with thuh LOT
The Aussie burger with the lot is the takeaway classic found in every suburban fish-and-chip shop and milk bar: a beef patty under bacon, a fried egg, melted cheese, sliced beetroot and a ring of pineapple. It sounds like too much and it is exactly right — sweet, salty, juicy and a little messy, with beetroot staining the bun pink. It is eaten for lunch, dinner or after a night out, always with hot chips and plenty of tomato sauce.
Australian Burger with the Lot
Australian Burger with the Lot
Pronounced AW-stray-lee-un BUR-gur with thuh LOT
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Level
- Easy
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the patties
For the toppings
To assemble
Method
Divide the beef into 4 equal portions and shape into patties about 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick and slightly wider than the buns. Press a shallow dimple into the centre of each with your thumb, then season both sides with the salt and pepper and refrigerate while you prepare everything else.
Heat a large frying pan or flat grill over medium-high heat. Lay in the bacon rashers and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until crisp, deep golden and the fat has rendered. Lift onto paper towels to drain, leaving the fat in the pan.
Toast the split buns cut-side down in the bacon fat (or in the butter in a separate pan) for 1 to 2 minutes, until golden and the cut edges crisp. Set aside.
Sear the pineapple rings in the same pan for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until lightly caramelised and smelling sweet. Transfer to a plate.
Cook the patties in the hot pan for 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium, without pressing them down, until well browned and the juices run clear. Lay a slice of cheese on each patty in the final minute and cover the pan briefly so it melts and drapes over the edges.
Fry the eggs in the same pan, spooning hot fat over them, for 1 to 2 minutes, until the whites are fully set and opaque and the yolks are still soft. Lift out carefully.
Build each burger on a toasted bun base. a spoonful of tomato sauce, then lettuce, two slices of tomato, the cheeseburger patty, bacon, a beetroot slice, a pineapple ring, onion rings, the fried egg and a little more sauce. Cap with the bun top, press gently and serve straight away with hot chips.
Crumble edges of beetroot may stain the bun — that is the signature look of an Aussie burger with the lot.
Regional variant: Aussie Chicken Schnitzel Burger
Replace the beef patties with 4 thin chicken breast fillets (about 1 1/2 lb / 680 g in total), each pounded thin, dipped in flour, then beaten egg, then dry breadcrumbs, and shallow-fried in about 1/2 inch (1 cm) of oil for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Keep every other topping exactly as written — bacon, egg, cheese, beetroot, pineapple, salad and sauce — and build the same way.
Cook's notes
- Never press the patties with a spatula; you lose the juices and end up with a dry burger.
- Drain the beetroot and pineapple well on paper towels so the toasted buns do not turn soggy.
- Set everything out in a line before you start cooking — the last steps move fast and the burger is best eaten hot.
Serve with
Hot chips (fries) with chicken salt or plain salt, and a cold beer, ginger beer or lemon squash.
Make ahead and storage
Shape and refrigerate the patties up to 1 day ahead, and cook the bacon and toast the buns a few hours before; assemble and cook the eggs and patties just before serving.
