Are homemade burgers better?

This question came from my fiancé as we stood looking at the multitude of boxed burgers in the freezer section. Thinking back to a nostalgic time in my childhood, I recalled how my mom would mix ground beef and other tasty ingredients and form perfect patties with a little press. I've been trying to find new things to spice up our dinner menu, cut costs, and reduce the amount of packaging that we buy.  I've noticed a lot of restaurants and my friends are bringing sexy [burgers] back. So, why not?

We bought some nice extra lean ground angus beef (on sale) and away we went!

[More after the jump]
I researched different burger recipes online and decided go ahead and try something new.

Here's what I ended up making:

500g extra-lean ground beef
1 egg
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
a few handfulls of bread crumbs (or oatmeal)
a few stalks of chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 Tbsp. grainy dijon mustard
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder

After mixing with my hands (gotta love that texture, very zen), I made 6 little patties in my hands. We let the burgers set in the fridge for about 45 minutes, and then grilled 3 on the BBQ and froze 3 for another meal.

We served with lightly toasted ciabatta buns, pickles, tomatoes and the usual ketchup/mustard/relish/you-name-it. The result? One sexy beast.

Considering my portion of the meat worked out to $1, I was blown away by how tasty and juicy these burgers are, and how easy it was from start to finish! Why aren't more people making their own burgers? The options are seemingly limitless!

Time: Only marginally longer than premade frozen burgers, really! Especially since you can make lots and freeze them.

Taste: The chilli and cumin gave this burger some bite, and would be really great with a curry mayo or guacamole spread. I think the onions could have been chopped a lot finer, but I was rushing!

So, are homemade burger patties better? I think we can say, for a lot of reasons, a resounding yes! Treat-yo-self!