Beef patties with potatoes tray bake - Μπιφτέκια με πατάτες στον φούρνο
BEEF PATTIES WITH POTATOES TRAY BAKE – ΜΠΙΦΤΕΚΙΑ ΜΕ ΠΑΤΑΤΕΣ ΣΤΟΝ ΦΟΥΡΝΟ
CLASSIC GREEK DISH
The recipe for beef patties with potatoes is one I make very often and the whole family loves. The beef patties end up so tasty and juicy. Keep reading to see my 3 key points to ensure the patties do not dry up.
Some of the visitors I’ve had who tried the beef patties with potatoes said the potatoes were all they wanted. The potatoes are seasoned with oregano and lemon but the fact that the potatoes get cooked with the beef patties, in the end, is what makes all the difference. By placing the beef patties on top of the potatoes, it allows them to absorb all the juices and flavours from the beef patties. I’m drooling just thinking about it…
KEY STEPS
After trialing different ingredients and cooking methods I managed to perfect the recipe for the beef patties with potatoes traybake. If you follow this recipe you will get a juicy and flavourful meal each time.
Step 1 – Use beef mince with some fat in it and not the premium version. The fat will melt as the beef patties get cooked and contribute to the juiciness. As a guide when you are at the supermarket use the 3-star beef mince. I saw on one of their packets that the 3 stars beef mince is 82% meat 12% fat. Otherwise, ask your butcher for the beef mince that is not lean.
Step 2 – Add vinegar or lemon juice to the meat mixture to help tenderize the mince. That means that the patty will end up somewhat “fluffy” if I can even describe it like that. But essentially I mean the patties won’t be dense. Works the same way as using capsicum when skewering meat, as it softens the meat and is not too tough to chew on.
Step 3 – DO NOT OVERCOOK! Excuse the capitals but seriously this was my biggest mistake when making this dish. As you can see from the photos the beef patties look quite dark and every time I cooked them I was waiting for them to turn out like that before I took them out of the oven. Hence why I ended up with dry patties each time. All they need is maximum 20min of cooking time. The patties darken in colour as they get colder, they do not look as dark before you take them out of the oven. So please again… DO NOT OVERCOOK!
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 20 mins
Servings: 5
INGREDIENTS
Potatoes
• 4 large potatoes, 1kg
• 1 or 2 brown onions, quartered
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbs dried oregano
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• Warm water
Mince mixture
• 1 kg beef mince
• 1 red onion, see notes
• 15 parsley stalks, with ends removed
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tbs tomato paste
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbs dried mint
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2 tbs vinegar, or you can use lemon juice
• 4 tbs breadcrumbs
Assembly
• 1 large tomato, sliced in 8 (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Potatoes
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Peel and cut the potatoes in 8 pieces each. Use a large baking dish (my dish’s measurements L330mm x W270mm x H65mm) to add the potatoes and onions in. Mix in the seasonings, olive oil and lemon juice until all is well distributed. Then add enough water to cover about 1/3 of the potatoes’ height (for my tray I required 300mL).
2. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and place it in the oven for the first 20min and then uncovered for the next 25min or until the potatoes get a bit of colour.
Mince mixture
1. While the potatoes are cooking prepare the mince mixture, to allow enough time for the flavours to combine (see notes). Use a food processor to blend all the ingredients together, except the mince and breadcrumbs. If you do not have a food processor, just chop the onion and parsley finely and mince the garlic cloves.
2. Pour the processed mixture into a bowl with the mince and breadcrumbs. Use your hands to combine everything until the marinade is evenly spread.
3. While the potatoes are cooking form the patties. Get a baking tray, line it with baking paper. Form 8 equal patties (mine were about 160g each), place them on the lined tray in a single layer and put the tray in the fridge covered. If the potatoes are nearly ready to come out of the oven (after 45min) then you may just leave the beef patties covered on the kitchen bench.
Assembly
1. Once the time for the potatoes is over, take out the baking dish and add the tomato slices and the ready-made patties on top of the cooked potatoes. There will probably be no liquid left in the tray but that's ok. Do not add any, the beef patties will release a lot of juices.
2. Place the baking dish back in the oven uncovered, for a further 17-20min or until the patties are just browned. Enjoy the meal warm with some salad and yoghurt on the side!
Recipe Notes
For this recipe I use red onion instead of brown as it is sweeter and digested easier. The patties will only be cooking for a short period of time hence using red onion will not be as much of an issue. If you do use brown onion I recommend you sauté it first on its own, let it cool down and then add it to the beef mixture.
The preparation can all be done from the day before, including the mince mixture but also peeling and cutting the potatoes. I just usually place the chopped potatoes in a big bowl covered with water. If it is very hot during the day I place it in the fridge, otherwise I leave the bowl with potatoes on the kitchen bench.
The total time needed for the recipe is reduced from what is stated above because you prepare the mince mixture and patties while the potatoes are cooking.
