The haggis burger is, for many, a coming together of two already delicious foods to make an even tastier one. For others it sounds a bit strange and they’d rather leave it to go cold!
The reason there is such a difference of opinion is two-fold – firstly, why do you need haggis burger, burgers are great already and secondly, many won’t eat haggis as its made from bits of animals they don’t want to think about.
We’ve talked before about what haggis is made of and why we think you should still give it a go (if you’re a meat-eater, of course) but luckily, there are also delicious vegetarian versions of haggis too!
For those that choose not to eat haggis, don’t worry you can still substitute for the vegetarian version, and for those that enjoy a little haggis, you’re going to love this!
A haggis burger is simple, easy to make and ticks a lot of boxes. You get the meaty, smokey taste of a traditional burger with the peppery, wholesome taste of haggis.
They can be a little more crumbly than normal beef patties but with the addition of some cheese and placed between a good burger bun with all the normal trimmings this is a burger you will not forget in a hurry!
How the burger began
This may sound like a stupid question but while creating our haggis burger recipe we wondered how the famous fast food began life.
Unsurprisingly over the last century or so, there are a lot of claims to the origin of the hamburger, the majority of them in the US. You can read each of the earliest claims of invention here.
Our favourite though is the idea that the infamous hamburger gained its name from emigrants from Hamburg eating roasted beef steak and Hamburg sausage served on two pieces of toasted bread.
It’s said that this dish was served on the Hamburg American Line, bringing people to America as early as 1847!
What we need to know is who added cheese and bacon and shake them by the hand!
There are no specific origins for a haggis burger, of course. They’re found on many menus across Scotland, either with haggis mixed into the burger pattie itself or piled on top of it. We decided to go with the first option for a proper haggis burger taste!
What is haggis?
Ultimately, haggis is a traditional Scottish dish that is classed as a savoury pudding originally made from lamb.
Its main ingredients are what can put people off as they are the heart, liver, lungs of the sheep mixed with a blend of spices, suet and oats.
This may not sound very appealing to today’s diners but it is a fantastic dish that makes use of the whole animal to creating a filling, warming and sustaining meal. This sort of dish would have been vital when times are hard.
Haggis has an unmistakable flavour with a peppery, savoury taste. The overpowering texture and flavour come from the spices used and the oats rather than the meat. Its delicious taste and proud history are what has made this Scotland’s national dish and maintained its popularity to this day.
Having used haggis in numerous recipes now any fan of our site will have a working knowledge of Scottish Haggis.
If however, you’re new to Scottish Scran and would like to know a little more try then check out our haggis stack, haggis bonbons, haggis sausage rolls, haggis pasta, and haggis recipe ideas posts.
If you’re not a meat-eater or don’t fancy trying haggis, then there are now some great vegetarian/vegan haggis alternatives, including our own veggie haggis, that aim to recreate the peppery taste of original haggis, and these can be substituted in of the below haggis burger recipe.
Why combine haggis and burgers?
It’s the delicious and unique peppery taste that we made sure is prominent in our Haggis Burger. We’re always looking for something a little different, especially when we BBQ.
As 50% of Scottish Scran is from New Zealand barbecuing is a big deal and goes beyond the basic sausage in a bun. Haggis offers such a tasty, peppery alternative to the classic burger that combining the two dishes seemed like a no brainer to us.
The rich flavour of the haggis perfectly balances the subtle taste of the beef, working together wonderfully. Then adding a yummy bbq sauce, cheese, gherkin, lettuce and tomato may just make the perfect burger!
Ingredients for our Haggis Burger Recipe
Makes 4-6
- 250g Haggis (original or veggie)
- 250g Minced Beef (bonus for Scotch Beef! Higher fat content gives a juicier burger)
- 100g grated Mature Cheddar Cheese (or other cheese you like) *optional
How to Make Haggis Burgers – Step by Step Method
Take a large bowl and mix together all ingredients with clean, damp hands. There’s no need to season with extra salt and pepper as the haggis does that bit for you!
Separate the mixture into six (or less if you want big burgers) and form into round patties. You really need to press the burger patties firmly together to stop them from being too crumbly.
If you’re using veggie haggis the burgers may not stick together as well so you may want to slightly change the half and half ratio to include a bit more beef, or you can add an egg if you really need to.
These can be covered and placed in the refrigerator for later or cooked immediately.
To cook, either grill on a BBQ or fry in a pan for around 5 minutes on each side over a medium heat, until cooked through. The trick is to only turn once one side has browned, to help keep the juices in.
You can also grill in the oven, but we would recommend flash frying first, for a couple of minutes on each side, to seal the burger before putting them under the grill until cooked through.
Haggis is already pre-cooked, so you’re really just ensuring it’s thoroughly reheated and that the beef is cooked.
Serve in a bun with your favourite burger toppings (we like lettuce, tomato, and whatever sauces we feel like!).
Will you try a haggis burger next?
Super Easy Haggis Burger Recipe
Like haggis a haggis burger is simple, easy to make and ticks a lot of boxes. You get the meaty smokey taste of a traditional burger with the peppery, wholesome taste of haggis. They can be a little more fragile than normal but placed between a good burger bun with all the normal trimmings this is a burger you will not forget in a hurry!
Ingredients
- 250g Haggis (original or veggie) - 1/2lb
- 250g Minced Beef (bonus for Scotch Beef! Higher fat content gives a juicier burger) - 1/2lb
- 100g grated Mature Cheddar Cheese (or other cheese you like) *optional - 1 Cup
Instructions
- Take a large bowl and mix together all ingredients with clean, damp hands. There’s no need to season with extra salt and pepper as the haggis does that bit for you!
- Separate the mixture into six (or less if you want big burgers) and form into round patties. You really need to press the burger patties firmly together to stop them from being too crumbly. *See Notes
- These can be covered and placed in the refrigerator for later or cooked immediately.
- To cook, either grill on a BBQ or fry in a pan for around 5 minutes on each side over a medium heat, until cooked through. The trick is to only turn once one side has browned, to help keep the juices in. *See Notes
- Serve in a bun with your favourite burger toppings (we like lettuce, tomato, and whatever sauces we feel like!).
Notes
Using Vegetarian Haggis
If you’re using veggie haggis the burgers may not stick together as well so you may want to slightly change the half and half ratio to include a bit more beef, or you can add an egg if you really need to.
Grilling in the oven
You can also grill in the oven, but we would recommend flash frying first, for a couple of minutes on each side, to seal the burger before putting them under the grill until cooked through. Haggis is already precooked, so you’re really just ensuring it’s thoroughly reheated and that the beef is cooked.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 447Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 199mgSodium: 339mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 31g
Other Haggis Recipes:
- How to Make a Haggis, Neeps and Tatties Stack
- Delicious Creamy Haggis Pasta Recipe
- Easy & Tasty Haggis Bon Bons Recipe
- Easy Haggis Sausage Rolls Recipe
- Tasty Vegetarian Haggis Recipe
- Recipes for Haggis: 32 Ideas for Using Haggis
- Balmoral Chicken Recipe: Chicken Stuffed with Haggis
- Whisky Sauce for Haggis
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I’m not sure I understand your burger recipe?
If it’s veggie you don’t use 250g of mince but when do you add the egg? Once it’s cooked in oven after that do you shape into burgers?
Hi Ruth,
Our recipe isn’t meant to make a vegetarian burger, just give people the option of using veggie haggis. Some people don’t like the idea of haggis but are still meat eaters so we’re. trying to provide an option for them.
That being said, to make a vegetarian version you could of course use veggie mince or look for a tried and tested veggie burger recipe and then add veggie haggis to it.
I hope this helps, Phil