Why it works: Beef and onion are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and 17,091 recipes mention both. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
The recipe
4 servingsIngredients
Contains: egg, milk, wheat (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)
Directions
Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, dry bread crumbs, egg, chopped green onions and 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning. Mix gently until just combined, then shape into four patties about 3/4 inch thick, pressing a small dent in the center of each.
In a small bowl, stir together the prepared mustard, barbeque sauce and 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning to make a sauce.
Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat until hot.
Cook the patties for about 5 minutes per side, until browned and cooked through to an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) in the center.
During the last minute of cooking, brush the tops of the patties with about half the sauce.
Place a slice of Cheddar cheese on each patty, cover the pan and cook for 1 minute until the cheese melts.
Let the burgers rest for 2 minutes, then serve with the remaining sauce spooned over the top.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
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Beef + oniontop 3% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together17,091 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Onion + mustardtop 4% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together9,243 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Mustard + cheddar cheesetop 5% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together708 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Beef + cheddar cheesetop 5% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together951 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Beef + breadtop 5% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together4,031 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (popcorn, roasted).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
Flavor stand-ins for the mustard
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, bread, egg, onion, sauce, cheddar cheese):
- Potatobetter flavor fit
- Tomatobetter flavor fit
- Capsicumbetter flavor fit
- Mustardthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against beef, bread, egg, onion, sauce, cheddar cheese. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes. This compares flavor only: it does not check the job the ingredient does in the dish (bulk, moisture, acidity, structure).
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