Polish Kotlet Mielony Burger with Dill and Onion

About This Recipe

Kotlet mielony, Poland's everyday fried meat patty, is a home-cooking staple built on ground meat bound with bread soaked in milk rather than raw breadcrumbs, which keeps the patty notably moist. This burger uses that exact binding technique, along with the marjoram and grated onion that flavor countless Polish ground meat dishes, then fries the patty in butter for a rich, savory crust. The technique that defines kotlet mielony is soaking stale bread — traditionally kaiser rolls or rye — in milk until soft, squeezing out the excess, then working it into the meat along with egg and grated onion. This bread panade is what keeps the finished patty tender even after a hard sear, unlike drier fillers like plain breadcrumbs. While burgers themselves aren't Polish in origin, kotlet mielony is essentially the same concept — a fried, breaded-in ground meat patty — served with bread on the side rather than sandwiched inside a bun. This version simply closes that gap, keeping the flavor entirely rooted in Polish home cooking.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2 slicesstale rye or white bread(crusts removed)
• 0.5 cupwhole milk
• 400 gground pork
• 300 gground beef
• 1 smallonion(finely grated)
• 1 largeegg
• 1 tspdried marjoram
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 4 tbspbutter(for frying)
• 4burger buns(split)
• 0.25 cupfresh dill(chopped)

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the bread

   Tear the bread into pieces and soak in milk for 5 minutes until soft, then squeeze out most of the excess milk.

2. 2

   Mix the patties

   Combine the soaked bread with ground pork, ground beef, grated onion, egg, marjoram, salt and pepper. Mix gently and shape into 4 patties.

   Soaking the bread in milk rather than using dry breadcrumbs is what keeps kotlet mielony noticeably juicier than a typical burger patty.

3. 3

   Fry the patties

   Melt butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook patties 6 to 7 minutes per side until deeply golden and cooked through.

4. 4

   Rest

   Let the patties rest for 2 minutes off the heat so the juices redistribute before assembling.

5. 5

   Assemble

   Toast the buns in the same buttery pan. Build the burger with the patty and a generous scattering of fresh dill.

Variations

• •

  Classic plate version: skip the bun and serve the patty with boiled potatoes and a simple cucumber salad, the traditional way kotlet mielony is served.

• •

  Beef-only version: use all ground beef if you prefer a single-meat patty, though the pork adds moisture and is traditional.

• •

  Cheese-topped: add a slice of cheese in the last minute of frying for a richer sandwich.

Storage

Refrigerate cooked patties for up to 3 days. Reheat in a covered skillet over low heat with a splash of water to keep them from drying out.

Frequently Asked Questions