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    Home » Recipes » Mains

    Karbanátek – Czech Beef and Pork Burger

    Published: Aug 17, 2021 · Modified: May 29, 2024 by Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs · 3 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    • 1.6Kshares

    Come try the Karbanátek, a delicious Czech-style burger seasoned with garlic and marjoram. It's perfectly flavorful and juicy, and incredibly easy to make.

    Czech Karbanatek served with potato mash and pickles.

    ➜ What is Karbanátek?

    Karbanátek is one of the most typical Czech foods.

    It is a Czech burger made from a blend of ground beef and pork and then seasoned with salt, garlic, and marjoram. Finely chopped onions are added, and white bread soaked in milk helps to make it more binding.

    Then just coat the karbanátek in breadcrumbs and fry it in a pan on both sides until golden brown.

    Karbanátek is served as a main dish, usually with boiled or mashed potatoes.

    TIP: The Czech word "karbanátek" means one piece of a meaty burger, while two and more pieces are called "karbanátky" (plural).

    ➜ Pronunciation

    If you want to hear the Czech pronunciation of the word Karbanátek, click on the short audio clip I recorded for you.

    ➜ Ingredients

    karbanatek ingredients

    To make Czech karbanatek, you will need:

    • Blend of ground beef and pork; ratio 1:1
    • Whole milk; cold
    • White bread; 2-3 days old. Czechs use their "rohlíky" or "housky", the most common white bread in the country.
    • Onion; finely chopped
    • Garlic; pressed or crushed
    • Salt
    • Marjoram; dried
    • Pepper; ground, black
    • Breadcrumbs; for coating
    • Frying fat; the best option is pork lard; however, some sort of table oil, e.g., sunflower or canola will also work well.

    ✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.


    Quick instructions:

    1. Cut stale white bread into cubes and cover with milk.
    2. Place the ground beef and pork in a bowl.
    3. Season with salt, pressed garlic, salt, marjoram, and pepper.
    4. Add the chopped onion and bread soaked with milk.
    5. Stir briefly but thoroughly until it becomes a meat mixture.
    6. Form small burgers, and coat them in breadcrumbs.
    7. Fry them on both sides in a pan until golden brown.
    8. Serve the karbanátek-burger with boiled potatoes.

    ➜ Detailed instructions with photos

    STEP 1: Cut the white bread (a roll or a bun), 2-3 days old, into cubes. Pour cold milk over the bread cubes and submerge them to soak up the liquid.

    soaked white bread

    STEP 2: Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel the garlic and mash or press it.

    STEP 3: Put the mixture of ground beef and pork into a bowl and season with salt. Add the marjoram, garlic, pepper, onion, and cubed bread, including the milk in which it was soaked.

    making czech karbanatek patties

    STEP 4: Mix all ingredients quickly but thoroughly by hand. The meat blend must remain cold.

    Czech karbanatek mixture

    STEP 5: Shape the meat mixture into palm-sized burgers, ½ inch (1.5-2 cm) high. Coat all sides in breadcrumbs, gently pressing them into the surface of the patties.

    making karbanateks

    STEP 6: Heat the lard or other fat in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Fry the burgers on both sides until golden.

    Frying karbanateks in a pan.

    ➜ Serving

    Serve the karbanátky warm. Boiled or mashed potatoes are suitable as a side dish. You can add a scoop of mustard to the plate.

    Czech Karbanatek served with potato mash and pickles.

    ➜ Useful Tips

    • If you shape the burgers higher, their inside may not be cooked thoroughly. In this case, put them in a baking dish and leave them to finish in a preheated oven at 300 °F (150 °C) for about 15 minutes.
    • The meat, and subsequently the entire meaty mixture, must be cold all the time when preparing. Use cooled meat from the fridge and cold milk, do not knead the meat blend for a long time. The karbanátek patties will be nicely juicy this way. Otherwise, the fat separates from the lean meat, and the patties will fall apart during baking.
    • You can fry the onions ahead; they will be more tender and less crispy.

    More ground meat recipes:

    • Sekaná – Czech beef and pork meatloaf
    • Cevapcici – classic ground meat sausages
    • Pork patties – known as Czech "vepřenky" with onions and mustard
    • Easy pork meatloaf

    Tried this recipe?

    Leave a review down in the comments! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    Other readers and I love hearing what you think. Stay in touch by following me on Facebook and Pinterest. For more Czech stuff, subscribe to my newsletter!

    czech karbanatek recipe

    Karbanátek – Czech Beef and Pork Burger

    Author: Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs
    Czech Karbanátky are burger-style patties made of minced meat and fried in a generous layer of fat. They are richly flavored with garlic and marjoram, typical Czech spices. My recipe makes Karbanátky easy to prepare for everyone!
    5 from 2 votes
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print recipe
    Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 30 minutes mins
    Total Time: 45 minutes mins
    Servings: 14 pieces

    Tap or hover to scale

    Ingredients 

    • 1 pound ground beef
    • 1 pound ground pork
    • 1 cup cold milk
    • 1 cup white bread cubes e. g., from French baguette, 2-3 days old
    • 1 medium onion peeled and finely chopped
    • 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
    • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
    • 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
    • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • ½ cup breadcrumbs
    • pork lard for frying (or sunflower / canola oil)

    Instructions 

    • Pour 1 cup cold milk over 1 cup white bread cubes and ensure they are fully submerged to soak up the liquid.
    • Peel and finely chop 1 medium onion. Then, peel 2 cloves garlic and mince them.
    • Place 1 pound ground pork and 1 pound ground beef in a bowl. Season with 1 ½ teaspoons salt, then add 1 teaspoon dried marjoram, minced garlic, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, chopped onions, and the bread cubes along with the milk it was soaked in.
    • Mix all ingredients quickly but thoroughly by hand. The meaty mass should remain cold.
    • Scoop roughly equal amounts of the meat mixture from the bowl and shape each into palm-sized burgers, about ¾ inch (2 cm) high. Gently press the patties on all sides into the ½ cup breadcrumbs.
    • Heat pork lard or other fat in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Fry the burgers on both sides until golden.

    Notes

    • SERVING: Serve the Karbanátky warm with a side of boiled or mashed potatoes. Add a dollop of mustard on the plate for extra flavor.
    • If you shape the burgers thicker, they may not be cooked through inside. In this case, place them in a baking dish and finish cooking them in a preheated oven at 300°F (150°C) for about 20 minutes. 
    • The meat and the entire Karbanátky mixture must remain cold throughout the preparation. Use chilled meat from the fridge and cold milk, and avoid kneading the meat blend for too long. This will ensure the Karbanátek patties stay juicy. If the mixture warms up, the fat will separate from the lean meat, causing the patties to fall apart during frying.
    • You can fry the onions ahead of time; they will be softer and less crunchy.
    • The basic recipe makes about 14 Karbanátky, serve 2 pieces pro person.

    Nutritional estimate pro serving

    Calories: 313kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 405mg | Potassium: 228mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 32IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 2mg
    Servings: 14 pieces
    Calories pro serving: 313
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Czech
    Keyword: Ground meat recipes
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    Do you like the recipe?I would be happy for your feedback! Please, rate the recipe and share your opinion or questions in comments bellow. Thank you very much.
    • 1.6Kshares

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    Comments

    1. Mr. Cross says

      August 21, 2021 at 5:00 am

      5 stars
      Good food and a warm and welcoming host. Chef Petra Kupská, you should open a restaurant in Bohemia. Greetings from an old vampire! 🙂

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská says

        August 22, 2021 at 5:47 am

        Oh, hello, Transylvanian boy! Thank you for your compliment and nice comment 😉 If you like the recipe for Czech karbanátek, I'll be happy to make it when you come to the Czech Republic. Be careful though; it contains garlic! Sending my best regards, Petra

        Reply
    2. Di says

      April 18, 2025 at 9:40 pm

      5 stars
      Hello Petra, my husband is Czech and we both love your website! I have used this recipe three times and it is absolutely amazing. We have served them at dinner parties and everyone loves them. All of your recipes are so helpful from your measurement conversions to your ability to describe the differences in flour compared to Canadian flour brands. I just noticed more Easter recipes and am hoping to try your Easter bread. Wish me luck! Happy Easter!

      Reply

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    Hi there, I am Petra, born and raised in the Czech Republic, a self-taught home cook with over 20 years of experience. I am on a mission to keep Czech culinary heritage alive by sharing cherished recipes & stories with nostalgic hearts worldwide.

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