Add ground meat to a large bowl.

Don’t overthink this—just dump it in and move on.

Sprinkle in chipotle powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.

Mix gently with your hands. Aggressive mixing leads to tough burgers. Be kind.

Add the egg and breadcrumbs.

Combine until everything just comes together. Stop once it looks evenly mixed.

Divide the mixture into equal portions and shape into patties.

Make a small indent in the center—this helps them cook evenly. Yes, it matters.

Heat a pan or grill over medium heat and add a little olive oil.

Hot surface = good sear = happy burger.

Cook patties for 4–5 minutes per side until browned and cooked through.

Flip once. No patty-flipping Olympics here.

Rest for 2 minutes before serving.

Juices settle, flavor improves, life gets better.