Burgers made with real beef and containing at least 10 to 15 percent fat don’t need egg whites to hold together. The juices and proteins from the meat start to coagulate and bind the burger during cooking. To keep your patties moist and tender, make medium-size patties and don’t over-handle the meat when shaping. Aim for 5-ounce patties -- about 2/3cup of meat for each burger -- and pass it back and forth between cupped hands to shape. Let the patties rest at room temp for five minutes before cooking, and resist the urge to press the burgers with the back of the spatula when frying, because this can make them dry.

Unlike beef, ground turkey and chicken -- either alone or in combination -- benefit from the addition of egg whites when forming burger patties. The egg whites help the lean meat to bind together, especially if you're using additional ingredients such as chopped vegetables. To form patties made with ground poultry, use a food processor to chop vegetables such as onion, pepper or mushrooms into small pieces. Use one egg white per 1 pound of meat. A tablespoon of savory flavoring to the meat mixture, such as soy sauce or barbecue sauce, adds body and moisture.

The success of a good veggie burger depends on its ability to mimic the rich texture and taste of meat. Combining flavorful roasted and dried vegetables together with grains require a binding agent, and eggs, either whole or separated, do the job. Squeeze out any excess moisture from cooked vegetables, and pre-cook grains such as rice. Add the egg whites to your mixture last, so you can taste and adjust the seasonings of your vegetable mash. Like beef burgers, veggie burgers also benefit from a rest time; for best results, refrigerate, covered, for two at least two hours before cooking. Adding eggs will mean vegans cannot eat the veggie burgers.

To separate an egg white from the yolk, use a funnel or egg separator, or crack the egg into the cup of your hand using the one-handed cracking method. Let the egg whites run through your fingers and into a bowl while keeping the yolk cradled. This method reduces the chances of introducing bacteria from the egg's shell. Always wash your hands before and after handling raw egg. The whites from two eggs will equal one whole egg in liquid volume. Use a clean spoon to scoop out any broken shell bits to reduce the chances of introducing bacteria. For convenience, you can buy pasteurized egg whites in a carton.