Best Hamburger Recipe

Hamburgers are the classic American summertime meal, and yet there’s always room for improvement. But how do you make a hamburger recipe that is both juicy and flavorful? Whether you like your burger rare, medium-rare, or well-done, I’ve got you covered.

Table of Content

• Why make these hamburgers
• Steps for making the best hamburgers
• Ingredients and substitutes
• Best Hamburger Recipe
• Variations
• Sauces, condiments, veggies with hamburgers?
• Buns for burgers?
• Tips for best hamburgers
• More burgers and sides
• Frequently asked questions
• You may also like
• Printable Recipe
• Join the conversation

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If you want the perfect hamburger, all you need are the basics and a little bit of patience. There are a lot of great burger recipes to choose from. But, the best hamburger recipe depends on individual taste. Right?

Why make these hamburgers

• Who says hamburgers can only be eaten at lunch or dinner? This recipe will show you how to make a delicious burger any time of the day.
• This recipe makes the juiciest tender most flavorful hamburger ever.
• The secret to juicy hamburgers, of course, is that you have to use 80% lean ground beef or a minimum of 20% fat in your ground beef.
• Cooking hamburgers does not get easier than combining the ingredients, shape into a patty, and grilling. No cleaning, chopping, or sauteing.
• And you can also prepare everything ahead of time and grill the patties just in time for serving.
• Defintely a crowd pleaser and always a hit with my sriracha mayo mustard and honey mustard sauce.
• In addition, these hamburgers can be made on the outdoor grill or on the stove using a cast iron skillet.
• Today we make:
  • Classic Burger - A classic burger is much more than ground beef on a bun. It has no set formula. The best recipe for a classic burger is the one you love! So take a look at the many variations given below.
  • Cheeseburgers - A cheeseburger recipe that combines the best of American cuisine: a juicy burger, browned crispy on the outside, filled with cheese, and topped with bacon.
  • Double patty burgers - Double your burger pleasure with this fun and easy way to make a double patty. Nothing fancy is needed, just the same burger mixture divided into two patties. Then, topped with veggies and cheese too if you like.

Ingredients and substitutes

• Beef - The best meat for juicy burgers is full-fat meat with an 80% meat and 15 to 20% fat ratio. For example, ground chuck is a recommended cut for hamburgers. You can also use a combination of beef mince with lamb mince for the best flavor.
• Egg - A beaten egg is not a must but it really prevents the burger from falling apart on the grill, especially if you use lean beef.
• Onions, Garlic - I like to use garlic powder and onion powder or onion flakes in my burgers.
• Mustard - I think mustard is a must for red meats, especially on the grill. I like to use dijon mustard.
• Spices - You can add ½ teaspoon of cumin if you prefer a smokey spicy flavor.
• Breadcrumbs - Works as the moist maker and hold on the juices. This results in a nice tender, yet juicy burger. The best part is that it also reduces shrinkage.
• Sauce - Ketchup adds a nice little tang. I also like a little zing, so I use either some sriracha or a few drops of tabasco. But feel free to omit it.
• Optional ingredients:
  • Worcestershire sauce - Is another flavor that goes well with hamburgers. A tablespoon is all you need.
  • Cheese - The cheeseburger is definitely everyone's favorite. You can stuff the hamburger patties with cheddar, mozzarella, or blue cheese and also top the patty on the grill with a slice of Swiss cheese.

Best Hamburger Recipe

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Ground beef patties

• Patty mixture - In a large bowl, combine the ground beef with all patty ingredients.
  Pro tip - Bring it all together but do not overwork the mixture as it will make the burgers tough.
• Divide the burger mixture into 4 large, 6 medium, or 8 mini patties.
  Pro tip - The 4 large burgers will be approximately 8 oz or 250 grams each and the 4 medium will be about 6 oz or 160 grams each while the mini will be about 125 g each.

• Shape - Dip your hands in water (this prevents sticking) and helps shape the patties. And place the patties on a baking sheet.
  • Classic - Make a ball then flatten and shape the edges.
  • Cheese stuffed - Make a ball then flatten it on the palm of your hand. Place a piece of cheese in the middle and bring the edges over. Shape into a ball and flatten again.
  • Double patty - Divide the mixture into two smaller patties and flatten them to make two thinner patties.
    Pro tip - You can keep these patties on a baking tray wrapped with plastic wrap in the refrigerator up to a day in advance or until you are ready to grill them. Then, thaw the patties to room temperature an hour before grilling.

Grill patties

• Heat the griddle or cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat. I like to brush the pan with olive oil to prevent sticking. Half the cooking time you can start grilling onions and in the final minute, you can toast the sliced buns.
  Pro tip - For ground beef with high fat you don't need any oil.
• Place hamburger patties on the grill.
  • Classic burger - Grill on the first side for 4 minutes, then flip on the other side and cook another 3 minutes until done.
  • Cheese stuffed burgers - Cook on the first side for 3 minutes, then flip and cook the other side for 2 minutes.
  • Double patty burgers - These are thinner patties, so they take only about 2 minutes on each side.
    Pro tip - A one-inch classic burger patty will take around 7 minutes in total, while a cheese-stuffed patty will take about 6 minutes in total and thinner patties take no more than 4 minutes, otherwise they will dry out.

Burger sauce

• Sriracha sauce - Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl. And set aside.
• Honey mustard sauce - combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl. And set aside.
  Pro tip - This sauce is perfect, not just in the burger but also to dip your fries and onion rings.

Assemble

• Split the burger buns in half and toast them on the grill cut side down at the last minute of cooking on medium heat.
  • Place the bun bottoms on the plate and spread some burger sauce.
  • Top with lettuce leaves, then the tomato slices, followed by the onions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  • Next, place the burger patty. I like to top mine with some crispy bacon.
  • Then, spread some more burger sauce on the top half of the bun and - Place the bun tops on top of the burgers.
• Serve burgers with your choice of sides like fries, onion rings, or salad.

Sauces, condiments, veggies with hamburgers?

• Veggies - I like to use fresh lettuce, tomato slices, and caramelized onions on my burgers.
• Mushrooms - Sauteed champion mushroom or grilled large porcini mushrooms are a great addition to the hamburgers as it holds onto moisture beautifully.
• Fruits - Sometimes, caramelized pineapple is a great addition to beef or lamb burgers.
• Cheese - A block of cheddar, mozzarella cheese, or feta is great to stuff inside the burger pattie. And a slice of cheese is perfect to melt on top of the hot pattie.
• Pickles - Pickles, gherkins, and jalapeno pepper are great inside the burger as well.
• Peanut butter - Some people love the taste of peanut butter for the sauce in their burgers.
• Creamy avocado - If you are looking for a substitute for mayo try some mashed avocado.

Tips for best hamburgers

• Always buy the best quality ground meat for your hamburgers.
• Avoid handling the meat too much. The more you handle the meat, the tougher it gets resulting in dense chewy hamburgers. (Overmixing can create a dense heavy texture)
• Also, don't squish the juices out. When cooking hamburgers - leave them alone!! NEVER press down with a spatula as you will push the juices out making the burger taste dense and dry.
• And don't flip the burgers quickly. You need to flip the burger just once or twice. No more. Place the hamburger on the grill or pan, and wait till it is done on one side. If you try to lift it and it's still stuck, it means that it's not ready yet. If you force it, all the beautiful caramelization or crust formed will stay stuck to the pan! This means you've lost all that flavor.
• Add the slice of cheese at the final 2 minutes of cooking. To speed the melting of cheese you can place a lid on the grill.
• Always use good quality fresh vegetables. This makes the burgers appetizing. Fresh green lettuce, red tomatoes, red onions.
• And heat the buns on the grill so they are at least warm, not cold with the patties. I think cold hamburgers buns are a big turn-off. Give that light kiss of pan juices and you take your hamburger to a whole new level.

Frequently asked questions

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Printable Recipe