The best burger recipe is a must for every home cook’s collection, especially when you’re planning a BBQ party or a get-together. Today, we make one patty recipe for the classic burger, cheeseburger, and double burger. Serve it with baked fries and onion rings or a side salad for the perfect summer treat.

Table of Content
There are few foods more American than burgers. Therefore, a hotly debated topic is: How do you make the best burger on the planet? For those who love this food, the answer is simple: perfection.
But, have you ever wondered why the burgers at your favorite steakhouse are always so moist, tender, and juicy? Well, often, the secret to their burgers is the quality of meat and the amount of fat used in the burgers.
In fact, they are focused on giving you a great burger experience. So, they are not serving you lean ground beef but at least 25% fatty ground beef. On the other hand, when we make burgers at home we look for lean ground beef.
You see, full-fat cuts of meat give you rich, tender, juicy burgers. While the lean cuts tend to give you dry burgers because there is no fat to hold the moisture in.

Why make these burgers?
- This burger recipe is similar to the one you get at your favorite steakhouse or burger restaurant.
- This recipe makes the juiciest tender most flavorful burger ever.
- And the secret, of course, is that you have to use 80% lean ground beef or a minimum of 20% fat in your ground beef.
- Cooking burgers 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.
- Definitely a crowd pleaser and always a hit with my sriracha mayo mustard and honey mustard sauce.
- In addition, leftover burgers can be wrapped in aluminum foil and kept in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- And the cooked burgers can also be kept in the freezer for up to a month.

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! Take a look at the many variations given below.
- Cheeseburger - 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 burger - 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. Topped with veggies and cheese too if you like.

Ingredients and substitutes
- Beef - Always use good quality meat for grilling. The best meat for juicy burgers is the tender, full-fat meats with an 80% meat and 15 to 20% fat ratio. For example, ground chuck is a recommended cut for burgers. 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 am using ground garlic and onions for simplicity. You can also use fresh, finely chopped onions and garlic.
- 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.
- 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.
- Breadcrumbs - If you use 25% fat, you don't need breadcrumbs. But, it's a great way to hold in some of the moisture in the patties. So, I highly recommend using dry breadcrumbs.
- Cheese - The classic burger is always a hit with adults. But the cheeseburger is definitely a kid's most fancied burger. You can stuff the burgers with cheddar or mozzarella cheese and top the patty on the grill with a slice of cheddar cheese.

Juicy homemade burger recipe
Beef burger patty
- 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 double patty.
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 burger - Make a ball then flatten and shape the edges.
- Cheese stuffed - Make a ball then flatten it on the palm of your hand. Then, place a piece of cheese in the middle and bring the edges over. Shape into a ball and flatten again.
- Double burger 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.

How to grill burger patty
- Heat the griddle or cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat. I like to brush the pan with a little olive oil to prevent sticking. Half the cooking time you can start grilling onions and in the final minute, you can toast the buns.
Pro tip - For ground beef with high fat you don't need any oil.

- Place the burger patty 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 burger pattys - 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. Set aside.
Pro tip - This sauce is perfect not just in the burger but also to dip your fries and onion rings.

Assemble (Classic, Cheese, double burger)
- 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 with a spoon.
- Top with lettuce leaves, then the tomato slices, followed by the onions. Sprinkle with Kosher 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.

Variations
Hamburgers are easy to make and provide hearty, satisfying meals. You can make a variety of different types of burgers with just a few tweaks.
- Cream cheese Burgers - Use cream cheese instead of mayo to make the burger sauce.
- Mexican Burgers - Add spicy pickled Jalapenos and top with salsa instead of veggies. Then, top with a dollop of sour cream and mayo.
- Habenero Burgers - Use habanero jam or relish on the burger with pickles and mayo
- El Guapo Burgers - Pickled jalapenos with caramelized pineapple along with the veggies. Top with mayo and ketchup.
- Texan Burger - A classic cheeseburger with mayo, mustard, and sticky BBQ sauce.

What do you stack with the burger?
- Veggies - I like to use fresh lettuce, tomato slices, and caramelized onions on my burgers.
- 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 patty. And a slice of cheese is perfect to melt on top of the hot patty.
- Pickles - Pickles, gherkins, and jalapeño 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.

What is the best bun for burgers?
There are two ways of looking at burger buns—as a vehicle for the burger and toppings or as an entity in itself. Buns can make or break any burger. There are many different varieties of burger buns at the grocery store but make sure to pick one that is super soft at least. For me, it's always homemade buns, which is why I have shared a few burger buns recipes with you. Today, I am using brioche burger buns.
- Soft homemade burger buns - a classic white bread dough made into buns.
- Hokkaido hamburger buns - a Japanese milk bread made with a flour roux.
- Brioche burger buns - are rich and buttery and made with lots of milk and eggs.
- Soft whole wheat burger buns - made with half whole wheat flour instead of white flour.
- Sourdough brioche buns - made using a sourdough starter and a brioche dough.
Tips for success
- Always buy the best quality ground meat for your burgers.
- Avoid handling the meat too much. The more you handle the meat, the tougher it gets resulting in dense chewy burgers. (Overmixing can create a dense heavy texture)
- And don't squish the juices out. When cooking burgers - leave them alone!! NEVER press down with a spatula as you will push the juices out making the burger taste dense and dry.
- Don't flip the burgers quickly. You need to flip the burger just once or twice. No more. Place the burger 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.
- Also, 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 and the fresh veggies will hold the stack better. Fresh green lettuce, red tomatoes, red onions.
- Heat the buns on the grill so they are at least warm, not cold with the burgers. I think cold burgers buns are a big turn-off. Give that light kiss of pan juices and you take your burger to a whole new level.

More burgers and sides

Troubleshooting
- How do you keep hamburger patties from falling apart? There are a few things you can do to hold the burger together.
- First, ensure the ground beef is not very coarsely ground. It must be a certain consistency for burgers.
- Secondly, don't overmix the burger mixture (often the biggest culprit of dense texture in burgers).
- Also, avoid flipping the burgers too soon, or too often. Give it some time.
- And do not add a lot of liquid ingredients to the burger mixture. Egg helps hold the burger together but too much can cause it to cake up and break easily.
- And when using frozen ground meat, make sure to drain excess moisture before you shape the patties.
- How to avoid dry burgers -
- First, do not overmix the burger mixture during preparation. This is one of the main reasons for the dense texture of burgers.
- And do not press down on the burgers during cooking. As this squeezes out all the juices during cooking.
- Always let the burgers cool for 5 mins after they are ready, the juices will settle and the burgers will stay juices otherwise the juices flow out.

It really is a simple 5 step process to making the best burgers:
- Combine all the ingredients with the meat.
- Shape the burgers into one-inch-thick patties.
- Grill the burgers on a grill or cast-iron skillet.
- Top with cheese and let it melt. Toast the burger buns.
- Stack the burger with veggies and sauce on the toasted buns.
- Enjoy!
You don't have to. A classic burger is absolutely delicious. One of the many reasons people choose to stuff burgers is so the center won't need cooking. Often, the edges tend to dry out while the center of each patty is still cooking. This typically happens when you cook burgers past medium. Also, stuffing the hamburger also prevents shrinkage during cooking and adds a nice cheesy flavor.
I like to cook my burgers at about 160 F, which is a well-done burger with no signs of pink on the inside. This is also the USDA recommended temperature for cooking burgers.
However, if you use meat from a good source, you can cook burgers similar to steaks.
For medium-well - cook about 4 minutes on the first side, then 3 minutes on the other side. (160 to 165 F)
Medium - about 3 minutes on each side (150 to 155F)
Medium rare - about 2 ½ to 3 minutes on each side (130 to 135 F)
Rare - about 2 minutes should do (120 to 125 F)
Yes, you can. First, keep a close eye on the time for the burgers using the guide above. And when the burgers are almost close to done, gently press in the center to see how soft it feels.
There is a nice and simple technique using the palm of your hand as a guide. Gently press the tip of your pinky and your thumb together. Now, feel the palm area below the thumb, it will feel quite firm. This is what a well-done burger feels like.
Then, gently press the tip of your ring finger and your thumb together. Now, feel the palm below the thumb. This is what a medium-done burger feels like.
Likewise, gently press the tip of your middle finger and your thumb together. Feel the palm below the thumb. This is what a medium-rare burger feels like.
Lastly, gently press the tip of your index finger and your thumb together. Now, feel the palm below the thumb. This is what a rare burger feels like.
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Printable Recipe
Best Burger Recipe
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Conversions Used
1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,
Ingredients
Burger mixture for Patties
- 2 lb (900 g) Ground beef (20% fat)
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- 1 large Beaten egg ((optional) )
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 2 tablespoon Onions flakes
- 2 teaspoon Mustard (Dijon)
- 2 tablespoon Ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Sriraracha (up to 1 tbsp)
Spicy burger sauce
- 1 cup (240 ml) Mayonnaise
- ½ cup (120 ml) Ketchup
- ½ tsp Garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha
Sweet burger sauce
- ½ cup Mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Honey
Plus
- 4 to 6 Burger Buns
- 4 Cheese slices for cheeseburgers (cheddar slice cheese or similar)
- 4 2-inch block cheese for stuffed burgers (cheddar or mozzarella)
Instructions
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 pattiesPro 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. Place them 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. Doube 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. 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 oil to prevent sticking. Half the cooking time you can start grilling onions and in the final minute, you can toast the buns. Pro tip - for ground beef with high fat you don't need any oil.
- Place burger 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. Set aside.Honey mustard sauce - combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Seet 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. - Place the burger patty. I like to top mine with some crispy bacon. - Spread some more burger sauce on the top half of the bun and - Place the bun tops on top of the burgers.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Always buy the best quality ground meat for your burgers.
- Avoid handling the meat too much. The more you handle the meat, the tougher it gets resulting in dense chewy burgers. (Overmixing can create a dense heavy texture)
- Don't squish the juices out. When cooking burgers - leave them alone!! NEVER press down with a spatula as you will push the juices out making the burger taste dense and dry.
- Don't flip the burgers quickly. You need to flip the burger just once or twice. No more. Place the burger 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.
- Heat the buns on the grill so they are at least warm, not cold with the burgers. I think cold burgers buns are a big turn-off. Give that light kiss of pan juices and you take your burger to a whole new level.
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Helen
I love summer eating, and homemade burgers have got to be a real winner. Perfect for grilling in the garden and enjoying the light nights. Always tasty and wholesome. And of course the tahini sauce is a particular favourite of mine.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Helen. This one is a big hit in our home.You must try.
Farah Maizar
Such good tips and I like the spice combination. Seems delicious!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Farah
penelopi
I cooked this and it was absolutely delicious! Love the avocado on the burger!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Penelopi. So happy you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you so much for coming back to write this feedback. Love hearing from those who try my recipes.
Adriana
I have prepared the meat using your recipe and turns out fantastic. A super yummy option for summer cookouts!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Adriana. So happy you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you so much for coming back to write this feedback. Love hearing from those who try my recipes.
Dannii
A good beef burger is a must at a summer BBQ.
Veena Azmanov
Yes, perfect Dannii.