Best Burger Recipe

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

Table of Content

• Why make these burgers?
• Today we make
• Ingredients and substitutes
• Juicy homemade beef burger recipe
• Variations
• What do you stack with the burger?
• Buns for burgers?
• Tips for success
• More burgers and sides
• Frequently asked questions
• Troubleshooting
• You may also like
• Printable Recipe
• Join the conversation

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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.

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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.
• 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. 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.

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Juicy homemade beef burger recipe

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. Then, 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. 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 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 burger 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. 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 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.

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.

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Frequently asked questions

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.

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Printable Recipe