Looking for a good, but simple burger recipe

My go-to burgers are home-ground using sirloin, brisket, and oxtail. If you google "serious eats blue label burger blend", this is the blend I use.
I never work the meat much when I form it into patties. I kind of scoop the ground meat into a patty just until it comes together. This improves the texture and keeps the burger juicy. I typically make 4oz patties.
For seasoning, salt and pepper only. season the outside of the patties only just before cooking. The further you season ahead of time, the more the texture of the burger will resemble that of sausage.
To cook, I like to use a flat top, usually a cast iron griddle or skillet. Get the thing ripping hot and then plop your patties down. Do not press down on the patties after they have started cooking, as you will just squeeze out the juices and make a drier burger. I let mine go until the edges start to turn brown, then flip and cook another couple of minutes. Mine usually come out medium-well, but the method still retains plenty of juice.
As for topping, I like a "secret sauce" type mixture of ketchup, mayo, mustard, and minced pickles, cheddar cheese, plum tomato, green leaf lettuce, and fresh onion.
 
I shred my Grind meat in to a Bowl apply a good heavy coating of Fiesta Uncle Chris's gourmet Steak seasoning. Black Peppa and about 1 oz to a Lb of worecestershire. Mix it through and form into patties.
What you end up with is a well seasoned in every bite Juicy burger I will add I use 80/20 Chuck-Sirloin the chuck is 80/20 and the mix is 80/2.
 
For us burgers are a special occasion. I try to keep the burger to bun proportion good. Nothing Ruins a burger like an oversized patty. Put lettuce on the bottom bun to keep it dry. Top with what you like, green olives are great on a burger and I don't even like them.
 
I get 80/20 store ground beef, as I do not have a grinder, and make 6oz patties. Weighed on a scale for consistency. Cook on a cast iron griddle to med rare, I sprinkle a little salt & pepper on them while cooking, some hits the griddle too. Adds to the aroma. Cheese on top to melt a bit. Serve on a lightly toasted onion roll with a smear of home-made guacamole, slice of bacon and a runny fried egg. A lettuce leaf if the need for a vegetable overwhelms you and you are off to the races!
 
80/20 twice ground that's important. After it hits the grill a mix of 1/3 each soy, water, and teriyaki and a generous dose of ground garlic. Brush one side only.
 
I have to agree with the guys who use the cast iron skillets or griddles. Burgers on a grill are great but nothing compares to a ripping hot skillet burger.

I do 6oz of either 80/20 ground meat or ground chuck if I am feeling "fancy". I form 6oz meatballs seasoned with salt and pepper. Sometimes I will use a santa maria rub to enhance it.

I get the skillet blazing hot and coated with peanut oil because of its high smoke point. I drop the balls on the skillet and push flat (1/4"). I let them cook about 3 minutes or so per side or until they flip easily. Put on cheese after the flip. Add condiments that you like (for me, its typically ketchup, hot sauce and pickles). Throw on a potato roll and have at it.

Simple and delicious every time.
 
Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of A-1 steak sauce and a teaspoon of Rosemary per pound of meat. It's really easy and taste great. My wife insist on using the 97% lean hamburger meat for health and without fat there is no flavor. This helps.
 
I grew up on a little dry onion soup mixed in the ground beef or ground chuck...a little worstershire and maybe a little steak sauce.

If i don't have any onion soup mix on hand i'll at least use some dried onion and and various other spices and again maybe some steak sauce.


The MOST important thing to consistent burgers is just not over cooking them.
 
Ooohh...burgers. Something this newbie smoker can actually offer some help with! :thumb:

I use 85/15 ground chuck. I don't have a grinder, so I buy my meat pre-ground from the butcher.

I add nothing but worchestershire (few shakes per pound), fresh ground black pepper and kosher salt. Gently work the worchestershire in, but don't overwork the meat. To make the patties, I grab a handfull of meat and toss it down onto a cutting board, then just gently flatten it into a patty. Season both sides with salt and pepper, and let the patty sit seasoned for at least 10 minutes before grilling.

photo-3-11.jpg

I grill mine in a 3-3-3-3 pattern (6-6 if you don't care about the "crossed" grill lines)
- 3 minutes on the first side
- 90 degree turn, 3 more minutes on the same side
- Flip
- 3 minutes on the second side
- 90 degree turn, 3 more minutes on the same side

photo-51.jpg

Toast your buns, top with whatever you like (I almost always grill some onions when I grill burgers...)

Comes out perfect every time.

photo-1-4.jpg
 
Jaskew82 said:
I have to agree with the guys who use the cast iron skillets or griddles. Burgers on a grill are great but nothing compares to a ripping hot skillet burger.

I do 6oz of either 80/20 ground meat or ground chuck if I am feeling "fancy". I form 6oz meatballs seasoned with salt and pepper. Sometimes I will use a santa maria rub to enhance it.

I get the skillet blazing hot and coated with peanut oil because of its high smoke point. I drop the balls on the skillet and push flat (1/4"). I let them cook about 3 minutes or so per side or until they flip easily. Put on cheese after the flip. Add condiments that you like (for me, its typically ketchup, hot sauce and pickles). Throw on a potato roll and have at it.

Simple and delicious every time.
Click to expand...
Exactly how i do my burgers- I make a meatball, and then get a piece of wax paper put the ball on the paper, fold over and use a dinner plate to flatten to desire thickness. I'll also add a bit of season all before I place in the skillet. Cast iron skillet is key.
I also cook until the internal temp is 163 degrees.
 
I like to make my burgers 1/4 lb each and make them nice and thin. That way they cook fast without drying out. I always cook them over charcoal (never on a gas grill) because it gives them a great flavor. Before they go on the fire I paint both sides with a mixture of equal parts soy sauce, Worcestershire and molasses and season with kosher salt, coarse ground pepper and whatever BBQ rub I have laying around. Throw them on the grill and flip them when they start to get a little char on the bottom (just takes a few minutes). Flip them and then add a slice of cheese to the top and let it melt. By the time the cheese melts they are a perfect medium well. The trick is to make the patties nice and thin and cook them fast so they don't burn or dry out.
 
I took the "Fuddruckers" recipe rub, and I tweek it to my liking. I agree, charcoal is much better than gas for burgers. The smoke created by the dripping fat creates a flavor that is hard to duplicate. Anyway, my family likes this 'rub' sprinkled on their burgers. Just a light sprinkle is best. Too much will overpower the burger, in my opinion.


  • 2 tsps paprika
  • 11/2 tsps black pepper (ground)
  • 11/4 tsps salt
  • 1/2 tsp dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (ground)
 
A lot of people here adding lots of seasonings to the meat. To each his own of course, but for me a burger is all about juicy meat, salt, pepper, cheese, a good roll. Extra flavors/textures can be added from toppings. To much seasoning of the meat and you are getting into meatball/meatloaf territory. Just my opinion of course!

To the original poster, I think you need to nail down how you are making a basic burger before trying to mask any problems with soup mix, worcestershire, steak sauce, or anything else.

Why don't you tell us how you make your burgers, and lets see if we can figure out why they are coming out poorly.
 
I agree Tailgate, some people like nothing but meat, others seasoning. Some like ketchup, some think it's sacrilege. It would be a boring world if we all were the same. The bottom line is, experiment, find what works for you, and don't worry about what others think.
 
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