The Best Burger Recipe

Need a good burger recipe? This is hands down THE BEST burger recipe you’ll find. Juicy, flavorful, and drool-worthy hamburgers ready for the grill in just a few minutes!

I’ve mentioned before that my husband isn’t a big fan of ground beef and because of this, I didn’t cook it for YEARS.

But then we had kids.

They’ve DEVOURED everything I’ve ever made with ground meat – Homemade Italian Meatballs and Homemade Breakfast Sausage and Egg Roll in a Bowl and Ground Beef Taco Meat don’t stand a chance in our house.

I’ve recently added a classic recipe to the list too: a good burger recipe. And wouldn’t you know it, the kids can’t keep their hands off them!

I’m calling this THE BEST hamburger recipe, and you should know that I don’t take that title lightly.

THE BEST HOMEMADE HAMBURGER RECIPE

Only a few recipes are worthy to be called “the best” in my book and they all have to meet the following requirements:

• Easy to make. If it’s too complicated, I know I won’t do it again (which negates “the best” title, don’t you think?)
• Dependable. I want to make this recipe repeatedly and it needs to turn out every single time.
• Simple ingredients. If I don’t already have what I need for a good burger recipe, then it’s too complicated.
• Worthy of feeding company. I almost always make a new recipe (or two) when we’re having company over, and every “best” recipe goes through third-party testing.

I have TONS of recipes that are amazing…Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread and Thai Peanut Sauce and Bacon Chicken Caesar Salad Wraps and Homemade Chicken Nuggets are on my meal plans constantly because they’re all delicious.

But they haven’t earned the title of “the best.” This homemade burger recipe though? I assure you – it’s the best burger recipe you’ll have!

BEST BURGER MEAT RECIPE INGREDIENTS

The best burger meat recipe doesn’t need a ton of extras! Just a few specific things make delicious hamburgers.

GROUND BEEF

• I’ve tested this recipe using 80/20, 85/15, and 90/10 ground beef and they all have pros and cons to them.
• Our most amazing, juiciest burgers came from the fat in the 80/20 ground beef. The 85/15 came in second place and the 90/10 came in a distant third. In fact, the 90/10 was so distant that no one asked for seconds…
• You want your ground beef to be at room temperature before mixing up this hamburger recipe.

In my opinion, go with the 80/20 or 85/15 if possible. Save the 90/10 for other lean ground beef recipes.

And in case you’re wondering, no, you can’t just simply add butter or oil or bacon grease or lard or any other fat to a pound of 90/10 or 93/7 ground beef and say it will make up the difference. It didn’t work.

Note: If your local stores don’t carry high-quality grass-fed ground beef, I recommend Butcher Box. You can read my honest review of their products here, and my post on how to make Butcher Box worth the cost! That’s the beef I used to test half the batches of these burgers.

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HOMEMADE DRY ONION SOUP MIX

I thoroughly enjoyed experimenting with a variety of spices to add to this great burger recipe. I tried…

• Homemade Poultry Seasoning
• Taco Seasoning
• Homemade Ranch Seasoning
• Just salt and pepper
• … and of course, I tried “a little of this and a little of that” of what I had in my spice cabinet.

What came out the best though? The spice that makes these burgers worthy of “the best burger recipe” title? Homemade Dry Onion Soup Mix.

As tempting as it may be to buy a packet of dry onion soup mix, homemade is your best option. It avoids unnecessary ingredients, is super cheap, and is easy to make.

I keep a big batch of this in my pantry for my Homestyle Classic Pot Roast, and on a whim, I grabbed it one day to make burgers.

OH MY GOODNESS. They were SO DELICIOUS, I didn’t want to finish my burger because I wanted to savor every bite!!

MOISTURE (OPTIONAL)

• If you’re starting with 80/20 or 85/15 ground beef like I’m telling you to, then you don’t necessarily need to add moisture to your burger. The meat and my homemade dry onion soup mix will do the trick.
• However, sometimes it’s fun to make a burger so moist that juices are literally dripping all over your face.
  • On those occasions, consider adding a splash or two of liquid smoke or Worcestershire sauce or olive oil to the meat before you make the patties.
  • You can also add ¼ Tbsp of butter to the center of each patty as it’s cooking as well.

HOW TO MAKE HAMBURGER RECIPE – STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef and dry seasoning. Add optional ingredients, if using, and mix with your hands until well combined.

Note: You can use a stand mixer to mix the hamburger recipe ingredients but take care to not over-mix. This will result in a tough and chewy burger.

Step 2. Divide the ground beef into either 3 or 4 equal pieces and form each piece into a patty.

Step 3. Preheat your grill or cast-iron skillet to medium heat.

Step 4. Place the hamburger patties on the grill or skillet and let them cook undisturbed for 4 minutes.

Step 5. Carefully flip once and let the burger cook on the other side for another 3-5 minutes, or until the burger has reached the desired doneness.

Step 6. Remove to a plate and allow to sit undisturbed for 5 minutes. This lets the juices redistribute throughout the burger.

GOOD BURGER RECIPE TIPS

I don’t know what tricks restaurants use to make their burgers moist and juicy and to be honest with you, I don’t think I want to know.

Making a perfect burger recipe at home is a different ballgame, and following my easy burger recipe will ensure you’re consistently making the very best hamburgers you can!

TURKEY BURGERS

I haven’t tried this beef burger recipe using ground turkey, but I’m sure you could, and it would turn out okay.

Ground turkey is usually much leaner than ground beef, so you’ll definitely want to add some fat to your mix. They won’t be “the best,” but they’ll be pretty stinkin’ good.

BURGER BUNS

The sizes of hamburger buns seem to be all over the place lately. I took these pictures with Simple Truth whole wheat buns from Kroger.

They are just over 3″ in diameter and fit a ¼ pound burger perfectly. I’ve seen much bigger buns before, so make sure you gauge the size of your bun before shaping your burger patties.

• 3″ bun = ¼ lb burger (photo above, on the right)
• 4″ bun = ⅓ lb burger (photo above, on the left)
• 5″ bun = ½ lb burger

Remember that burger patties shrink slightly when cooking, so shape them a bit larger than your hamburger buns.

STRETCHING THE MEAT

I typically suggest stretching your meat at home by adding fillers like rolled oats, shredded vegetables, lentils, or legumes.

However, I don’t recommend that for this beef hamburger recipe because these changes will significantly affect the texture and moisture level of the beef.

BATCH COOKING

Make a double or triple batch whenever you can, since these burgers tend to go quickly. Plus, it means you won’t have to cook again on another night!

You can also mix up a big batch of homemade burgers, form it into patties, and freeze them raw for future burger nights. Place a square of parchment paper or wax paper between the burger patties so they don’t stick together in the freezer. Pull as many as you need to the refrigerator to thaw the night before cooking them.

MAKE THIS GOOD BURGER RECIPE INTO A MEAL

Serve your burger patties with these to make it a completely homemade meal:

• Homemade Hamburger Buns
• 2-Minute Fail-Proof Mayo
• Root Vegetable Chips
• Crispy Potato Wedges

And of course, you can’t make a good burger recipe without laying out a spread of toppings and condiments!

• Bacon
• Tomato
• Lettuce
• Sliced cheddar cheese or bleu cheese crumbles
• Red onion or caramelized onions
• Mustard
• Ketchup
• Pickles
• Avocado
• Pineapple slices
• Jalapenos
• BBQ sauce (try my Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe)
• Mayonnaise (make your own)

No hamburger night is complete without sides!

• Crispy Potato Wedges
• Southwestern Corn
• Creamy Coleslaw
• Kale Caesar Salad

BEEF HAMBURGER RECIPE FAQS

MORE GROUND BEEF RECIPES

• Ground Beef Taco Meat
• Beef Tamale Pie
• Instant Pot Ground Beef
• One Week Ground Beef Meal Plan
• Cheeseburger Soup