The best hamburger recipes are made with nothing more than beef, salt and pepper. I’m talking the ones you get from good steakhouses and diners. A great crust on the outside, juicy, beef and tender on the inside.
Homemade hamburgers are made for piling on toppings of choice. So don’t let anyone tell you what should and shouldn’t go on your burger!
Hamburger recipe
In my youth, I learned how to make hamburgers from a celebrity chef who insisted that you needed breadcrumbs, egg and seasonings for a truly great burger. And that’s how I made it for years, thinking that was the right way.
After multiple trips to the States (sorry Australia, but no one does burgers like America!), too many burgers, and watching countless cooking shows, meeting chefs, caterers and restauranteurs, I’ve been converted to the right way.
A great beef hamburger patty requires nothing more than beef.
No flavourings other than salt and pepper. Just a nice fatty beef mince – even from the supermarket.
Best Hamburger Patties
The secret to a truly great homemade hamburger recipe is to use beef that’s nice and fatty. Ideally, a good quality ground beef / mince from a butcher, but nowadays, supermarkets sell very good quality beef too.
When it comes to cooking with meat, here’s a big takeaway from this hamburger recipe: fat = flavour. If you mix pork fat into lean beef then cook it up, you’d swear you’re eating pork.
Thus, the big secret is revealed. The very best burgers you’ve had are made with nothing more than fatty beef, salt and pepper. That’s the way it’s done at all your favourite burger joints and diners (McDonald’s aside, because who knows the secret spices in those burgers??).
Tip: Dent the Hamburger Patty
If you’ve ever had your burgers shrink into little domes, you’ll love this little tip.
Dent the surface of the patty using your fingers. You’ll still get some shrinkage, but substantially less. Great tip I picked up from Bobby Flay!
What to put on Hamburgers
As a food blogger, it’s sometimes hard to resist making food look crazy irresistible. I confess to being a sucker for this, and such is the case with the first hamburger recipe I published, pictured below, with that mouth watering runny yolk and golden crispy bacon.
Truth be told, I never order burgers fully loaded. Because classic hamburgers done right are crazy delicious as they are, and also for practical reasons – whose mouth is big enough to shove THIS in????
For me, if you’ve got a big, juicy hamburger patty topped with melted cheese, all you need is a big dollop of a condiment of choice (relish, ketchup, mustard, mayo), lettuce, tomato and pickles.
Everything else is optional.
Though as an Aussie, excluding beetroot from the list of “must haves” may be considered a blasphemy!!! – Nagi x
PS I’m a sucker for hamburgers on the BBQ, but ironically, I usually make them on the stove because it’s easier midweek.
More Burgers, Sliders and Sandwiches
Chicken Burger – juicy seasoned chicken breast steak with the lot!
Nando’s Peri Peri Chicken Burger – chicken marinated in a homemade flavour bomb Peri Peri sauce
Cubanos – The famous Cuban roast pork sandwich from The Chef movie
Pastrami Sandwiches – Rye bread piled high with homemade pastrami. EPIC!
Veggie Burger – Meatless made amazing. Puts those doughy bricks at the shops to shame!
Browse all Burgers and Sandwiches & Sliders recipes
How to make hamburgers
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Hamburger Recipe
Ingredients
Hamburger Pattie
- 800g – 1kg / 1.6 – 2 lb ground beef (mince), 20%+ fat (Note 1)
- Salt and pepper
- 3 onions, peeled and sliced into rings
- 2 tbsp oil
- 4 – 8 slices cheese of choice, I use Swiss (optional)
Hamburger
- 4 soft hamburger buns, lightly toasted
- Lettuce, tomato slices
- Ketchup, mustard, relish, sliced pickles
On the side
Instructions
- Separate beef into 4 equal portions. Use hands to lightly form into patties the size of your buns (mine are about 10 cm / 4″) – don’t press hard, light fingers = soft juicy patties (see video for how I do this).
- Season generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Make a dent on one side (stop burger from become dome shape and shrinking when cooking).
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a heavy based skillet or BBQ over high heat. Add onion and cook until wilted and caramelised. Season with salt and pepper, then remove.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil until smoking. Add patties and cook for 2 minutes until deep golden with a great crust. Do not press! Flip carefully, cook for 1 minute then top with cheese (if using). Cover with lid and cook for further 1 minute until cheese is melted.
- Meanwhile, toast the cut side of the buns lightly.
- To serve: Spread base of buns with sauce / condiment of choice. Top with lettuce then tomato, then hamburger patty. Pile over onions, sliced pickles, then more sauce/condiments. Top with lid of bun. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes:
Originally published 2016 with this recipe. Recipe updated and improved in May 2018.Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
This inflatable cone (the alternative to the plastic Cone of Shame) – he loves it. It’s like an inbuilt pillow. He’s been like this for hours! (Yeah, he ain’t cute when he sleeps!)
Made and devoured! Husband and daughter kept saying how juicy they were and my, basically vegetarian son, ate it all up in record time! So glad I found you and your recipes. Can’t wait to try another.
Woah that’s great to hear Crystal! No one can resist a big juicy burger!! N x
Yum!
Thanks Amy!
FINALLY a recipe that is NOT a meat loaf in burger form. I was getting frustrated by the “add bread crumbs, eggs, ketchup (gross) Worcestershire” etc. You’re the best, love your style of cooking. I live in an area where beef is to be savoured, not masked by ketchup.
🙌 Juicy beef – it’s all you need!!
Thanks to this recipe I’ve finally figured out what I’ve been doing wrong with burgers all this time. Adding ingredients to the beef just overcomplicates something that should be simple, when I do it your way it turns out perfect.
Simple ingredients, great flavour… We absolutely loved it. With sliced beetroot and a fried egg on top of everything, I think it is better than what our gourmet burger shop can offer… So bloody good!
That’s fantastic Kathy!!!!
Good girl for been converted for making the big juicy hamburger. I love it and I make them that way all the time. Thank you Nagi and my husband also thanks you.
Wahoo! Thanks so much for the great feedback Sue!
We’re having hamburgers tonight and this is the way I’ve always done them. The only thing I add to the meat is a sprinkle of garlic powder with the S&P.
For toppings mayo is a must. If I want decadence, I’ll add a couple of slices of avocado.
Thanks for the great website, four of your recipes are on my menu this week!
Sounds great Debbie!
I was previously making Burger Patties with I1/2 TBS of Oyster sauce and 1 Tbs of fish sauce. I tried simple salt and pepper seasoning last night. I plce 2 x Ikg trays of the full fat mince side by side in a biscuit baking tray and with baking oaoer on top, rolled the mince to the height of the tray. !/2 inch. I had a pastry cutter and cut out the patties and used my Hamburger Press to compact them. # for dinner and the rest in packs with baking paper separators and into the deep freeze.
By keeping the original mince in the strands they came out of the mincer with, I had a less grainy mouth feel. Cooked 80% one side then a flip, they had a nice crust, were moist and my diners were well pleased. So, Thankyou. The burgers are better in my kitchen..
Great tips Paul!!
Are the patties freezer friendly?
Hi Anne, yes definitely!
This recipe blew my mind! We have only ever used lean in our ground beef recipes so I was skeptical but the regular fat beef was just perfect and really didn’t need anything other than salt and pepper, as you said. I made them for dinner with my parents and got rave reviews! The caramelized onions were perfect as a topping. I served them with sweet potato fries. Thanks for an amazing recipe 🙂
I say NO to lean beef! Fat = flavour + juiciness!!! I’m so glad you gave it a go Amanda ☺️
Nagi, This is my go to recipe website. Thank you.
I’m so glad you loved them John!
I followed your recipe and even though I used coles bought beef mince that is 4 star lean, it was still super tasty and super juicy! Thanks Nagi for another hit!
Wahoo! Sounds like you nailed it Chantelle!
Hey, Nagi you’re awesome love your this delicoous post the Big, Juicy Hamburgers…. hmm mounth waterting.. now
Thanks Dottie!
Yasss this is a real burger u don’t need breadcrumbs and eggs
It’s amazing how good they are with just good ol’ quality beef isn’t it?!
I made this recipe today. It’s a keeper! So delicious, it’s the best burger. My husband quite impressed! Thank you xxx
I’m so glad you loved it – and it’s so easy too! ❤️
Hi Nagi,
I made burgers the other night and did the indentation thumb thing in the burger to prevent doming…. but they still domed! How deep do I need to make the indentation? Also do I need to check internal temp while burger is on stove or in a dish? I was getting weird readings. Thanks!
Hi Cynthia, I usually do a fairly decent dent and they don’t rise. The burgers shouldn’t need more than 4-5 minutes on the stove and they should have a deep golden crust when done ☺️
This is how it should be done. I’ve always kept it simple, sometimes adding two slices of bacon and sauteed mushrooms and onions done on the skillet on the bbq. You are the Queen of burgers. There is no better burger than you described here. Beer is a good drink with a burger, but as a Canadian living in the US, beer goes with pretty much any good food except pasta. Need a good wine for that.
Thanks again, and cheers!
Glad you agree Jim! 🙂 N x
I live in Australia and most of the burgers I have eaten are sausage mince or normal mince with nothing it it but meat.
My mother used to make patties with egg etc in them but we ate them with mash etc not as a burger.
I know of a place that makes hamburgers an the parties have the ingredients mentioned. The parties are generally burnt on one side and don’t taste good.
I was a bit skeptical without all the extras in the mince BUT this was the best hamburger ever! Thanks!!
Thanks for the feedback Stephanie! Glad you enjoyed this 🙂 N x
Hello Nagi! This hamburger recipe really tremendous. I like hamburger, and I have a Weston Burger Express Hamburger Press. It really works done well. Would definitely try it at my home.
Thanks for the reply and keep it up writing….
Hi Nagi,
My boyfriend is the Burger King in our house, so he was very displeased that I outshone him when I made this absolute winner of a burger. I think the words “this is best burger I’ve ever eaten in my life” sums it up perfectly. Such an easy recipe which has given me the title of Burger Queen in my house! Now I’m holding out for a recipe for best chips ever!
Love hearing that Bindy! Thanks for sharing your feedback! N x ❤️