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Table Of Contents hide
- Why This Is The Best Burger Recipe
- How To Make Juicy Burgers
- Tips For The Best Burgers
- How Long To Grill Burgers?
- How Long To Cook Burgers On The Stove?
- What Temp Are Burgers Done?
- Storage Instructions
- What To Serve With Juicy Burgers
- Tools To Make The Best Burger Recipe
- Best Burger Recipe (So Juicy, Grill Or Stovetop)
One of my favorite ways to enjoy grilling season is with a good barbecue… especially when the best burger recipe is involved! With my secret ingredients and a few tips and tricks, you’ll be making the best homemade juicy burgers in no time.
I’ll show you how to make burgers on the stove and on the grill, so you can decide how you want to do it — just like the steak in my steak salad, my ultra-moist turkey burgers, or even grilled eggplant. The stovetop burger method means you can do this anytime of year just like air fryer brats!
Why This Is The Best Burger Recipe
- Juiciest burger meat ever
- 4 simple ingredients (plus salt and pepper)
- Done in less than 15 minutes
- 2 cooking methods — grill or stovetop!
- Easy lunch or dinner that comes together fast
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the ingredients for the best burgers, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Ground Beef – I use 85/15 beef for juicy homemade burgers, but 80/20 also come out juicy. 90/10 ground beef is usually less juicy, but they still come out quite juicy with the ingredients I add below.
- Secret Ingredients – The secret to juicy burgers is mixing olive oil and Worcestershire sauce into the meat prior to cooking! This locks in the moisture and flavors giving you the juiciest burgers.
- Seasonings – I like to keep it simple with sea salt (one teaspoon per pound of meat), black pepper, and a little garlic powder. You could also use 2 teaspoons jarred minced garlic as well. The salt is actually the most important from a flavor perspective. A good rule of thumb is to use one teaspoon per pound of meat. I first read somewhere that this was Julia Child’s recommendation for meat, and she’s right!
VARIATION: Use other seasonings.
Instead of garlic powder, salt, and pepper, use 2 teaspoons of any seasoning blend you prefer. Try jerk seasoning for a spicy and zesty flavor, Montreal seasoning for a savory steak flavor, or Italian seasoning for more subtle flavors.
How To Make Juicy Burgers
This section shows how to make the best burger recipe, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Mix the beef, oil, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder salt, and pepper. Place ingredients in a large bowl. Work through using your hands until just combined (see tips below).
- Shape the patties. Make 1/2-inch-thick patties. Make a thumb print in the center of each patty.
- Grill or pan fry. Preheat agrillorgrill pan. Cook burgers until browned on the bottom. Flip, add cheese if desired, and cook until done to your liking (see time and temp chart below).
- Rest. Remove from heat. Let the homemade burgers rest for a few minutes before serving, which lets the juices settle.
Tips For The Best Burgers
Whether you’re using the grill or making stovetop burgers, follow these tips to ensure you end up with the best burger recipes possible:
- Don’t overwork the meat. Mixing or mashing too much pushes the juices out and leads to a tough burger. Instead, use a gentle kneading motion to mix the ingredients into the ground beef.
- Use cold hands. This will prevent the meat from heating up and becoming rubbery. Just wash your hands with cold water before working with it.
- Be gentle. Form the patties gently too to avoid driving out the juices. You want the moisture to stay in the burgers instead of escaping.
- Make a thumbprint. Making a large thumb print in the middle of each patty prevents the burgers from puffing up as they cook. This happens because the heat pushes the juices to the middle, so if you start out with a cavity in the middle, the burger will be nice and flat when they are done.
- Turn up the heat.For super juicy burgers, you want to sear them for maximum flavor. Have the heat up on medium-high, and make sure your grill or pan is preheated before adding the meat.
- Don’t move them around. Don’t keep checking on your burgers by lifting the lid of the grill (or pan lid if making stovetop burgers), or moving them around. Once you add the patties, leave them undisturbed for 4-5 minutes, then flip only once.
- Don’t push down on the burgers. Whatever you do, don’t push down on the burgers with a spatula. I don’t know who started this idea, but it literally pushes all the juices out!
- Let them rest and don’t cut open to check. If you cut the burgers open to find out if they are done, all the juices will leak out and you’ll end up with a dry burger. Instead, use a meat thermometer or the time chart below to check for doneness, and wait a few minutes after cooking before eating.
How Long To Grill Burgers?
Grill burgers for a total of 6-8 minutes for medium doneness.
How Long To Cook Burgers On The Stove?
Cook burgers on the stove for a total of 6-8 minutes for medium doneness.
What Temp Are Burgers Done?
The USDA officially recommends at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit (well done) as the stovetop or grill temp for burgers, but for juicy burgers I recommend medium (140-145 degrees F). If you have a meat thermometer, that’s the most reliable way to test for doneness.
Use these times and temperatures as a guide for the best burger recipe:
| Doneness | Temperature in Fahrenheit | Temperature in Celsius | Total Cook Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rare | 120 to 125 degrees | 49 to 52 degrees | 4-5 minutes |
| Medium Rare | 130 to 135 degrees | 54 to 57 degrees | 5-6 minutes |
| Medium | 140 to 145 degrees | 60 to 63 degrees | 6-8 minutes |
| Medium Well | 150 to 155 degrees | 65 to 68 degrees | 8-9 minutes |
| Well Done | 160 to 165 degrees | 71 to 74 degrees | 9-10 minutes |
The internal temperature will rise an additional 5 degrees from the temperatures above while resting, so these temps are when you’d remove from heat.
Storage Instructions
- Store: To keep your burgers delicious and juicy, wrap them tightly in aluminum foil or place them in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat: You can either place them in a pan on the stovetop with a little bit of oil and heat until warm, or place them in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. You can also reheat burgers on the grill.
- Freeze: You can freeze this homemade burger recipe before or after cooking, but before cooking works best. Shape the patties, place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 6 months. Alternatively, you can keep cooked burgers in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before cooking or reheating.
What To Serve With Juicy Burgers
The best burgers deserve the best side dishes! Here’s what to serve with them for an easy, unforgettable meal:
- Fixings – I serve mine over lettuce with some onion, tomato, avocado, and whole grain mustard most of the time. But, I also love to add cheddar cheese, sugar-free ketchup, and mayonnaise, too. You could use other condiments such as sugar-free barbecue sauce or spicy mayo (which is similar to burger sauce). For extra meaty taste, add slices of oven baked bacon.
- Buns – Use a regular bun or brioche bun, a gluten-free bun (shown above), or try the flattened version of my almond flour biscuitsor simple low carb hamburger buns.
- Fries – I love to pair this homemade burger recipe with a side of garlic parmesan fries, classic steak fries, or lighter rutabaga fries (shown in the photos), zucchini fries or even fried zucchini.
- Veggies – Take advantage of your grill and make a healthy meal with grilled broccoli, grilled eggplant, or roasted cauliflower steaks.
- Salad – Pair these burgers with classic cauliflower potato salad or a sweet and smoky grilled peach salad. Simpler options like wedge salad or cucumber tomato salad taste just as good, and are quick enough to make while your burgers are cooking.
- Grill– Fits 15 burgers at once! Perfect for a party or barbecue.
- Grill Pan– Great for giving a homemade burger recipe those grill lines when it’s too cold to grill outside (or if you don’t have an outdoor grill).
- Meat Thermometer– An instant-read thermometer is a must for perfectly cooked burgers!
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Recipe Card
Best Burger Recipe (So Juicy, Grill Or Stovetop)
This homemade juicy burger recipe makes the best burgers, thanks to 2 simple secret ingredients. Includes grill or stovetop options!
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 8 minutes
Total: 13 minutes
Author: Maya Krampf from WholesomeYum.com
Servings: 4 (adjust to scale recipe)
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
Place all ingredients in a large bowl. Work through using your hands until just combined, being careful not to overwork the meat.
Shape into 1/2 in (1 cm) thick patties, about 1/4 pound each. Make a thumb print in the center of each patty to keep the burgers from bulging out when cooking.
Preheat an outdoor grill, or cast iron grill pan or cast iron skillet on the stovetop, to medium-high heat. Add the burgers and cook 4-5 minutes with the lid closed, until browned on the bottom and the only juices visible are no longer red. Do not push down on the burgers or move them around. Flip over, top with cheese if desired, and cook 2-3 minutes for medium, or until done as desired. (For best results, use a meat thermometer. See time and temp chart in the post above!)
Remove burgers from heat. Let the burgers rest for a few minutes before serving.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 burger (1/4 lb)
- Nutrition information is based on 85/15 lean ground beef, and does not include optional cheese.
- Check for more cooking tips in the post above the recipe card.
Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.
Calories278
Fat20g
Protein21g
Total Carbs1g
Net Carbs0.9g
Fiber0.1g
Sugar1g
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
Course:Main Course
Cuisine:American
Keywords:best burger recipe, best burger recipes, homemade burger recipe, juicy burgers
Calories: 278 kcal
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Best Juicy Burger Recipe
