Best Burger Recipe
on May 24, 2021, Updated Sep 12, 2025
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Burgers 🍔 are such a classic comfort food, and I have the Best Burger Recipe that will help you level up your grill game 🙌! I have three tricks for ensuring incredibly tender and juicy burgers: an 🥚 egg for moisture, a bit of parmesan cheese for added richness, and an easy but game-changing indentation tip. (No more shrunken patties!) I also add a bit of onion powder and fresh garlic for a blast of flavor. Make it a cheeseburger with thick slices of melty cheddar, and add a full garden for good measure. Serve these up from your 🔥 grill, and you will be crowned king-or queen!-of the barbecue 👑.
Why You’ll Love the Best Burger Recipe
If you love my Smash Burgers, but you’re craving a more classic vibe, then you’re going to love 😍 these juicy patties. Part of what makes this the Best Burger Recipe is that it calls for only a handful of ingredients. That means it’s really important to choose high quality meats. I like to create a 50/50 mix of grass fed ground beef and ground pork to let the flavor and tenderness 🥩 really shine through. Adding in an egg and grated parmesan makes the patties super juicy and gives them a salty, umami flavor. This cheeseburger 🍔 is 💯 percent customizable – perfect for purists 🥬🍅🧅 and picky eaters alike. Plus, they come together super quickly and are great for meal prep, so you can double or triple the recipe and put the extra patties in the freezer for future meals.
Ingredients
🐄 Ground beef: I like to use 80/20 ground beef for the juiciest burgers. However, you can also use a blend of ground beef and ground pork for really flavorful patties.
🧅 Onion powder: Adds savory flavor to the burgers without the onion chunks.
🧄 Garlic: Finely minced garlic cloves melt into the patties, adding even more savory flavor to the meat.
🥚 Egg: Adding one egg to the mix acts as a binder keeping your burgers from crumbling on the grill and adds more moisture.
🧀 Parmesan cheese: Finely grated parm melts into the patty giving it a next-level flavor boost.
🍞 Buns: Brioche buns are sturdy and slightly sweet, the perfect match for savory burgers.
🥬 Toppings: Top your hamburger with fresh garden: lettuce, sliced onions, tomato, and pickles. You can also add your favorite condiments like mustard, mayo, and ketchup. Of course, you can make it a cheeseburger with a slice of cheddar, American, Gouda, or any other cheese of choice.
Nonna’s Tip 👇
Make sure to indent the center of each burger patty with your fingers. This helps make sure the meat doesn’t shrink as much and the burger cooks evenly throughout.
Dos and Don’ts for Making the Juiciest Burgers
- Don’t overwork the meat: Mix the meat until just combined. Mixing and mashing the meat too much leads to a tough patty.
- Don’t skip the thumbprint: Heat pushes the juices to the middle of the patty, which causes it to inflate. Place your patty on the grill or pan flat side down, and the thumbprint will fill out leaving flat, evenly cooked patties.
- Do turn up the heat: We want to get a nice sear on the outside, while keeping the patties juicy on the inside. Crank the heat up to medium-high for that perfect golden crust.
- Do flip only once: Cook on one side for 4-5 minutes undisturbed before flipping. Remember, it’s all about getting a nice sear!
- Don’t mash the burgers: Pushing down on the burgers while they’re cooking pushes out the juices.
- Do let your burgers rest: I know it’s tempting, but avoid cutting into the patty to checck for doneness. The center will continue to cook through residual heat. Allow the patties to rest for a few minutes so the juices can redistribute.
Best Burger Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- You can use any kind of ground meat here: turkey, beef, pork, chicken, veal, etc. I like to use a mixture of 1/2 grass-fed 🥩 beef and 1/2 pork for the ultimate juiciness.
- You can use any kind of cheese to make the best gourmet cheeseburgers: blue cheese, feta, mozzarella, cheddar, asiago…it’s your world 🗺️!
- I used fresh garlic and 🧅 onion powder here, but you could add any spices you love.
- If you’re gluten-free, you could make a lettuce wrap 🥬 instead. I like green leaf lettuce because it has large, sturdy leaves-perfect for wrapping around patties.
- Instead of the classic mayo, mustard , ketchup trio, try making a homemade aioli or Big Mac sauce.
Best Served With
- Of course, cheeseburgers are best enjoyed with a side of 🍟 french fries, these viral ONION RING CHIPS 🧅, or sweet potato fries.
- Serve hamburgers with any classic barbecue side dish such as 🥔 Healthy Potato Salad or the Best Pasta Salad.
- Make a Simple Green Salad or Maroulosalata (Greek Lettuce Salad) as a healthy side.
- Sip on an ice cold beer 🍺 or your favorite cheat-day soda or sparkling water. There’s just something about bubbles 🫧 and burgers that’s so nostalgic.
- You could also enjoy your cheeseburgers with this healthy take on a milkshake ➡ Strawberry Protein Shake.
Similar Recipes
Common Questions
You can use any ground meat such as beef, turkey, chicken, or pork, or a combination.
Ensure your grill or skillet is properly preheated and lightly greased before adding the patties. Additionally, a high-heat cooking spray or a light brush of oil should help keep them from sticking.
The best way to check doneness is to use a meat thermometer. For ground beef, cook to an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C). For poultry, the temperature should reach 165°F (74°C).
Absolutely! I love making a big batch and freezing so I always have burgers on hand. To freeze, place the raw, formed patties on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and keep in the freezer until fully frozen (about 12 hours). Transfer the frozen patties to a Ziploc bag, placing a piece of parchment paper between each patty. Seal tightly and freeze for up to 3 months.
Best Burger Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground meat, beef or pork
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 egg
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 buns
- toppings of choice
Instructions
- Add the ground meat, onion powder, egg, parmesan, and garlic to a large bowl. Using clean hands, mix all the ingredients together until well incorporated, about 1 minute.
- Divide the meat mixture into 4 equal-size portions (or 8 mini portions), and using your hands, flatten into patties.
- This step here is very important: make sure you make a little indent with your fingers in the center of each patty. This is key because the meat will shrink and this will ensure the burger cooks evenly all throughout.
- Fire up the gril or a skilletl, and cook for 7-9 minutes on each side depending on your preferred doneness.
- Note: If you want to make these on the stove, lightly grease a skillet before cooking the patties on medium-high heat. Your burgers may take more or less time depending on the shape and size of the patties. The best way to test for doneness is to use a meat thermometer.
- Assemble onto a burger bun with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Notes
- Meat: You can use any kind of ground meat here: turkey, beef, pork, chicken, veal, etc. I like to use a mixture of 1/2 grass-fed beef and 1/2 pork for the ultimate juiciness.
- Cheese: You can use any kind of cheese to make the best gourmet cheeseburgers: blue cheese, feta, mozzarella, cheddar, asiago…it’s your world!
- Spices: I used fresh garlic and onion powder here, but you could add any spices you love. Or keep it simple with salt and pepper.
- Gluten-free: If you’re gluten-free, you could make a lettuce wrap instead. I like green leaf lettuce because it has large, sturdy leaves-perfect for wrapping around patties.
- Condiments: Instead of the classic mayo, mustard , ketchup trio, try making a homemade aioli or Big Mac sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
