Homemade Burgers

5 from 1 vote

Published 7/1/2022 • Updated 7/17/2023

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These super moist and juicy homemade burgers truly are the best! Pan fry or grill these burgers and enjoy with our burger sauce and caramelized onions.

The BEST Homemade Burgers

We’re not calling these the best homemade burgers for nothing! They truly are the juiciest and most flavorful beef burgers we’ve ever made. I know you’ll enjoy them as much as we do!

Why you’ll love ’em!

Super simple: homemade burgers are so easy to make. Combine the meat mixture, add cold grated butter, turn them into patties, and cook.

30-minute meal: In less than 30 minutes, dinner will be ready!

Moist and juicy: dry burgers no more! We’re sharing our top secrets for moist homemade burgers.

Homemade burger patty ingredients in a bowl.

Ingredients for Homemade Burgers

Our homemade burgers are prepared in 3 sections! You’ll be making the burger patties themselves, the burger sauce, and lastly preparing any other toppings you’d like (don’t forget the bun!):

Burger Sauce

Greek yogurt
Mayonnaise
Garlic powder
Pickle juice
Smoked paprika
Chili powder
Ketchup
Lemon juice
Salt and pepper

Burger Patty

Ground beef (we used 85%)
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Salt
Smoked paprika
Chili powder
Worcestershire sauce
Dijon mustard
Grated cold salted butter (more on this below!)

Other Toppings

Hamburger buns
Sliced cheddar cheese (or any kind of sliced cheese!)
Caramelized onions
Sliced tomato
Dill pickle chips

Homemade burger mixture topped with grated butter in a bowl.

A person holding a spoon full of a brown sauce in a bowl.

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Easy Burger Sauce

Top your homemade burgers with our easy burger sauce. It’s perfectly tangy and creamy!

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How to Make Homemade Burgers

Prepare Burger Sauce

Place all of the ingredients for the burger sauce into a mixing bowl and whisk together until combined. Place the burger sauce in the refrigerator for later.

Prepare Burger Mixture

Add the ground beef, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, paprika, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, and dijon mustard to a large mixing bowl and use your hands to massage all of the ingredients together. Then, grate the cold butter into the burger mixture and stir the butter into the burger until combined.

Prepare Burger Patties

Separate the burger meat into four balls. Flatten each burger ball in-between your hands until it is about ¼ -inch thick.

Pan Fry or Grill

To pan fry: Add the olive oil to a large cast iron skillet. When the olive oil is fragrant, add the burger patties to the pan. Cook the burgers for 2-3 minutes on the first side. Flip the burger and add a slice of cheese to the top of each burger patty. Cook the burger for an additional 2-3 minutes depending on how you like your burger.

To grill: Heat the grill to 400ºF and then place the patties over direct heat (with the grill open) and cook for 2-3 minutes on the first side. Flip the burger and add a slice of cheese to the top of each burger patty. Cook the burger for an additional 2-3 minutes depending on how you like your burger.

Assemble Burgers + Add Toppings

Remove the burger patties from the skillet or grill and place the patties on hamburger buns. Top each patty with 2 tablespoons of burger sauce, caramelized onions, a slice of tomato, and a few dill pickle rounds. Top the burger with the top bun and enjoy.

don’t skip the butter!

These homemade burgers call for 2 tablespoons grated cold butter. You’ll fold the butter into the rest of the burger ingredients before making into patties.

As the burgers cook, the butter melts and infuses delicious moisture into the patties. Don’t skip this!

Homemade burger patties on a baking sheet.

Top Tips

Never skip the butter: Grated cold butter is crucial to the juiciness of these burgers! Use cold butter so it doesn’t melt in your hands as you’re forming the patties. It will melt as you cook your burgers and infuse them with delicious moisture and flavor.

Make larger patties than you think: Ground meat will shrink as it cooks, so make your burger patties larger than the bun you’re serving them on. They will shrink up a bit as they cook.

Choose your favorite toppings: This is YOUR burger! We’re making some recommendations for toppings, but feel free to serve your homemade burgers with any toppings your hear desires.

Homemade burgers topped with cheddar cheese.

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Thermoworks Thermapen

We swear by using a meat thermometer when cooking any cut of meat. The Thermapen is our go-to meat thermometer that works every time.

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Topping Ideas

Every burger needs TOPPINGS! We recommend any (or all!? 😀 ) of the following toppings:

Easy burger sauce
Caramelized onions
Sautéed mushrooms
Pickles
Relish
Ketchup
Lettuce
Fried egg (make it a breakfast burger!)

FAQs

How do you make homemade burgers?

First, mix together your burger ingredients in a bowl, and then form the mixture into flat patties. Homemade burgers can be pan fried, grilled or baked.

What should I mix in my burgers?

We’re adding a combination of flavorful spices, plus grated cold butter to amp up the moisture and flavor of these homemade burgers.

How do you make homemade burgers stay together?

Many homemade burger recipes call for a raw egg mixed into the burger mixture, but we’re using cold grated butter that then melts and binds the burger patties together when cooking. It also adds amazing moisture and flavor!

Homemade burgers topped with caramelized onions.

Storage

Store homemade burger patties in the refrigerator for 3-5 days in an airtight container.

How to Freeze Homemade Burgers

Homemade burgers are an excellent meal to prep ahead of time so that you can thaw and eat them later with little to no effort.

Follow the directions in the recipe card below.
Let the burgers cool completely. Then, wrap each burger patty with a piece of tin foil.
Freeze for up to 3 months.

To thaw and reheat: When you’re ready to eat, let the burgers thaw and then heat up in the oven or pan fry.