The Best Classic Burger Recipe – Perfectly seasoned juicy homemade hamburgers. This easy recipe only needs a few ingredients.
How do you make a great burger?
I’m a firm believer that a truly great hamburger doesn’t require a lot of ingredients. You only need a handful of seasonings and some good ground beef. The beef you use for burgers makes all the difference.
What type of beef is best for burgers?
A lot of my recipes call for lean ground beef. Not this one! The best beef for making hamburger patties is 80% lean and 20 % fat ground beef. You really need the fat in the meat to make juicy flavorful burgers.
The Best Hamburger Recipe
*Note: The full printable recipe card is at the bottom of this post.
- Add 80% lean ground beef to a large bowl.
- Add Worcestershire sauce, seasoning salt, garlic powder, and pepper.
- Mix with your hands until well combined.
- Divide the beef into fourths.
- Use your hands to form 4 hamburger patties 3/4 inch thick.
- Use your thumbs to make an indention in the middle of the patties.
- Grill over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes on each side.
- Serve on hamburger buns.
- Top with your favorite traditional burger toppings (lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, ketchup, etc.)
How to make a great Cheeseburger.
This burger recipe makes awesome cheeseburgers! Just add a slice of cheese to the top of each burger patty about 1 minute before they are ready to come off the grill. This will give the cheese enough time to melt. I highly recommend sliced provolone cheese on these.
What should I serve with hamburgers?
Watch the step by step recipe video for The Best Classic Burger below.
The Best Classic Burger Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds 80% lean 20% fat ground beef or ground chuck
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Optional: 4 slices of cheese
- 4 hamburger buns
- Optional: hamburger toppings - lettuce tomato, onion, pickles, ketchup, mustard, mayo, etc.
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to 375 degrees F (medium-high).
- In a large bowl, add the beef. Sprinkle evenly with the Worcestershire sauce, seasoning salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Use your hands to mix the ingredients until they are just combined.
- Divide the meat mixture into fourths. Take 1/4 of the meat mixture and use your hands to press it into the shape of a hamburger patty that is about 3/4 inch thick. Make an indention in the middle of the patty to prevent bulging in the center of the hamburger as it cooks. Repeat with the remaining meat mixture, making 4 hamburgers.
- Place the burgers on the grill. Cook 4-5 minutes on the first side. Flip the burgers over and cook an additional 4-5 minutes, until the burgers have reached the desired doneness.*
- If adding cheese, lay a slice of cheese on each burger patty about 1 minute before taking the burgers off the grill, so the cheese has a chance to melt.
- Serve the burgers on hamburger buns with optional hamburger toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
Check out all of my great ground beef recipes.
Tracie says
Ok, I’m not one to comment on recipes but this honestly was better than a $15 restaurant burger. Flavorful, moist, and cooked perfectly. The 80/20 meat did the trick I think – I’ve always used leaner and they came out too dry. The bad news is I don’t think my husband will want to go out for a burger ever again 😂. I made it with some garlic Parmesan fries that made for a perfect meal.
David Martin says
Yes Tracie, hopefully you liked the burgers because you did not cook them medium well. Any burger cooked beyond medium rare to medium destroys the whole essence of a gourmet burger: that is a fact – not opinion. You may as well just go to McDonald’s or In & Out. As soon as Amanda mentioned cooking her burger medium well you have to drop her out of a contender for legitimacy.
Mary Warren says
Hahaha@ I don’t think husband will ever want to go out for a burger again. That sounds like the perverbial good news/bad news!
Cwood says
Good burger but 1500MG of Sodium? Heck even the big mac with ‘cheese’ only clocks in at 1000.
I cut the salt in half and it still tastes pretty good to me.
Michelle McLaughlin says
How to you get 80/20 beef?
Adam Lorenz says
Ask your meat department. Ground beef is always marked on what percentage fat it is
Angela says
Made these for an extended family dinner at my mother-in-law’s house. Everyone one enjoyed them so much. Both my husband and my mother-in-law have commented since that those burgers were some of the best ever! I wholeheartedly agree! I love the beefy taste that comes from no fillers, and seasonings that enhance the beef. Thanks for a terrific recipe. I wouldn’t change a thing!
Annette says
Finally a juicy burger! Thank you all the burger was great.
Cathy Batley says
These are amazing burgers. My son made them for us for supper and I have never enjoyed a burger as much as I did them.