The Best Burger Recipe

5 from 10 votes

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The Best Burger is grilled hot, juicy, and slathered in secret sauce. Of course, the most classic dinner you can make on a grill is a hamburger (or cheeseburger of course)! It never gets old and it tends to taste better the hotter it gets outside. I have the best Burger Recipe out there that results in flavorful, juicy burgers every time! Not to mention, my secret sauce. Make your next grill sesh complete with some Boston Baked Beans or Creamy Potato Salad (no eggs!) with your burgers.

Close up of a homemade Burger on a bun with tomato, red onion, cheese and lettuce

What Makes the Best Burger?

A good hamburger recipe is made up of a couple of different sections that all work beautifully together. One doesn’t overwhelm the other and you get a perfectly juicy and balanced burger. For the Best Grilled Burger, I’m going to break down each of these sections so you can have summer grilling success!

Looking for a healthier burger? Check out my turkey burger recipes: The Best Turkey Burger RecipeCheddar Ranch Turkey BurgersSouthwest Turkey Burgers, and Greek Turkey Burgers.

Uncooked ground beef with seasonings on top.

How to Make Burger Patties

These homemade burgers will make you never want summer to end! For full recipe details, see the printable recipe card down below.

Make Ground Beef Mixture

In a large bowl, mix together Ground Chuck or Ground Beef, Gourmet Burger Seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, and BBQ sauce together until well combined. Do not over mix.

ground beef in a glass bowl

Form Hamburger Patties

Line a 4-inch wide lid with plastic wrap. Add a few spoonfuls of ground beef mixture to the lid and fold the plastic wrap over the top to press and mold the burger patty. Unwrap from plastic wrap and place onto a plate or platter. Continue this process until you have created 8 patties, about 1/4 pound each, 1/3-1/2 inch thick, 4 inches across.

How to form a hamburger pattie

Refrigerate Until Ready to Grill

Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour. (This will help the burgers keep their shape on the grill.)

uncooked Hamburger patties in a pan

Get Juicy Burgers Every Time

Here are a few rules I like to live by in order to get and keep a juicy burger.

  • Start with good quality meat! This sort of seems like a “duh” tip, but it makes such a difference! For best results, use 2 pounds of of grass-fed 80/20 ground chuck. The fat content will add not only moisture, but great flavor as well.
  • Add minimal salt to your hamburger mixture, and then salt burgers right before they come off the grill. Salt draws out moisture, so if you salt the meat ahead of time, it will work against you!
  • Form even, wide patties for quick and even cooking versus smaller, thicker patties.
  • While grilling, don’t push or press on your burger. This is the exact reason why thermometers were invented! You are getting rid of all that moisture every time you push on your burgers!  Yes, it helps you see if your burger has clear juices running through it, but it also defeats the purpose of maintaining the moisture in the meat. This digital thermometer would be good to have.
  • Preheat your grill to moderate heat. You don’t want your grill blazing away over the high heat. ROOKIE MISTAKE! The outside will be nearly black by the time the inside is even close to being cooked. Keep your heat even and on medium.
  • Use Residual Heat. Cook burgers on the one side, flip, then cook briefly on the other, turn the grill off and let them finish cooking in the residual heat with the lid closed. It seems a little odd, but it helps keep things extra moist and that’s the whole point of this list.
  • A Lighter Recipe. To lighten up the recipe, make your burger with only one lean beef patty.
grilled burger on a grill

How to Grill the Best Grilled Burgers

Once you try grilling burgers this way, you’ll never go back to your old ways. Promise.

Preheat Grill + Bring Burgers From the Fridge

Place each burger onto the preheated grill. Cook 3 minutes per side.

Add Cheese to Each Burger

Add cheddar cheese slices to each patty, cover, and cook 1 minute.

Turn Off Grill + Continue to Cook

Turn grill off and then continue cooking another 3 minutes or until burgers register 160 degrees F.

grilled burger on a grill with cheese

My Secret Sauce

While the burgers are resting, make up the secret sauce! Whisk mayonnaise together with ketchup, pickles, pickle juice, ground pepper, and garlic powder. Place in refrigerator until ready to use.

Secret Sauce

Prep Toppings

After making the secret sauce, don’t forget to prep your burger toppings while the burgers are resting. Slice tomatoes, wash and tear lettuce, slice the onion, etc.

Other Common Burger Toppings to Consider

Now this is totally up to you because it’s your dinner! Some of my favorite toppings are lettuce, tomato, and red onions.

  • Mustard
  • Mayonaise
  • Mushrooms
  • Caramelized Onions
  • Bacon
  • Pickles
  • Fries

A Note About Buns

There are a ton of different hamburger buns out there. I opted for a potato bread buns, which are soft and full of flavor. Consider toasting it for a slight crunch too! If you have a favorite bun that you already use, feel free to use that instead.

Assemble Your Burger

To assemble your burger, take a bun and add plenty of secret sauce and lettuce. Then stack two burgers together and place them on top of lettuce. Now pile on any other desired toppings and close it off with the top of the hamburger bun. Enjoy!

Assembling a burger

Side Dishes to Have with this Burger Recipe

Now that you have the perfect summer burger you’re going to need some side dishes. Don’t worry…I got you covered with these easy ideas.

Homemade Burger Recipe

Storing Leftover Burgers

Store leftover burgers in the fridge, in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

Freezing Directions: Grilled hamburgers freeze well, while maintaining their flavor for up to 4 months! Allow burgers to cool completely. Wrap each burger individually in foil, and then place in a sealed freezer safe bag.

More Burger Recipes to Try!

This burger recipe is quite straightforward, so the photos should help send you down the right path! Plus, this recipe can be dressed up or dressed down for all your burger needs. Just be sure to print the recipe so you have it on hand 🙂

The printable recipe card is below. Have a great day, friends!

Homemade Burgers
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5 from 10 votes

The Best Burger Recipe

The Best Burger Recipe is grilled, juicy, and slathered in secret sauce. These homemade burgers will make you never want summer to end!
servings 4 servings
Prep Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

for the burgers-

for the secret sauce-

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup dill pickles finely diced
  • 1 tablespoon dill pickle juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 8 slices cheddar cheese
  • 4 potato hamburger buns
  • lettuce
  • tomato
  • red onion etc.

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, mix Ground Beef, burger seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, and BBQ sauce together until well combined.
    Double Decker Summer Burgers-6
  • Line a 4-inch wide lid with plastic wrap. Add a few spoonfuls of hamburger mixture to the lid and fold plastic wrap over the top to press and mold the burger patty. Unwrap from plastic wrap and place onto a plate or platter. Continue this process until you have created 8 patties, about 1/4 pound each, 1/3-1/2 inch thick, 4 inches across.
    Double Decker Summer Burgers-10
  • Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour. (This will help the burgers keep their shape on the grill)
    Double Decker Summer Burgers-12
  • While burgers are resting, make the secret sauce: stir mayonnaise together with ketchup, pickles, pickle juice, ground pepper, and garlic powder. Place in refrigerator.
    Double Decker Summer Burgers-2
  • Also, prep your burger toppings: slice tomatoes, wash and tear lettuce, slice the onion, etc.
    Double Decker Summer Burgers-15
  • To grill, place each burger onto preheated grill. Cook 3 minutes on one side and then flip. Add cheddar cheese slices on each patty, cover and cook 1 minute. Turn grill off and then continue cooking another 3 minutes or until burgers register 160 degrees F.
    Double Decker Summer Burgers-14
  • Stack two burgers* together and place onto hamburger buns. Add plenty of secret sauce and any other desired toppings. Enjoy!
    Double Decker Summer Burgers-19

Notes

*To lighten up the recipe, make with only one lean beef patty.

Nutrition

Calories: 923kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 68g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 211mg | Sodium: 1387mg | Potassium: 1067mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 905IU | Vitamin C: 2.6mg | Calcium: 586mg | Iron: 10.3mg
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: best burger recipe, burger recipe, homemade burgers
5 from 10 votes (1 rating without comment)

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Recipe Rating




46 Responses
  1. The Hook

    This burger recipe is an absolute game-changer! I recently gave it a shot in my kitchen, and the results exceeded my expectations. The interplay of the succulent beef patty, the perfectly melted cheese, and the crunchy veggies created a flavor symphony that rivaled my preferred restaurant burgers.

    What I appreciate most is the recipe’s versatility. From the cheese selection to the array of toppings, it allows for a personalized touch that caters to diverse taste preferences. The straightforward instructions made the cooking process a breeze, even for someone like me who doesn’t consider themselves a culinary expert.

    As a side note, if you ever find yourself in need of a top-notch burger but aren’t up for cooking, I highly recommend exploring “The Hook Takeaway Menu” in Petone. Their burgers are outstanding, and the menu diversity ensures there’s something for every palate. It’s my go-to spot when I’m craving a quick and flavorful burger without the kitchen cleanup!

    Thanks for sharing this incredible recipe – it has undeniably secured a permanent spot in my home-cooking repertoire!

  2. Melissa

    5 stars
    Very tasty, indeed!! A nice change from the normal grilled burger. I was worried with adding 2 Tablespoons of the burger seasoning AND worchestere AND BBQ sauce, but it was just really good. Not too salty, not too seasoned. Kids are it just fine. Sauce was great too – a good homemade thousand island! I’ll make it again for sure!

  3. Carol lankford

    5 stars
    It’s Mother’s Day, in quarantine, and I’m just wanting a grilled burger. Especially now that I’ve seen THIS burger! I have an awesome husband but bless his heart, he cannot grill. He can build anything and remodel a home but he cannot grill…….until now! Thank you for your very specific grilling instructions. My
    grilled burger world is forever changed. He kinda grinned and shook his head when I gave him your cooking instructions but was so proud when it turned into THE PERFECT BURGER! Thank
    You so much!!

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  6. Lindsay C

    I got a grill for mothers day so we’re having a fathers Day BBQ lol these burgers tips are fantastic! I can’t wait to make these on Sunday!

  7. Lauren

    5 stars
    HOLY! These look so juicy and delicious. I might have to renew my gym membership and make these..ASAP! thanks for sharing 🙂

  8. Serena

    Wow, these burgers look amazing!! Better than any restaurant I’ll say! Can’t wait to try them…thanks for posting such yummy recipes! Your pizza dough recipe is my favorite!

  9. Marieke

    I love a good burger and am always on the lookout for new recipes to try! Can’t wait till it’s warm here again so we can fire up the grill and try these!

  10. Heidi @foodiecrush

    5 stars
    There is nothing better than a juicy, beefy, cheeseburger. I love all the tips you’ve given too, smart!

  11. Linda Flowers

    This looks amazing! Thank you for the tips to keep the burgers moist. I would never have thought to turn the grill off to use residual heat. Laura’s ground beef is great.

  12. donna Brennan

    Love the story–think I may have had one or two of those burgers!!! Hope your new apt in NYC has a place to grill!!

  13. Kimberli

    5 stars
    Yum!! Your burgers look delicious! Once it starts getting warm out, I’d be content to have grilled burgers every night for dinner! I can’t wait to make your secret sauce!

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