Perfect Hamburger Recipe (VIDEO) - NatashasKitchen.com

Your new favorite Hamburger Recipe! There’s nothing like a juicy cheeseburger with fresh crisp toppings on a toasted bun smothered with an irresistible burger sauce. We are sharing our best tips for making the perfect restaurant-style burger with the juiciest patty you’ll sink your teeth into.

We love burger recipes from our Cheeseburger Sliders to Hamburger Soup, but we make these classic burgers most often. Watch the video tutorial and learn how to make the ultimate grilled burgers.

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Pair these juicy hamburgers with Grilled Corn and Air Fryer French Fries for the perfect cookout menu.

Hamburgers Video Tutorial

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The Best Cheeseburgers

Beef is delicious on its own – it is a high-quality protein that is tender, juicy, and full of natural flavor. The most important tip for making the perfect burgers is to keep it simple. You don’t need a bunch of mix-ins, or you’re just masking the flavor of the beef. Remember it’s not a meatloaf, but a burger.

We’ve ordered burgers from countless restaurants, from nicer steak houses to fast food and we always come back to these homemade cheeseburgers. Making your own patty from scratch will produce the best juicy burger and I can’t resist a generous amount of crisp and fresh toppings (no more soggy lettuce).

Follow our tips below and you will be known for making the best hamburgers!

Cheeseburger with sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion and toasted bun

Toppings

You want all of your toppings ready to go to assemble the hamburgers when the patties are hot and ready. Toast the buns and prepare toppings first, then cook burger patties. When building a perfect burger, pick toppings that will add appealing texture, color, and flavor.

Sliced cheese (our favorite is thick-sliced, medium cheddar)
Dill pickle slices
Fresh red onions (or caramelized onions)
Tomato,
Green leaf or iceberg lettuce,
Avocado
Bacon + pineapple + the BBQ sauce below
Jalapeños to add some heat

Classic burger toppings with buns, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, pickles, red onion and sauces

The Best Hamburger Buns

Homemade Hamburger Buns – our top choice for flavor and texture
Potato Buns – Our top choice because they are the softest with great flavor
Pub-Style buns – soft, tall, restaurant-style
Classic Sesame Seed Buns – inexpensive and classic
Brioche Bun – has a sweeter flavor
Pretzel Buns – denser but least likely to get mushy

How to Make Hamburger Patties

Use Ground Chuck Beef (80/20) – grind your own or buy it ground, but 20% fat is ideal and keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to use it.
Don’t overwork your meat – this will make it tough and dense.
Shape the patties 1” wider than the bun since they shrink on the grill.
Make an indentation in the center to prevent it from plumping up in the center.
Don’t Season too early – Salt changes the structure of proteins and toughens burgers so don’t season your ground beef until you have formed your patties and are ready to grill.
Get a good Sear – Once on the grill, let patties brown and sear well (3-5 min) before flipping, and do not press down on the burger save that for making Smash Burgers.

Formed burger patties with indent in center

Pro Tip: If you prefer a thicker, beefier patty, try making 1/3 lb patties, but keep in mind, the grilling time will be longer with thicker patties.

How to Tell When Burgers are Done

Whether you are working with fresh ground beef or fully thawed, the recommendation is that cooked patties should feel firm to the touch and be cooked to 160˚F on an instant-read thermometer. Keep in mind that color is not a reliable indicator of ground beef doneness so do not cut into it to check or the juices will drain out just like with a steak.

Can I Cook Hamburgers on the Stovetop?

Yes! Most restaurants cook on a cast iron skillet. Heat the skillet over medium/high heat and add a high heat oil (not butter), adding just enough to lightly coat the bottom. Once the oil is hot but not smoking, add burger patty and sauté without moving it for 3 to 5 minutes per side the same way you would on a grill, cooking to a safe internal temperature of 160˚F on an instant-read thermometer.

How to Assemble Burgers

There are differing opinions on how to build a burger. My husband’s first job was at Chilis®️ where he learned how to put together a restaurant-style burger. Here is how the pros assemble their burgers:

Sauce – Apply a generous amount of sauce to both buns (see below for our favorite burger sauces).
Toppings – Place pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, and red onion onto the bottom bun
Patty – Place cheesy burger patty over the veggies and cover with top bun

How to assemble burgers with buns, sauce, pickles, lettuce, tomato, cheese, onion

The Best Burger Sauce

We love a good aioli (flavored mayo) for burgers. These are super easy to whip up and have impressive flavor. The adult favorite around here is the BBQ aioli and the kids’ favorite is “Fry Sauce.” Experiment and make them all for a seriously impressive (but easy) burger sauce spread!

I hope this Burger Recipe becomes a new favorite for you. Over the years, we have tried all kinds of burger recipes – stuffed burgers, various beef mix-ins, and seasonings, but we keep coming back to this classic beef burger. It’s so simple but with hamburgers, the simplest recipe really is the best.

Serve Burgers with

These are our favorite BBQ Side dishes for a summer cookout and they pair perfectly with Burgers.