The Best Classic Burger

Rate Now
Jump to RecipeJump to VideoPrint Recipe

The Best Classic Burger Recipe – Perfectly seasoned juicy homemade hamburgers.  This easy recipe only needs a few ingredients.

The Best Classic Burger with toppings and a bun

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.

A mixing bowl full of ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, seasoning salt, garlic powder, and pepper for the best hamburger recipe

  • Mix with your hands until well combined.
  • Divide the beef into fourths.

Beef mixture that has been quartered to make into hamburger patties

  • Use your hands to form 4 hamburger patties ¾ 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.

Burger patty cooking on a grill plate

  • 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.

Homemade grilled burger on a bun with hamburger toppings

What should I serve with hamburgers?

Watch the step by step recipe video for The Best Classic Burger below.

Find more of my recipes on TikTok

The best classic burger recipe on a bun with traditional hamburger toppings

The Best Classic Burger Recipe

4.99 from 76 votes
The Best Classic Burger Recipe - Perfectly seasoned juicy homemade hamburgers.  This easy recipe only needs a few ingredients.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 18 minutes

Video

Servings 4 burgers
Calories 558 kcal

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 ¼ of the meat mixture and use your hands to press it into the shape of a hamburger patty that is about ¾ 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

*I usually cook for 4 minutes on each side for medium-well burgers.

Nutrition

Serving: 1patty | Calories: 558kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 1533mg | Potassium: 556mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin C: 1.1mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 5mg
Course Dinner, Entree
Keyword burger recipe, hamburger recipe, how to make a hamburger
Cuisine American
Author Amanda Finks

Check out all of my great ground beef recipes.

Want more recipes?
Sign up here to have new recipes sent directly to your inbox.
newsletter signup

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Usually, I don’t add anything to make a burger, but tonight I thought I would try something new. I’m glad I did. It was delicious and I’ll use this from here on. Thanks for your recipe.

  2. 5 stars
    Used 2 lbs of ground sirloin with the same measurements for the spices, and the burgers turned out really great! Very easy to put together. Made six very delicious patties. A total hit with the family. This will be my go-to burger recipe from here on out.

  3. 5 stars
    Best burger ever! I also added 1 teaspoon onion powder & brushed outside with oil so they wouldn’t stick to grill. Thanks for sharing!

  4. 5 stars
    We didn’t have Worcestershire sauce so I just used the other ingredients + a pinch of onion powder and a pinch of brown sugar. Pan-fried for about 8 mins and they turned out fantastic. Thank you so much! This made our week! Burgers are a must for quarantine.

  5. the burgers have great flavor and there super easy to make! it’s our family’s new favorite dinner meal!

  6. 5 stars
    Best tasting hamburger I’ve ever had; granted I don’t do a lot of red meat, but with increased exercise, I needed protein, so I hunted down a recipe that was hopefully the best ever recipe, and I was NOT disappointed. My new fav!!!

  7. 5 stars
    I made these burgers last night and they were so delicious! My usually picky 4 year old devoured his entire burger so fast, and he usually isn’t too fussy about burgers. I used pink Himalayan salt instead of seasoning salt, only because I didn’t have any on hand, but they were still fantastic. Thank you for this simple, yet delicious burger recipe, I will definitely be using it over again and again. 🙂

  8. 5 stars
    I used this recipe to make burgers for my family this past weekend, and everyone agreed that they were damned tasty! The combination of the sauce and spices greatly enhances the flavor of the ground beef. Highly recommended!

    1. Yes. However you cook it does not lessen its goodness, I pan fried mine, next time I may grill it , preferably in daylight. It’s delicious!

    2. I’ve only pan fried this recipe and everyone in my family loves it. It does take longer to cook though.

  9. 5 stars
    For 2.25 lbs of beef I used 2.5 tbsp of Worcester sauce, 1.75 tsp salt, 0.6 tsp pepper (and I forgot the garlic salt!) and it turned out delicious.

  10. 5 stars
    This is the best burger recipe I’ve tried: simple ingredients that lend just the right amount of flavor to the ground beef, yet don’t overpower that classic burger taste. This is NOT ‘meatloaf on a bun’, folks!
    I made this for my husband and myself today, and will be adding it to the rotation of meals I make for our farm crew during summer and fall harvests! Thank you😋

    1. Hi Patti – try leaving the salt out of the mix, and instead salt to taste as you lay them on the grill.

      1. I put just a touch of salt since we aren’t salt users. I didn’t want to leave it out totally though. They were awesome! My husband said save that recipe👍

    2. Easiest, best tasting burger mix, hands down. SO easy.. you can’t mess this up! Truly! Perfect amount of seasoning.

  11. I’ve been wanting to make a really delish burger for my whole family since my birthday is fast approaching. I’ll keep in mind to choose 80% lean and 20% fat ground beef for the pattie. This sounds amazing, but maybe there’s also a handcrafted restaurant that I can find just in case I wouldn’t be able to perfect this recipe on time.

  12. At a minimum, 80/20 is the way to go. When I can find it, 70/30 is even better. As my butcher says, fat is flavor. Don’t scrimp on it. Pat Lafreida makes a brisket/short rib grind that is commercially available here in central Conn that is excellent.

  13. Looks Delicious. !!!!
    I loved your presentation .
    Great Work . Thanks for sharing .
    Your post is amazing . Your have shared this amazing recipe quite nicely that it sounds so easy to make.
    Thanks !!

  14. 5 stars
    It sounds so simple but it sure does make a big difference! (I’m actually eating this recipe as I type this!) Good point about the 80/20 but I would add that ground CHUCK makes the best hamburgers. What I’m wondering is, if it’s okay to freese the other 3 patties (with the blended ingredients) since I only wanted one? Thanks Amanda 🙂

    1. If your meat was already frozen, no don’t freeze again,but you can freeze the cooked Pattie and use when ready.

    2. 5 stars
      These were so good!!! My husband, kids and cousin said those were the best I have ever made. I only used a skillet for a last minute meal. I’m making them for the second time in the skillet. Too lazy to fire up the bbq pit but next time my husband is cooking and heats it up I will put these on it. These are winners at our house!

About Amanda Finks

I’m a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist living in Zionsville, IN. I’m an avid cook, travel nerd, & lover of good food! I’m trained in Food Science & recipe development. It’s my mission to bring you the BEST recipes your whole family will love!

Read more