The Best Ever Cheeseburger
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Tips and tricks to make THE BEST cheeseburger patties every time. Includes the most amazing burger sauce too!
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Homemade cheeseburgers. An absolute summertime staple. And it doesn’t require anything fancy. Just some good ole’ 80/20 ground chuck, salt and pepper (seasoning is absolute key here) and the most epic burger sauce to take your burger to the next level.
Serve with desired toppings (all the bread and butter pickles for me) on toasted brioche hamburger buns. And don’t forget to snag some good quality American cheese (or your favorite kind of cheese if American cheddar isn’t your thing).
why i love this recipe
- Quick weeknight meal, but also perfect for entertaining (absolute crowd-favorite)
- Easy recipe to double or triple as needed
- Makes perfect burger patties every single time – no more dry, tough burgers
- Includes a lovely burger sauce that you’ll want on anything and everything (and you can make it ahead of time)
tips and tricks for success
- Use 80/20. 80% lean meat with 20% fat is ideal for cheeseburgers, providing just enough fat to keep the burger juicy and moist without being overly greasy. For a leaner ratio, 90/10 can be used, although anything above 90% can lead to dry, dense burgers.
- Fresh ground beef is best. Packaged ground beef can work just fine, but fresh ground beef from the butchers is less likely to be overpacked and will lead to far more superior flavor and texture.
- Season generously. Generously season the beef with salt and pepper before forming into patties for even distribution – no need to overload with different seasonings.
- Avoid overmixing. Overworking the patties can lead to tough, rubbery burgers. Gently form the patties, minimizing handling as best as possible.
- Drain the fat. Drain off the pan between batches, wiping the pan clean before adding more patties.
- Keep warm. This is a great recipe to double as needed. When cooking multiple batches, keep the patties warm on a baking sheet in the oven at 300°F.
- Grill outdoors. When the weather permits, use an outdoor grill for even more smoky, charred flavors.
Tools For This Recipe
Large cast iron skillet
The Best Ever Cheeseburger: Frequently Asked Questions
The meat may have been over handled, or is too lean, but not to worry! Gently press the edges together, topping with cheese – no one will notice the difference.
Leftover burger patties can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
The burger sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.
The Best Ever Cheeseburger
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef, 80/20
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 6 slices American cheese
for the burger sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons dill pickle relish
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
for serving
- Brioche hamburger buns, homemade or store-bought
- Romaine or shredded lettuce
- Sliced tomato
- Sliced red onion
- Dill pickle chips
Equipment
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine beef, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Using a wooden spoon or clean hands, stir until well combined. Gently form into 6 1-inch-thick patties, about the size of the hamburger buns.
- Heat canola oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Working in batches, add patties and cook until lightly charred or until desired doneness, about 3-5 minutes per side; top with cheese.
- Serve immediately in hamburger buns with burger sauce and desired toppings.
for the burger sauce
- In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, ketchup, dill pickle relish and Dijon.
Video
Did you make this recipe?
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So helpful!!
this made me hungry!
Tried your cheese burger recipe tonight and it as delicious but I had a problem with the burgers themselves in that they fell apart into pieces when I cooked them……any recommendations on how to solve this problem, they really were delicious.
Mike, cook the burgers slowly at first. Then turn up the heat. Ray
The use of the phrase “good ole’” gives the impression that the recipe is a classic and has been tried and tested. The author emphasizes the importance of seasoning and mentions that the burger sauce is what takes it to the next level. The toppings mentioned are bread and butter pickles, toasted brioche hamburger buns, and American cheese. Overall, the description makes me want to try this recipe myself!
What kind./brand of American Cheese do you use? What do you consider good quality? Thank you!
Yes! After trying different amounts, we too have decided that 1/3 pound is the perfect amount for the perfect burger. Delicious!!!
Very nice and easy recipe to follow
Thanks for sharing
I grew up eating burgers cooked this way! Any hints on doing on grill? Or blackstone?
this is the best burger i have ever had!!!
I made it tonight and thought it was delicious! Just a wonderful treat. Wish I could figure out where to put the sauce, bottom of the bun or on the top? Didn’t have lettuce so maybe that is a factor in sauce placement.
Linda, put the sauce on tip of the bun. Ray
I wasn’t sure I’d like the sauce, but when combined with the cheeseburger and brioche bun, it was delicious. I’d did make just one teeny substitution, based on my own personal preference, by adding 1 TBLS of sweet relish along with 2 TBLS of dill relish.
Was phenomenal man
Why do the images show leaf lettuce but ingredients say shredded?
A-are you serious? It’s a mistake, use common sense and decide, “Do I want shredded or leaf?” Pathetic complaint that a RECIPE needs to guide you 100%.
He was just asking a question. He never complained about anything. No need to be rude.
Agreed, Rue! No need t0 be rude!
They did it just to confuse you, Evan.
Phenomenal!
Great method and recipe to make the Burger this way I’ve been doing it for 35 yrs and always comes out like this picture and taste great.
It beat the Fast Foods places all the time so making it this way will always taste good and come out just like this.
Sounds like big Mac sauce.
Forget the toppings and sauces. IF you have actually cooked high quality ground beef patties correctly then they should taste great all by themselves on a toasted bun or sliced bread.
This is the wrong take.
I made this but changed the dill pickle chips for cucumber slices very food
Ok, so I’ve definitely tried this before but the only thing we left out was the sauce.
Look every burger has it’s own type of unique sauce ok, but the sauce for hot dogs you can’t go wrong with that either. If you know what I’m saying, aha.
Looks so good
Burgers are an all time favorite in our house. I look forward to making the sauce! We always make our burger and fries in our airfryer. Makes for a crispy outside and moist inside. 18min typically does the trick.
what temperature do you use for the burgers in an air fryer?