The Best Ever Cheeseburger
by Chungah
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Tips and tricks to make perfect juicy cheeseburgers every single time! Includes a secret burger sauce too! Quick, easy, and a crowd-favorite.
Featured Comment
This is the best burger I have ever had!!!
Why you’ll love this homemade cheeseburger recipe
- Quick, easy and so convenient. Homemade cheeseburgers do not require anything fancy. Just some good ole’ 80/20 ground chuck, salt and pepper. A recipe so easy, you can double or triple as needed, whether you’re entertaining for friends and family, or whipping this up for a quick weeknight meal. Not to mention, it’s an absolute crowd-favorite, serving with all your favorite toppings.
- No more dry, tough burgers. This recipe makes the perfect burger patties every single time – moist, juicy and cooked to perfection.
- Includes a lovely burger sauce. This is a secret burger sauce you’ll want on anything and everything. The best part? You can make it ahead of time, cutting down on prep time even further.
What meat is best for burgers?
- 80/20 ground chuck is the gold standard (80% meat, 20% fat), providing enough flavor and fat to keep the patty juicy without falling apart.
- 90/10 may be too lean, yielding dry, crumbly burgers.
- 70/30 has a much higher fat content, ideal for smash burgers for that crispy, caramelized crust, although the heavy grease is prone to cause fire and flare-ups when cooked on a grill.
How to make perfect burger patties every single time
- Make the burger sauce. Combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, dill pickle relish and Dijon. This can be made 3-5 days in advance. The longer it sits, the better, really letting the flavors come together.
- Season the ground beef. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper, stirring with a wooden spoon or clean hands.
- Form the patties. Shape the patties slightly wider than your burger buns (as they will shrink slightly), working carefully not to overmix the beef. Pro tip: use wet or oiled hands to prevent sticking.
- Cook the burgers. Cook the patties in a cast iron skillet, working in batches if needed. An overcrowded pan will steam the patties instead!
- Add the cheese. If making cheeseburgers, add the cheese once the patties are flipped. Cover if needed.
- Serve. Let the patties rest 3-5 minutes to seal in all the flavor and moisture. Serve on toasted burger buns with burger sauce and desired toppings.
Burger doneness guide
- Rare: 120-125°F (slightly cool red center)
- Medium-rare: 130-135°F (warm red center – recommended)
- Medium: 140-145°F (hot pink center with slight red)
- Medium-well: 150-155°F (slightly pink center)
- Well-done: 160°F (fully brown)
what to serve with homemade cheeseburgers
Tools For This Recipe
Large cast iron skillet
The Best Ever Cheeseburger: Frequently Asked Questions
What if my burger falls apart?
The meat may have been over handled, or is too lean, but not to worry! Gently press the edges together, topping with cheese once flipped – no one will notice the difference.
Should I press the patty down?
Never. Unless smash burgers are being made, never press down the patties during the cooking process. This will release all the juices, yielding dry burgers.
How can I check for doneness?
For the most accuracy, insert a thermometer through the side of the patty, reaching the center (the thickest part), targeting the desired temperature and doneness (guide above).
What cheese is best for cheeseburgers?
American, cheddar, swiss and pepper jack cheese are all solid options.
Can I make this ahead of time?
The burger sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.
How can I store leftovers?
Leftover burger patties can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
The Best Ever Cheeseburger
Tips and tricks to make perfect juicy cheeseburgers every single time! Includes a secret burger sauce too! Quick, easy, and a crowd-favorite.
Video
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, toasted
- Romaine or shredded lettuce
- Sliced tomato
- Sliced red onion
- Dill pickle chips
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, just slightly larger than the burger 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.
Equipment
Notes
- 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.
- Keep it cold. Keep the ground beef chilled – this will keep the fat from softening and melting into your hands when forming into patties.
- Avoid overmixing. Overworking the patties can lead to tough, rubbery burgers. Gently form the patties, minimizing handling as best as possible.
- Use a cast iron skillet. A cast iron skillet is ideal for superior heat retention to achieve that deep, caramelized crust with maximum juiciness.
- Cook in batches. Cook the patties in batches for that restaurant-quality crust, leaving at least 1-inch space between each patty. Avoid an overcrowded pan (or grill) or else the patties will steam instead, resulting in soggy, pale burgers.
- Never smash. Unless making a smash burger, never press down the patties mid-cook. This will squeeze out all the flavorful juices needed, resulting in dry, tough burgers.
- 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.
- Toast the burger buns. Toasted buns will not only add a toasty flavor but will also prevent the bread from becoming soggy from juicy toppings and meat juices.
- Grill outdoors. When the weather permits, use an outdoor grill for even more smoky, charred flavors.
Did you make this recipe?
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10/10 would recomend
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