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.
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.
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.