Everyone needs an awesome basic burger recipe in their back pocket, and this one is it. Ground beef is perfectly seasoned to make THE BEST grilled hamburgers! I love this recipe because it requires really basic ingredients that I usually have on hand. I actually discovered this recipe years and years ago, before I even had kids, in Family Fun magazine and it’s been a staple at our house ever since. Follow this simple recipe for perfectly flavored burgers every time!
Ingredients and Equipment List
- Ground beef – 80-85% lean is preferable. With the higher fat content you’ll get a much juicier, flavorful burger. That being said, you are welcome to make this recipe with leaner ground beef if you like.
- A1 Sauce – or substitute your favorite steak sauce- this gives a great flavor boost with a little bit of tang.
- Dijon mustard – a touch of acidic mustard gives flavor and depth.
- Kosher Salt and Black Pepper – for flavor.
- 2 cloves minced garlic – fresh garlic, as opposed to dry gives an extra burst of flavor.
- Oregano – just dried oregano is great.
- Dehydrated onion – The bits of dehydrated onion will absorb moisture from the beef mixture and add flavor to the overall burger.
How to make great Hamburgers
Tip: When making any type of ground beef burger, aim to mix the meat mixture enough to evenly distribute flavors and seasonings, but handle the meat as little as possible in order to retain the best texture.
- Place ground beef in a large bowl and add the steak sauce, mustard, salt, pepper, garlic, oregano and onion. Gently mix to distribute seasonings throughout meat (like to use food safe gloves for this step).
- Shape beef mixture into the desired number of patties (4-6, depending on how large you make them.) Use your thumb to make an indentation in the top of each burger–this will keep the burgers from seizing up and becoming round while cooking.
- Grill for about 7 minutes on each side over medium heat until desired doneness is reached. See information on cooking temperatures, below.
- While the burgers are cooking, get your toppings ready and toast your buns, if desired.
- If you want cheese on your burger, place it on top of the burger while it’s still cooking (and has about 1-2 minutes left). When the burgers are done and the cheese is melty, place them on your toasted buns and then add your desired toppings!
What temperature should I cook my burger to?
The best tool you can have when cooking burgers is an instant read digital thermometer. This will take a lot of the guess work out of deciding when they’re done and allow you to cook to your perfect temperature. The USDA recommends that the minimum internal temperature (in the thickest part of the burger) is 160°F. That is the temperature necessary to kill bacteria that is sometimes present in ground meats. Bacteria will only be present on the outside of a piece of beef, which is why cooking steak to a lower internatl temperature is recommended safe, but grinding meat mixes everything up, which is why ground beef is recommended to be cooked to a higher temperature of 160°F. That being said, burgers cooked to 160°F+ tend to be less tender and many people (including restaurants) still enjoy cooking their burgers to a lower temperature for tenderness. If you choose to do that, use this guide as a reference, always checking the temperature in the thickest part of the meat:
Medium Rare: 130°-135°F
Medium: 140°-145°F
Medium Well: 150°-155°F
Well Done: 160°-165°F
Hamburger Topping Suggestions
Burger toppings are endless, but here’s a few of our classic favorites:
- Crispy lettuce like romaine or ice berg.
- Red onion
- Thick slice of tomato
- Pickle chips
- Crisp Bacon
- Melted Cheese, like cheddar, havarti, american or pepperjack.
- Condiments such as mayo, mustard and ketchup.
Frequently Asked Questions
The USDA recommends that the minimum internal temperature (in the thickest part of the burger) is 160°F. That being said, many people still enjoy cooking their burgers to a lower temperature and if you choose to do that, use this guide as a reference.
Medium Rare: 130°-135°F
Medium: 140°-145°F
Medium Well: 150°-155°F
Well Done: 160°-165°F
Of course! You can cook them in a skillet over medium heat.
Yes. Prepare recipe into patties, then layer them between pieces of parchment in airtight packaging in the freezer for up to 2 months. Place in the fridge to defrost before cooking.
Yes. You can make the patties 1-2 days ahead and store them between pieces of parchment paper in a container in the fridge.
Make it a Meal!
Here’s a few recipes that are great to serve along side a burger.
Classic Hamburgers
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ¼-1 ½ pound 80-85% lean ground beef
- 3 tablespoons A1 Sauce or favorite steak sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- ¾ teaspoon dry oregano
- 1 tablespoon dehydrated onion
- 6 Hamburger Buns
Desired Burger Toppings
Instructions
- Place beef in a mixing bowl and add steak sauce, mustard, salt, pepper, garlic, oregano, and dehydrated onion. Shape meat into the desired number of patties (4-6, depending on how large you make them.) Use your thumb to make an indentation in the top of each burger–this will keep the burgers from seizing up and becoming round while cooking.
- Grill for about 7 minutes on each side over medium heat. Tip: to better control your cooking temperature and desired doneness, you may want to cook your burgers over indirect heat to start and then finish off with a hot sear. See recipe notes for finish temperature information.
- While the burgers are cooking, get your toppings ready and toast buns, if desired. I like to slice the buns open and spread them with a little butter and then you can either place them under the broiler in your oven or buttered-side-down on a hot skillet, or on the grill's lowest setting.
- If you want cheese on your burger, place it on top of the burger while it’s still cooking (and has about 1-2 minutes left). When the burgers are done and the cheese is melty, place them on your toasted buns and then add your desired toppings!
Questions & Reviews
Twelve years later and these are still terrific. I was a hard-core Family Fun subscriber back in the day, so this recipe (and others in my stash) makes me smile.
Delicious! Loved them for our first burger grill
I’ve been making these for the last couple years and we love them. It’s our go-to burger recipe.
Made these for our first burgers on the grill for the summer and they were a huge hit! I agree: no more plain patties. I doubled the recipes for the 6 of us and made 8 patties. Thanks!
Made these burgers tonight for dinner…HUGE hit at my house!! Thank you!
I made these the other day. They were fabulous!
This is on the menu for tonight and we cannot wait to eat. These are my husband’s favorite burgers, maybe even favorite grill-meal. I thoroughly enjoy them as well, being a carnivore through-and-through!
I just found your blog via make it and love it…this is the third recipe that ive made.these burgers were AMAZING!!!Made them for my family and we invited my hubby’s single friend over…the guys would not stop raving about how good they were! Thank you! I also just ordered your cookbook…cant wait to use it!!
First, I love your web site and just pre-ordered your book! Of all the cooking site I have tried over the years, I have been most successful with your recipes!
I mad the Samburgers tonight on the homemade buns. My 11 year old loved them and he usually does not like hamburgers at home. At one point he was enjoying it so much (moaning and sighing) that my husband said, "He's having a moment with the hamburger!"
queenskitchen–I would probably just use ketchup, another steak sauce, or BBQ sauce as a substitute.
Hope that helps!