Burger Patty Recipe

5 from 191 votes

This juicy Burger Patty Recipe is seriously so easy and packed with flavor. No fancy ingredients or grilling required—just good quality ground beef, a few pantry spices, and a hot skillet. These cook up perfectly every time with a golden crust on the outside and a tender, juicy center. Trust me, once you try these, you won’t go back to store-bought patties again!

Prep Time15

Cook Time5

Total Time20

Course: Main

Cuisine: American

Servings: patties

Author: Brianna May

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Patties

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon brown sugar packed
1 Tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
1 1/2 teaspoons Morton kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 pounds 80/20 ground beef or ground chuck
1 Tablespoon neutral oil for the skillet, as needed

For Serving

6 hamburger buns toasted
cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, and burger sauce optional

Instructions

Make the seasoning mixture: Prepare a large plate or small baking sheet with two pieces of parchment or wax paper. Set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce, Morton kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, granulated garlic, and onion powder until smooth and combined.
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Morton kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon onion powder
Add the mixture to the beef: Place the ground beef in a large bowl. Pour the butter and seasoning mixture evenly over the beef.
2 pounds 80/20 ground beef or ground chuck
Gently mix the beef: Using your hands, gently combine the meat and seasoning mixture just until incorporated. I like to wear gloves for this step. Do not squeeze, mash, or overmix the meat. The mixture should look evenly seasoned but still loose, not packed together.
Shape the patties: Roughly divide the meat into 6 portions, or use a kitchen scale to weigh out 6 portions that are about 5.3 ounces each. Gently press each portion into a round patty. Make the patties slightly wider than your buns because they will shrink as they cook. Press a small well into the center of each patty to help prevent puffing. Place the patties on the prepared plate or baking sheet, using parchment or wax paper between layers if stacking.
Sear the first side: Heat a large stainless steel skillet, cast iron skillet, griddle, flat top, Blackstone, or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add about 1 Tablespoon of neutral oil if needed. Once the surface is hot, add 1-2 patties to a skillet, or more if using a large griddle. Leave space between the patties so they brown instead of steam. Cook for 2-3 minutes, undisturbed, until the bottom is deeply browned.
1 Tablespoon neutral oil
Flip and finish cooking: Flip the patties and cook for another 2 minutes, depending on thickness and desired doneness. Do not press down on the burgers while they cook, or the juices will run out. For food safety, ground beef should reach 160°F in the center. If adding cheese, place it on top during the last 30 seconds of cooking and cover the pan briefly to melt. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.

Notes

Ground Beef: 80/20 ground beef or ground chuck works best. The higher fat content keeps the patties juicy and helps them baste in their own fat on a flat cooking surface.
Morton Kosher Salt: This recipe uses 1 1/2 teaspoons Morton kosher salt. Use about 3 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt or about 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt/table salt, then adjust to taste.
Best cooking surface: These patties are designed for a skillet, griddle, flat top, Blackstone, gas griddle, or regular frying pan.
Do not grill directly over flames: The butter and 80/20 beef can drip through grill grates and cause flare-ups. Use a grill-safe griddle pan over the grates instead.
No binders needed: These stovetop patties do not need egg or breadcrumbs because they do not have to hold together over open grill grates.
Freeze for later: Shape the patties, freeze until firm, then store with parchment between layers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator for best results.

Nutrition