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Home » Recipes » Dinner

August 3, 2020

Best Homemade Burgers

Published August 3, 2020 | Julia Frey (Vikalinka)

Jump to Recipe

Learn how to make burger patties from ground beef for the best, juiciest homemade burgers! Then take them up a notch by adding our 2 Hour Hamburger Buns and our special burger sauce. 

Don’t forget our famous potato salad if you are hosting a barbecue! 

a cheeseburger with onion, tomatoes and pickles

One the things my husband laments more than anything about our life in London is the absence of a decent burger. It’s not that they don’t make good burgers here but it’s not a given like it is in North America.

You need seek good hamburger places out and never forget what they are. So we make our own burger to avoid disappointment! Another reason is choosing crazy delicious toppings and sauces. 

a burger topped with cheese, sliced onion, tomato and pickles resting on the bottom half of a bun

Best Homemade Beef Burger Recipe

I don’t want summer to be over before I get a chance to share our family burger recipe. There is nothing fancy about it. It’s classic but over the years of cooking and experimenting we settled on this method for the best homemade burgers. 

And of course it would be foolish not to admit that a proper burger starts with the best quality beef! And a very good bun. For this reason I prefer making my own buns. They are perfect. Soft and fluffy but with enough substance, so they do not disintegrate in your hand when you add a juicy burger and sauces. 

top down view of a cheeseburger with sauce spilling out

How to make burger patties from ground beef

I know there are burger purists out there, who don’t believe in adding anything to the beef. I am not one of them. I like my meat to be seasoned but not too much. I believe seasoning is necessary to enhance the taste of the beef. 

Ingredients

Here is what I add to my ground beef. A small grated or blended onion, salt and pepper. I also add an egg to bind the mixture together. That’s it. 

Julia’s Tips

Another point I’d like to highlight is the beef quality and fat content. I often use lean or extra lean beef in my recipes but NOT in hamburgers.

You need to use ground beef that has at least 10% fat content for that juicy bite! Also buy the best quality beef you can afford. Meat quality makes all the difference. 

raw hamburger patties

You might’ve noticed a small indentation in the middle of each burger patty in the photos above. Those are done intentionally to prevent the burgers from puffing up in the middle during the cooking process. A trick we learned years ago from a friend. 

Finally, there is nothing worse than going through the trouble of making a perfect burger patty and then ruining it on the grill by overcooking it. If you are not confident your burgers are cooked all the way through, investing in a digital thermometer is a much better idea than eating dry burgers. The internal temperature of homemade burgers should be 160F/71C. 

Burger Topping and Sauces

We all know that what you put on your burger is deeply personal but allow me just to give you a few of suggestions. What you do with your burger is your business. 

homemade burger with cheese, tomatoes, onions and pickles on grey plate closeup

  • Cheese (I personally cannot imaging my perfect burger without a slice of melty cheese)
  • Sliced onions raw or cooked and caramelised
  • Sliced tomatoes
  • Sliced pickles
  • Fried mushrooms
  • Bacon (a personal favourite)
  • BBQ sauce
  • Our special sauce

The sauce we love to put on our burgers is a combination of mayonnaise, ketchup and a dash of sriracha sauce. It’s sweet and spicy with a satisfying creamy texture. It’s simply perfect!

What are your favourite topping? Let me know in comments!

Best side dishes for your next BBQ

  • Dill Potato Salad Recipe
  • Cucumber and Tomato Salad
  • Pasta Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
  • Chipotle Mayo Roasted Potato Wedges
homemade burger with cheese, tomatoes, onions and pickles on grey plate closeup

Best Homemade Burgers

Julia Frey of Vikalinka
Learn how to make burger patties from ground beef for the best, juiciest burgers!
5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Chilling Time 1 hr
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 496 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 650g/1.5lbs ground beef good quality, 10% fat
  • 1 onion small, grated
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper

For the special burger sauce

  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp ketchup
  • 1 tbsp sriracha

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl combine the ground beef, grated onion or blended onion, a beaten egg, salt and pepper. Do not overmix. Divide into 4 equal parts. I use a scale but it's not necessary. Then roll them into balls and using any flat surface like the bottom of a frying pan press them down to approximately 1 inch thick. Your hamburger patties should be slightly larger in diameter than your buns as they will shrink when cooked.
  • Then press an indentation in the middle of each burger with your thumb, this will keep the patties flat when cooking, otherwise they have a tendency to puff up in the middle. Arrange the burgers in a single layer on a parchment lined pan and chill them in a fridge for at least 1 hour. (This step helps patties to keep their shape on the grill.)
  • Grill your burgers for 5 minutes on each side. Cook time may vary depending on the level of heat from the grill. Be alert to any flare-ups from burning grease if using a BBQ. Do not press on your burgers while they are on the grill or all the juices will leak out. Add sliced cheese on top of each burger 1 minute before you take your hamburgers off the grill, cover with a lid and let the cheese melt. (If you are worried about your meat not being done, use a digital meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. It should read 160F/71C.)
  • In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise, ketchup and sriracha. Serve with the burgers along other toppings like lettuce, sliced tomatoes and pickles.

Nutrition

Calories: 496kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 30gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 159mgSodium: 2068mgPotassium: 518mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 98IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 3mg
Keyword best burger recipe, homemade burgers
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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612 shares

About Julia Frey (Vikalinka)

Julia Frey is a London based recipe developer and photographer. Julia founded Vikalinka in 2012 with the main mission to provide her readers with delicious and accessible everyday recipes, which could be enjoyed by everyone.
read more..

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rachael Yerkes says

    at

    5 stars
    better than any restaurant burger! These are to die for!

    Reply
    • Julia Frey (Vikalinka) says

      at

      Thanks so much, Rachael!

      Reply
  2. Matt Taylor says

    at

    5 stars
    You can never go wrong with a yummy homemade burger! This one is great!

    Reply
    • Julia Frey (Vikalinka) says

      at

      I agree, homemade burgers rock!

      Reply
  3. Toni Dash says

    at

    5 stars
    I love everything about this burger!! So good!

    Reply
    • Julia Frey (Vikalinka) says

      at

      Thanks so much, Toni!

      Reply

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Julia from Vikalinka

Julia Frey is a London based recipe developer and photographer. Julia founded Vikalinka in 2012 with the main mission to provide her readers with delicious and accessible everyday recipes, which could be enjoyed by everyone.

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