An all-American classic that’ll make your mouth water!
Hamburgers are one of those classic foods associated with America, despite having likely origins in Germany as a Hamburg steak. There are Americanized fast food versions all over the world; there are homemade grilled burgers at American backyard parties and then there are fancy versions with complex ingredients, techniques, and toppings in upscale restaurants. There’s a place for a hamburger in all parts of the American culinary experience. And there’s most certainly a place for a hamburger on your plate!
My favorite experience with hamburgers is always with family and friends, especially for events like a Fourth of July backyard pool party. You work up an appetite, keeping up with the kids playing in the pool, splashing all over, and having a blast, and you can smell the delicious food cooking on the grill. You come out of the pool famished, get your burger, get your toppings from a selection to customize your meal, and sit down with your loved ones to enjoy a sunny day with great food!
This hamburger recipe is great because of how simple and easy it is. Nothing crazy, nothing too fancy; just good, simple ground beef with toppings. It’s juicy and completely irresistible. The patty will be full of flavor, while the toppings will pop with crispness in your mouth. Toasting the hamburger buns is just the metaphorical cherry on top to give you that complete, perfect hamburger experience.
Where’s the Beef?
The quality of your ground beef determines the quality of your hamburger. It’s the foundation on which anything else gets built and what holds up all your toppings and your bun. Make sure you choose good quality ground beef when doing your shopping! An 80/20 beef is a good choice because it will balance the juiciness and not be too greasy. If you choose leaner ground beef, keep a close eye on it while cooking because it’ll dry out faster.
FAQs & Tips
How to Make Ahead and Store
If you want to make the patties in advance, you can freeze them as raw patties in your freezer until you’re ready to cook! You can cook them up frozen or thawed, but personally, I think you get a better result when they’ve thawed out. When storing them, keep each patty separate between layers of wax paper so they don’t get stuck together.
Heat Shrinks
Your beef patties will shrink when they cook. This was something I messed up on the first few times I made hamburgers from scratch when I made the patties the size I expected to eat, and they cooked into small disks that didn’t fit on a burger bun. Don’t make my mistake! You want to make your burger patty a bit wider and thinner than the bun so that when it cooks, it cooks into the right shape.
Extra Flavor
If you want to add a bit of flavor to your beef patties, put in 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon of garlic powder, and 1 tablespoon of onion powder! This will bring out a savory and delicious flavor that perfectly complements the meat.
Serving Suggestions
If you’re doing a cookout or just want to capture that cookout vibe, a great choice for a side dish next to your hamburger is Grilled Corn in the Husk! Other delicious sides can be a refreshing Wedge Salad or some crispy French Fries, Perfect French Fries in the Air Fryer, or Baked Fries. Toppings can be whatever you wish! If you want to get a little creative, try a Salsa topping with some avocado. You can also fry onions as either a side dish or a topping with these Onion Rings!
Hamburger Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef 80/20
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 4 hamburger buns
- 4 slices cheddar cheese
- 1 large tomato sliced
- 4 lettuce leaves
- 4 slices red onion
- Ketchup, mustard, or other condiments as desired
Instructions
- Prepare your grill or skillet to medium heat.
- Divide the ground beef into 4 equal portions. Shape each portion into a patty that’s slightly larger than your buns.
- Season both sides of each patty generously with salt and black pepper.
- Place the patties on the grill or skillet. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side for medium doneness.
- Add a slice of cheese to each patty during the last minute of cooking, allowing it to melt.
- Toast the hamburger buns on the grill or skillet until lightly golden.
- Assemble the burgers by placing a lettuce leaf on the bottom half of each bun, followed by a slice of tomato, a slice of onion, the cheese-topped patty, and any condiments of your choice.
- Cover with the top half of the bun and serve immediately.
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