5 from 12 votes
Best Hamburger
This Best Hamburger recipe uses ground beef formed into thick pucks chilled to create a crispy browned crust when cooked in a hot skillet. The burgers are pressed while cooking to ensure even sear, then topped with American cheese. Served on buns with classic condiments and fresh vegetables like lettuce, tomato, and red onion, the result balances a juicy interior with a flavorful crust and familiar toppings.
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
12 mins
Total Time
27 mins
Servings:
4
burgers
Calories:
851 kcal
Course:
Lunch, Brunch
Cuisine:
American
Ingredients
- 680 grams ground beef
- 4 lices American cheese
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
- ½ dill pickle
- hot sauce (to taste)
- black pepper ground
- 1 small red onion (sliced into rings)
- 2 ripe tomato
- 4 leaves lettuce
- 4 Hamburger Bun
Instructions
- Divide the 680 grams ground beef into four 6 ounce (170 gram) pucks about 1.25 inches thick by 3 inches wide. Try to handle the meat as little as possible and do not smash it together with your hands. Place the pucks on a wire rack and and place them in the fridge uncovered until you're ready to fry your burgers. This dries out the surface of the meat making it easier to get the crispy layer of browned meat on each side.
- Lightly oil a cast iron skillet or griddle by adding a little vegetable oil and spreading it around with a paper towel, soaking up any excess oil. Heat over medium high heat.
- While your pan is heating, salt and pepper both sides of your burgers.
- When your pan is hot, add a puck of meat and immediately top the meat with another smaller cast iron skillet or heavy pot and press down until the burger is your desired thickness. Leave the pot there while the burger cooks. The weight on top encourages meat to pan contact, which is how you get the crisp crust on your burger. If you're using a griddle and have room, repeat with the other patties.
- Let this fry until the burger is cooked ⅓ of the way up the sides and you can see a dark brown crust forming where the meat meets the pan.
- Remove the weight and flip the burger over. Top with 4 slices American cheese and continue to fry until the meat reaches your desired doneness (internal temperature of 130 F for rare, 135 F for medium-rare, 140 F for medium, and 150 F+ for well done). Keep in mind that hamburger is more prone to contamination than whole cuts of beef, so unless you really trust your butcher, you'll probably want to cook your burger to at least medium.
- To make the sauce, add the ½ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup ketchup, 2 teaspoons yellow mustard, ½ dill pickle, hot sauce, and ground black pepper to a small food processor and puree until smooth.
- To construct your burger, toast your 4 hamburger buns, and slather a generous amount of sauce onto the bottom bun. Top with 1 small red onion and then the burger patty, then 2 ripe tomatoes, and finally 4 leaves lettuce and top bun. I use this order because the weight of the burger keeps the onion rings in place while the heat slightly cooks them. The cheese adheres to the tomatoes holding them in place, and the tomatoes act as an insulator, keeping the hot patty away from your lettuce so it does not wilt.
Cup of Yum
Nutrition Information
Calories
851kcal
(43%)
Carbohydrates
29g
(10%)
Protein
38g
(76%)
Fat
63g
(97%)
Saturated Fat
20g
(100%)
Cholesterol
153mg
(51%)
Sodium
1095mg
(46%)
Potassium
640mg
(14%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
8g
(16%)
Vitamin A
350IU
(7%)
Vitamin C
3.5mg
(4%)
Calcium
334mg
(33%)
Iron
5.1mg
(28%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4 burgers
Amount Per Serving
Calories 851
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 851kcal | 43% |
| Carbohydrates | 29g | 10% |
| Protein | 38g | 76% |
| Fat | 63g | 97% |
| Saturated Fat | 20g | 100% |
| Cholesterol | 153mg | 51% |
| Sodium | 1095mg | 46% |
| Potassium | 640mg | 14% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 8g | 16% |
| Vitamin A | 350IU | 7% |
| Vitamin C | 3.5mg | 4% |
| Calcium | 334mg | 33% |
| Iron | 5.1mg | 28% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.