How to Make Absolutely Scrumptious Homemade Burgers

Don’t settle for plain homemade burgers when there are so many ways to turn your hamburger into a masterpiece.

As we know, a hamburger consists of three parts: the beef patty, bun, and the condiments. Thus, if one of those is lacking it affects the entire package. For that reason, we are going to center in on each of those segments and turn your homemade burger into something quite scrumptious.

Notably, there is no perfect burger. After all, everyone has their own tastes and preferences. What one person might consider the ultimate burger might not be the consensus of others.

For instance, just as some people like their meat well done, others like some pink showing.

Hopefully, through reading this article, you will find options that appeal to your own particular taste.

Best Ground Beef for Homemade Burgers

When buying ground beef for hamburgers, the proportion of fat content is important. If you go too lean, your hamburgers will not be very juicy. Too much fat and your hamburgers are greasy. Ideally, a good balance is 80/20. That means that 20% of the meat comes from fat content.

Certainly, you will find recipes throughout the internet that add fillers in the ground meat, such as egg or breadcrumbs. Definitely, that’s fine if you want a meatloaf-type burger. In this case, however, we’re going to stick to the plain beef.

Should You Mix Seasonings into Homemade Burgers?

For sure, add salt and pepper. Although, if you want to branch out a little, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika will add some nice flavor and depth to the hamburger. Ideally, about 1/8 teaspoon per burger will be sufficient.

When to Season Homemade Burgers

In general, there are mixed opinions as to whether you should season the meat before making the patties or sprinkling the seasoning over the formed patties. However, there are advantages and disadvantages to both.

Rightly so, mixing the seasoning into the meat beforehand works to distribute the flavors throughout the meat. The drawback, though, is salt can have a tendency to suck out moisture and potentially dry out the meat. In addition, excess handling of the meat can make it tough.

Notably, seasoning the meat after the patties have been formed eliminates the problem associated with pre-mixing. However, the downside here is the seasoning doesn’t get distributed throughout the meat as thoroughly.

Seriously, I don’t see any real issues with the latter, but again, this is a personal preference.

Shaping Homemade Burger Patties

Does it really make any difference how you shape your homemade burger patty?

Actually, the shape is of importance for a couple reasons.

First, a properly formed patty with consistent thickness allows the meat to cook more evenly. You don’t want the edges overly done or the center undercooked.

Second, you want the shape and size of the patty to be compatible with the bun you are using. Remember to account for some slight shrinkage through the cooking process.

Shaping the Burger Patty

To shape your homemade burger patties, divide the meat out into individual portions. The thickness of the patties is a personal choice. However, it’s easier to grill your homemade hamburgers if all patties are the same size. Some people like to use a scale to make sure all patties are equal amounts.

With care, gently press the patties down to flatten to the desired size. Then make a small indentation with your thumb in the center of the patty. This will keep the center from bulging which can cause uneven cooking.

For ease of use, stack the meat patties with a piece of parchment or waxed paper in between the patties. Conveniently, this will make them easier to handle and keep them from sticking to each other.

That’s all you need to do to form your homemade burger patties. Above all, make it simple so as not to overwork the meat which can lead to tough beef.

How to Cook Patties for Homemade Burgers

We’re getting closer to scrumptious homemade burgers.

The three most common ways of cooking homemade burgers are on the grill, under the broiler, or in a skillet. Again, that’s a preference.

How to Grill Homemade Burger Patties

There’s no doubt good homemade burgers taste better when grilled. But that’s my take.

With the grill set to high, place the prepared burger patties onto the hottest part of the grate. What we’re going for here is a good sear to form a crust on the outside of the burger. After about five minutes, a golden crust should have formed on the bottom. Likewise, you will see juices beginning to seep out of the top of the burger. Now it is time to flip the burger to the other side. At this point, it should easily free itself from the grate without sticking.

Above all, be patient during this process. If you are tempted to flip the patties too early the flip will flop and there’s no going back.

How Long to Grill Homemade Burger Patties

Once the patties are flipped, there is no clear-cut answer as to the remaining grill time. Chiefly, it all depends on how thick the patties were going in and the desired doneness. Ideally, the best way to calculate desired doneness is by using a thermometer to check the internal temperature. Importantly, make sure to insert the thermometer at the thickest part of the meat.

Remember, grill temperatures can vary among barbecues. Use these basic guidelines for doneness along with the thermometer and it will help you reach the desired time.

Rare: 4 minutes or internal temperature of 125°

Medium-rare: 5 minutes or internal temperature of 135°

Medium: 6-7 minutes or internal temperature of 145°

Well-done: 8-9 minutes or internal temperature of 160°

Oven Broiled Homemade Burgers

Not everyone has a barbecue and those that do are not always wild about cleaning and prepping their grill. Plus, weather is not always in your favor for cooking outside. In that case, the oven is the way to go. Similar to a barbecue, the broiler puts out a high, direct heat that will give you a nice sear on the outside and a juicy inside.

Assuming you have seasoned and formed your patties, here are the steps for cooking homemade burgers in the oven using the broiler setting.

First, preheat the oven to the high setting. Spray your broiler pan with a mist of non-stick spray. If you don’t have a broiler pan, that’s okay. A regular baking sheet will do fine. Then, place the patties on the prepared pan and slide pan under the preheated broiler element. Cook for about 3 minutes per side adjusting time for thickness and doneness as shown with the grilled burgers.

Pan Searing Homemade Burgers Before Broiling

In order to get more control over the searing process, pan searing the burger patties before broiling is a good option.

To do this, simply prepare an oven-proof pan with oil and heat over medium-high heat on the stove. Add the seasoned burgers to the pan and sear both sides for about 1 minute. Then, remove the pan from the stove and place under broiler for another 5 minutes or until burgers are cooked to preference.

How to Cook Homemade Burgers on the Stove

The technique for cooking hamburger patties in a skillet on the stove is pretty simple. Lightly grease a skillet with oil and preheat to medium-high heat. Add seasoned patties to the hot skillet. It should sizzle meaning the pan is ready.

I do recommend using a cast iron skillet if you have one for an even better homemade burger. You will get a beautiful, caramelized top and the meat will cook more evenly without sticking.

How Long to Cook Homemade Burgers in a Skillet

Burgers cooked in a skillet usually take about 8 minutes flipping halfway through. An indication that they are done is when the burgers are firm to the touch and the meat bounces back. As noted before, the total cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of meat. Use the meat thermometer and cooking times referenced above in grilling hamburgers to ensure they are done to your preference.

Tasty Condiments for Homemade Hamburgers

The condiments you put on your hamburger is personal. Whether you like basic toppings or something outrageous, that is your choice. Likewise, don’t let anyone tell you in what order you need to layer your hamburger. There are no rules when it comes to one’s hamburger.

Simple Homemade Burger Sauce

Indeed, you can buy premade sauces for burgers that are pretty darn good. On the other hand, you can easily make your own if you don’t have any on hand. Specifically, simply mix a half cup of mayo, 1/4 cup of ketchup, 2 teaspoons each of sweet pickle relish, sugar and white vinegar, and 1 teaspoon pepper. There you have a simple homemade burger sauce will bring that burger to a new level.

How to Caramelize Onions for Homemade Burgers

Truly, I don’t know what’s better—the taste of caramelized onions or that enticing aroma as they’re being cooked. Nevertheless, caramelized onions take burgers that extra mile.

With that said, definitely try this very simple method for sautéing onions which takes a little bit of time but is so worth it.

Simply add a combination of olive oil and butter to a medium-high heated skillet. Then add sliced onions (preferably sweet) with a little bit of salt. Reduce the heat to medium and let the onions cook for about 5 minutes. Continue to cook on low heat stirring about every 5 minutes. The onions are ready once they have turned to a golden brown.

Fancy Hamburger Buns

In contrast to the typical plain hamburger bun, why not try something different. Here are a few suggestions.

Sesame Seed Bun: While McDonalds touts their sesame bun, it is after all just a regular bun. True, they look more appealing than a plain hamburger bun, but it’s doubtful whether the sesame seeds add anything special to the hamburger.

Ciabatta Roll: A ciabatta roll is a nice switch-up from plain buns. Particularly, if you like a lot of fixings on your homemade burger, these hearty Italian rolls can accommodate a big fat burger while giving you a nice crunchy bite.

Patty Melt: For a change of pace, a burger on rye bread with some grilled onions and burger sauce (commonly known as a patty melt) are always a favorite.

Brioche: Enriched with eggs and butter, these rolls make for a light, fluffy, pillow-like bun. To top it off, its glossy finish makes for an exceptional hamburger bun.

Kaiser Roll: By all means, these large, round deli-style rolls are a good option to use as a hamburger bun. They boast a crisp crust on the outside with a soft inside. Uniquely characterized by the pinwheel design on top, they make for an attractive serving arrangement.

When Did the Hamburger Get Its Start?

Interestingly, the actual hamburger in a bun gained fame at the 1904 St Louis World’s Fair. As it stands, it is now one of the world’s most popular foods with close to 50 billion consumed a year.