Easy Homemade Burgers
Easy Homemade Burgers
This is my go-to, most perfect burger recipe. It’s extremely simple, it’s quick, and it gets dinner ready in no-time. It’s also the most perfect recipe to make for a crowd – because who doesn’t love burgers? This is great for Labor Day coming up too!
What’s in these burgers?
It’s just a simple salt and pepper mix on the patties and then placed on buttered buns with a paprika burger sauce, tomatoes, lettuce and pickled red onions. These are half pressed, but sometimes I’ll go all the way in and make a smash burger with these same ingredients and method.
Ingredients you need for this recipe
- mayo
- ketchup
- pickle juice
- pickles
- sugar
- vinegar
- paprika
- ground beef
- American cheese
- buns
- butter
- tomato
- lettuce
- pickled red onions
Steps to make this recipe
Step 1
Begin by making your burger sauce. In a bowl, mix together mayo, ketchup, pickle juice, diced pickles, sugar, vinegar, paprika and salt and pepper. Set aside.
Divide your ground beef into 4 equal portions and shape them each in a ball and then a patty. Make a small dent with your thumb half way through the middle of the patty – this will help with even cooking and keeping your patties flat.
Step 2
Tip: Season on both sides with salt and pepper. You can alternatively just season one side, then when you put them on the grill, put them on the grill seasoned side down, and season the other side on the pan itself.
In the meantime, slice, butter and toast your buns, set aside.
Step 3
Heat a cast-iron griddle or skillet until very hot and then drizzle on a little bit of vegetable oil.
Step 4
Working in batches, place your patties on the skillet. Place a spatula on top of the patty to push down a tad to get an even char and flatten it out a tad. If you want to make this a smash burger, don’t form patties and place your sectioned ball on the skillet and smash it down as thin as you can with the spatula, 1-2 minutes until golden brown and then flip! When it’s crispy on the bottom (about 3-4 minutes), flip, and place a slice of cheese on the top of each patty. Cook until the cheese is melted, about 1-2 minutes.
Step 5
Serve your patties on your buttered buns with your burger sauce, lettuce, tomato, and pickled red onions. Serve and enjoy!
Some ideas and inspiration to serve with this dish:
- Crispy Buffalo Chicken Salad with Yogurt Ranch
- Stone Fruit, Burrata & Prosciutto Salad
- Crispy Grilled Potato Salad with Horseradish Sauce
Looking for more meat ideas? Check out the Below Recipes!
- Herb Lamb Meatballs with a Horseradish Dipping Sauce
- Spicy Tomato Sauce Lamb Meatballs
- Mongolian Beef Noodles
- Thai Beef Skewers with a Spicy Homemade Red Chili Sauce
- Ginger BBQ Beef Stir Fry

Ingredients
For The Paprika Burger Sauce
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 teaspoon pickle juice sweet or bread and butter
- 2 breed and butter pickles finely diced
- pinch of sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika (use smoked if you want)
- salt and pepper to taste
For Your Burgers
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound Sunfed Ranch 80/20 ground beef
- 1 slice American cheese per burger
- 4 buns of your choice we're using brioche here
- 1/2 tablespoon softened butter for each bun
- 1 beef steak or heirloom tomato thinly sliced
- 1-2 slices green leaf lettuce per burger
- salt and peepper to taste
- pickled red onions on top (optional)
Instructions
Directions
- Begin by making your burger sauce. In a bowl, mix together mayo, ketchup, pickle juice, diced pickles, sugar, vinegar, paprika and salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Divide your ground beef into 4 equal portions and shape them each in a ball and then a patty. Make a small dent with your thumb half way through the middle of the patty - this will help with even cooking and keeping your patties flat.
- Tip: Season on both sides with salt and pepper. You can alternatively just season one side, then when you put them on the grill, put them on the grill seasoned side down, and season the other side on the pan itself.
- In the meantime, slice, butter and toast your buns, set aside.
- Heat a cast-iron griddle or skillet until very hot and then drizzle on a little bit of vegetable oil.
- Working in batches, place your patties on the skillet. Place a spatula on top of the patty to push down a tad to get an even char and flatten it out a tad. If you want to make this a smash burger, don't form patties and place your sectioned ball on the skillet and smash it down as thin as you can with the spatula, 1-2 minutes until golden brown and then flip! When it’s crispy on the bottom (about 3-4 minutes), flip, and place a slice of cheese on the top of each patty. Cook until the cheese is melted, about 1-2 minutes.
- Serve your patties on your buttered buns with your burger sauce, lettuce, tomato, and pickled red onions. Serve and enjoy!