Easy Homemade Burgers
on Aug 31, 2021, Updated Oct 23, 2024
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These are our go-to, most perfect easy homemade burgers! 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?Looking for more summer recipes? Be sure to check out our Old Bay Brown Butter Buffalo Grilled Wings, and Tomato and Melon Gazpacho. Serve with Herb Parmesan Fries with Lemon Garlic Aioli.
How do I make homemade burgers?
It’s 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 burger recipe
For the Paprika Burger sauce: A simple mix of mayo, ketchup, pickle juice, pickles, sugar, vinegar and paprika.
Hamburgers: 80/20 ground beef, kosher salt and black pepper, that’s it!
For the burgers: Buns, American Cheese (if you want to make cheeseburgers), tomato, lettuce (like iceberg lettuce, or butter lettuce), and pickled red onions.
Additional toppings: Crispy bacon, avocado, jalapeños, thinly sliced red onion, or white onion.
Steps to make these easy homemade burgers
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!
Some ideas and inspiration to serve with this dish
- Crispy Grilled Potato Salad with Horseradish Sauce
- Shrimp Cocktail with Old Bay Mayo
- Empress Gin Fizz
- Roasted Garlic and Herb Yogurt Dip
Looking for more meat ideas? Check out the Below Recipes!
- Herb Lamb Meatballs with a Horseradish Dipping Sauce
- Italian Pecorino Meatballs in Marinara Sauce
- Hot Honey Barbecue Ribs
- Adobo Grilled Steak with Chimichurri
If you do make this Homemade Burgers recipe Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram and through social media so I can be sure to see what you’re making! If you’d like to stay in touch and get the latest to your inbox, sign up for our Newsletter here as well!
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Easy Homemade Burgers
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 Salt and Pepper Burgers
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound 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
- 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!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
A summer staple!! I hope you enjoy 🙂