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Get It Now- Why This Is The Best Burger Recipe
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- How To Make Juicy Burgers
- Tips For The Best Burgers
- How Long To Grill Burgers?
- How Long To Cook Burgers On The Stove?
- What Temp Are Burgers Done?
- Storage Instructions
- What To Serve With Juicy Burgers
- Tools To Make The Best Burger Recipe
- Best Burger Recipe (So Juicy, Grill Or Stovetop) Recipe card
- Recipe Reviews
One of my favorite ways to enjoy grilling season is with a good barbecue… especially when the best burger recipe is involved! With my secret ingredients and a few tips and tricks, you’ll be making the best homemade juicy burgers in no time.
I’ll show you how to make burgers on the stove and on the grill, so you can decide how you want to do it — just like the steak in my steak salad, my ultra-moist turkey burgers, or even grilled eggplant. The stovetop burger method means you can do this anytime of year just like air fryer brats!
Why This Is The Best Burger Recipe
- Juiciest burger meat ever
- 4 simple ingredients (plus salt and pepper)
- Done in less than 15 minutes
- 2 cooking methods — grill or stovetop!
- Easy lunch or dinner that comes together fast
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the ingredients for the best burgers, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Ground Beef – I use 85/15 beef for juicy homemade burgers, but 80/20 also come out juicy. 90/10 ground beef is usually less juicy, but they still come out quite juicy with the ingredients I add below.
- Secret Ingredients – The secret to juicy burgers is mixing olive oil and Worcestershire sauce into the meat prior to cooking! This locks in the moisture and flavors giving you the juiciest burgers.
- Seasonings – I like to keep it simple with sea salt (one teaspoon per pound of meat), black pepper, and a little garlic powder. You could also use 2 teaspoons jarred minced garlic as well. The salt is actually the most important from a flavor perspective. A good rule of thumb is to use one teaspoon per pound of meat. I first read somewhere that this was Julia Child’s recommendation for meat, and she’s right!
VARIATION: Use other seasonings.
Instead of garlic powder, salt, and pepper, use 2 teaspoons of any seasoning blend you prefer. Try jerk seasoning for a spicy and zesty flavor, Montreal seasoning for a savory steak flavor, or Italian seasoning for more subtle flavors.
How To Make Juicy Burgers
This section shows how to make the best burger recipe, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Mix the beef, oil, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder salt, and pepper. Place ingredients in a large bowl. Work through using your hands until just combined (see tips below).
- Shape the patties. Make 1/2-inch-thick patties. Make a thumb print in the center of each patty.
- Grill or pan fry. Preheat a grill or grill pan. Cook burgers until browned on the bottom. Flip, add cheese if desired, and cook until done to your liking (see time and temp chart below).
- Rest. Remove from heat. Let the homemade burgers rest for a few minutes before serving, which lets the juices settle.
Tips For The Best Burgers
Whether you’re using the grill or making stovetop burgers, follow these tips to ensure you end up with the best burger recipes possible:
- Don’t overwork the meat. Mixing or mashing too much pushes the juices out and leads to a tough burger. Instead, use a gentle kneading motion to mix the ingredients into the ground beef.
- Use cold hands. This will prevent the meat from heating up and becoming rubbery. Just wash your hands with cold water before working with it.
- Be gentle. Form the patties gently too to avoid driving out the juices. You want the moisture to stay in the burgers instead of escaping.
- Make a thumbprint. Making a large thumb print in the middle of each patty prevents the burgers from puffing up as they cook. This happens because the heat pushes the juices to the middle, so if you start out with a cavity in the middle, the burger will be nice and flat when they are done.
- Turn up the heat. For super juicy burgers, you want to sear them for maximum flavor. Have the heat up on medium-high, and make sure your grill or pan is preheated before adding the meat.
- Don’t move them around. Don’t keep checking on your burgers by lifting the lid of the grill (or pan lid if making stovetop burgers), or moving them around. Once you add the patties, leave them undisturbed for 4-5 minutes, then flip only once.
- Don’t push down on the burgers. Whatever you do, don’t push down on the burgers with a spatula. I don’t know who started this idea, but it literally pushes all the juices out!
- Let them rest and don’t cut open to check. If you cut the burgers open to find out if they are done, all the juices will leak out and you’ll end up with a dry burger. Instead, use a meat thermometer or the time chart below to check for doneness, and wait a few minutes after cooking before eating.
How Long To Grill Burgers?
Grill burgers for a total of 6-8 minutes for medium doneness.
How Long To Cook Burgers On The Stove?
Cook burgers on the stove for a total of 6-8 minutes for medium doneness.
What Temp Are Burgers Done?
The USDA officially recommends at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit (well done) as the stovetop or grill temp for burgers, but for juicy burgers I recommend medium (140-145 degrees F). If you have a meat thermometer, that’s the most reliable way to test for doneness.
Use these times and temperatures as a guide for the best burger recipe:
Doneness | Temperature in Fahrenheit | Temperature in Celsius | Total Cook Time |
---|---|---|---|
Rare | 120 to 125 degrees | 49 to 52 degrees | 4-5 minutes |
Medium Rare | 130 to 135 degrees | 54 to 57 degrees | 5-6 minutes |
Medium | 140 to 145 degrees | 60 to 63 degrees | 6-8 minutes |
Medium Well | 150 to 155 degrees | 65 to 68 degrees | 8-9 minutes |
Well Done | 160 to 165 degrees | 71 to 74 degrees | 9-10 minutes |
The internal temperature will rise an additional 5 degrees from the temperatures above while resting, so these temps are when you’d remove from heat.
Storage Instructions
- Store: To keep your burgers delicious and juicy, wrap them tightly in aluminum foil or place them in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat: You can either place them in a pan on the stovetop with a little bit of oil and heat until warm, or place them in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. You can also reheat burgers on the grill.
- Freeze: You can freeze this homemade burger recipe before or after cooking, but before cooking works best. Shape the patties, place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 6 months. Alternatively, you can keep cooked burgers in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before cooking or reheating.
What To Serve With Juicy Burgers
The best burgers deserve the best side dishes! Here’s what to serve with them for an easy, unforgettable meal:
- Fixings – I serve mine over lettuce with some onion, tomato, avocado, and whole grain mustard most of the time. But, I also love to add cheddar cheese, sugar-free ketchup, and mayonnaise, too. You could use other condiments such as sugar-free barbecue sauce or spicy mayo (which is similar to burger sauce). For extra meaty taste, add slices of oven baked bacon.
- Buns – Use a regular bun or brioche bun, a gluten-free bun (shown above), or try the flattened version of my almond flour biscuits or simple low carb hamburger buns.
- Fries – I love to pair this homemade burger recipe with a side of garlic parmesan fries, classic steak fries, or lighter rutabaga fries (shown in the photos), zucchini fries or even fried zucchini.
- Veggies – Take advantage of your grill and make a healthy meal with grilled broccoli, grilled eggplant, or roasted cauliflower steaks.
- Salad – Pair these burgers with classic cauliflower potato salad or a sweet and smoky grilled peach salad. Simpler options like wedge salad or cucumber tomato salad taste just as good, and are quick enough to make while your burgers are cooking.
Tools To Make The Best Burger Recipe
- Grill – Fits 15 burgers at once! Perfect for a party or barbecue.
- Grill Pan – Great for giving a homemade burger recipe those grill lines when it’s too cold to grill outside (or if you don’t have an outdoor grill).
- Meat Thermometer – An instant-read thermometer is a must for perfectly cooked burgers!
Best Burger Recipe (So Juicy, Grill Or Stovetop)
This homemade juicy burger recipe makes the best burgers, thanks to 2 simple secret ingredients. Includes grill or stovetop options!
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Place all ingredients in a large bowl. Work through using your hands until just combined, being careful not to overwork the meat.
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Shape into 1/2 in (1 cm) thick patties, about 1/4 pound each. Make a thumb print in the center of each patty to keep the burgers from bulging out when cooking.
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Preheat an outdoor grill, or cast iron grill pan or cast iron skillet on the stovetop, to medium-high heat. Add the burgers and cook 4-5 minutes with the lid closed, until browned on the bottom and the only juices visible are no longer red. Do not push down on the burgers or move them around. Flip over, top with cheese if desired, and cook 2-3 minutes for medium, or until done as desired. (For best results, use a meat thermometer. See time and temp chart in the post above!)
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Remove burgers from heat. Let the burgers rest for a few minutes before serving.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers, or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 burger (1/4 lb)
- Nutrition information is based on 85/15 lean ground beef, and does not include optional cheese.
- Check for more cooking tips in the post above the recipe card.
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
170 Comments
Ankie
0Maya you did it again, what a great burger we had tonight. You are the BEST!
Jackie
0Thank you.
Debbie
0Can I make prep these ahead of time and keep in the fridge until ready to cook?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Debbie, Yes, that works.
Jane Precht
0Absolutely delicious! Truly the juiciest burger we’ve ever made at home. I cooked them on the stove top following the recipe exactly as written – no need to change a thing! We used toasted mini pita rounds for the buns and topped them with honey mustard and our homemade bread and butter pickles. We will be making these burgers a lot – fast prep and fast clean up, too!
Robbi
0Thank you for the recipe. I had to adjust the time and grill height using my new breeo firepit. It turned out moist and delicious.
Jamie
0I’ve been looking for the ‘best’ BBQ burger recipe for a very long time. This is it! Less is more!
Joanne Williams
0I really like your recipe. Thank you so much for sharing..
Diane
0Looking at some of the comments and I will try your recipe. One person commented that you use a lot of egg whites but I don’t see them listed as an ingredient for your hamburgers??? Am I missing something? The reason I am looking for new recipes for hamburgers is I can’t find a good one yet as they all fall apart and I wondered if it was because they didn’t use eggs?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Diane, There are no egg whites in the recipe so I am unsure what comment you saw. I don’t recommend using eggs in your burger recipe.
Vblackert
0What happened to the recipe for the gravy? We all know how to cook a hamburger…
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Vblackert, This recipe doesn’t include gravy… What type of gravy are you looking for?
Patty T
0What temperature is medium high heat on a gas grill? I think we had the grill too hot. We were getting a lot of smoke. They were delicious though!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Patty, The grill should be between 375-400 degrees F.
Patricia Wolf
0The best hamburger recipe I’ve found yet. So juicy and savory, your family will love them.
Rumbidzai
0Great and easy recipe, I will try it.
Luis
0I would not add the salt directly on the patty, use the garlic powder and then salt when you place the patty on the pan. Salting on the mix will dry it further.
Sarah M
0Very good recipe. Slam dunk for this family. Thank you 😊
M
0I will mix in thyme and minced garlic to the meat. I omit Worcestershire sauce. Thoughts?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi M, Those sound like fine substitutes in this recipe.
Kat
0Would it work as well if I prepped a batch and saved half in the fridge to cook the following day? Or would they need to be frozen, and then ideally thawed, before cooking?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Kat, Storing in the refrigerator overnight would be fine.
Josee
0My go to recipe for burgers for the last 6 years!! Delish.
Lisa
0I made mine with venison. A little dry. Next time I will add more oil. Flavor was great. We ate without the bun because I had run out of one ingredient. Will have again
Nicole
0Perfect recipe!! I love good burger but until now I hadn’t ever done one well at home. Thanks for ending that old story!! Super simple, super fast, super yum!! I may never go out for a restaurant burger again!!
Deane L
0what is the purpose of extra oil (as opposed to put a dash of olives oil on the skillet? do you ever grill your buns, is so what is your favorite method, time and temp.?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Deane, The oil helps with exterior browning. Adding it to the ground beef before forming patties also helps it to retain moisture inside the patties when cooked. I don’t typically grill my hamburger buns, but you certainly could over a low flame if you wanted to give them a toasty exterior.
Meg Barber
0Never been able to make a tasty, juicy burger. This was both! Husband and I both thought it was terrific!
ildiko
0These turned out really good… it did take a LOT of eggs to come up with 2 cups! So that makes it a bit expensive, and am also wondering what to do with the yolks. Any suggestions?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Ildiko, Are you thinking of a different recipe? Burgers don’t need eggs. If you made a recipe and had yolks left over, you can make chocolate ice cream, hollandaise sauce, or creme brulee.
Annie
0Seriously? How do you use COLD hands to mix the ground beef? Put your hands in the freezer? I just didn’t understand how to do that.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Annie, The best solution for this is to rinse your hands in cold water before touching the ground beef. It does make a difference in the final product.
Rayna Jenkins
0This is my go to burger recipe! They are so juicy & flavorful! My family loves them too. Thanks for sharing.
Bonnie
0I know you need to be paid for all your hard and wonderful work. You have SOOOO many ads on your recipe for hamburgers, I can barely read the recipe. Ads flashing everywhere, ads scrolling as I scroll down to read and ads almost everywhere and in between your recipe sentences.. Have you taken a look at your webpage lately? I’m sure you have. Anyway, so many ads, it is a turn off for me and I will find my recipe from some other website. I appreciate your hard work, but your ads are preventing the enjoyment of your content. Thank you.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Bonnie, Thank you for your feedback. I do have a subscription that includes ad-free browsing on the website. There are several other perks including quarterly bonuses and discounts on Wholesome Yum Food products. If you are interested, you can read more about it here: Wholesome Yum Plus.
Ali
0I have never really liked any burgers I’ve made at home on the stove. They just never come out very good, usually dry and kind of bland. Well, I have FOUND my new go to burger recipe!!! These were amazing. Moist, flavorful and so easy!! Even if I decide to try different spices or something (which I don’t really see the need) I now know the base process of a stove good burger. 🙂 Thank you!!!
Kerri Bassett
0Wow! I made these burgers today, and followed your recipe exactly. Excellent burgers, and SO tender! I ate them in a lettuce wrap with tomatoes, pickles, and Thousand Island dressing. SO GOOD!!!
Tiffany
0This recipe will make you want to only make your burgers this way. Something worth noting if you like your burgers thicker than others, you might want to extend your time on each side to make sure you get your desired burger. But definitely a keeper.
Jaycee
0Where is the video? I taped and tapped on every image I saw and none of them produced a video.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Jaycee, The video is located in the recipe card. If you can’t see it, please check your browser settings to make sure you are not viewing the website in ‘Reader Mode.’ I hope this helps!
Marilyn
0I was looking for a way to make juicy tasting burgers with lean meat. I used 93% lean ground beef with this recipe and they turned out great, especially if you compare them with lean store-bought frozen patties! Even though this adds oil, I’m okay with that because it’s a healthy oil vs. saturated fat. I appreciated the extra tips in handling and grilling them. I’m keeping this recipe to make all of my own hamburger patties from now on. (I did add a few other spices that I normally use.)
Marilyn
0I really love it, it was very juicy and the rest and the other I put into the meat was WONDERFUL.
Bree
0These turned out great!!! The only thing I did different was add a little onion powder to the seasonings suggested. My husband and I loved these burgers! Moist and tasty!!!
Debbie
0How would these go in an air fryer??
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Debbie, I haven’t tested this, so you may need to experiment with the time and temperature, but I think it can be done. I would start at 375 degrees and cook for 4-5 minutes. Be sure to check the temperature and adjust until your desired doneness is reached. Best wishes!
Lauren
0Can I prepare these burgers and freeze them raw to cook at a later time? I really hope so! Thank you so much for all of your wonderful recipes!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lauren, Sure! Be sure to wrap them well to store in the freezer.
Donna
0Can I freeze these and bbq from frozen?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Donna, It’s best to let your burgers thaw before grilling, but in a pinch, yes they can be cooked from frozen.
Donna
0Thank you. I did make them and freeze them. They worked fine thawing first.
Adam F
0Amazing! This is our favorite burger. Have used this recipe 3 times now, and it is always perfect. It is best to use a meat thermometer because all grills are different.
Helen C
0Thank you very much…was the best burgers i hv ever made….simple, easy, tasty & juicy….all in one!!!
Kristin
0I’ve been making hamburgers for 30 years. I’ve finally found my go to recipe!
Sandy
0Excellent and so juicy! Perfect and mouth-watering! It is a keeper for sure.
Camille
0Hi, I tried this recipe with the salt and the olive oil, and the Worcestershire sauce the pepper, and the ground beef, but when it was put on the bbq, it fell apart completely. The fire engulfed it, and there was smoke everywhere. Please tell me what I did wrong, and how I can fix it.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Camille, It sounds like your burgers got a little too warm before putting them on the grill. They are more workable and hold together best when cold. Once you work your patties into the right shape and thickness, place them in the fridge until they are ready to go straight to the grill.
Alicea
0This was delicious! Thanks!
Nayeli
0This turned out delicious! I only put in 1/2 a teaspoon of salt and we had no black pepper but it still turned out amazing! I also put in a spoonful of minced garlic because I love garlic on anything lol my boyfriend and his friend gave it a thumbs up so I’m definitely making this again!
Andrew
0What happens if I add raw egg in the recipe will it do anything for the flavor or moisture?
Wholesome Yum
0Hi Andrew, if anything it will make your burgers less tender, since you’ll have to work the meat more to incorporate the egg.
Jules
0Best burger ever!!! Thanks so much for sharing!!
Jean Alvarez
0my family and i love this recipe i had no Worcestershire so i used soy sauce came out awesome tyvm
Leila
0Not sure what went wrong, but the burger was very well-done after 4 minutes on one side and 2 on the other. Also, next time I will not use a lid. The meat just tastes kinda boiled. It was not juicy at all. Will not use this recipe again.
Wholesome Yum
0Hi Leila, I’m sorry the recipe didn’t work for you! It’s possible your heat was set a little too high, or that the meat was overworked. Cooking time does vary if you want a different level of doneness in your burger.
Lynn
0Hey, wheres the recipe for the hamburger buns with the sesame seeds? They look yummy!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lynn, You can find the buns in my cookbook here!
Janet
0Almost perfect but next time I’ll reduce the salt and cook for 2-3 minutes, not 4-5 as they were very well done and I prefer med-rare. Still searching for the perfect juicy burger.
Mrs. Z
0Just made these burgers for my husband and myself. I do the mixing, he does the grilling, we do the eating. I do not particularly like hamburgers, but these were delicious. I followed the recipe exactly.
Uma
0Made these yesterday. Added finely chopped onions and garlic. Burgers were juicy, moist and delicious!
Nidia
0Hi! Can I substitute the Worcestershire sauce with coco aminos sauce? If so, same quantity? Thanks.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Nidia, Yes that would work.
Meghann
0Be aware, Worcestershire sauce usually contains gluten, so if you are doing strictly Paleo or GF diet, maybe substitute coconut aminos instead.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Meghann, You can definitely do that, but the brand I use specifically is gluten-free. It’s linked on the recipe card. Coconut aminos is fine to use too!
Sonya
0The Kraft brand of Worcestershire in Canada is also gluten free. When i was forced to go GF i found it for my caesar’s. Yum! I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but i plan to with some ground elk. I was specifically looking for a recipe that wouldn’t mask much of the meat’s flavour, so I can find out what an elk burger actually tastes like. The elk steaks i tried were amazing! I liked them better than beef.
megunprocessed
0Love the olive oil in there, so much extra flavor!
Mary
0Can these burgers be made using ground turkey instead of ground beef? I haven’t tried the recipe yet because I don’t eat beef. Thanks for all your recipes. Blessings!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Mary, Yes, that would work.
Michelle Verkade { A Latte Food }
0These look perfect! Your tips are fantastic–can’t wait to try them out next time I’m grilling!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Michelle!
fabiola@notjustbaked
0Perfect burger!
Lane & Holly @ With Two Spoons
0I always add Worcestershire sauce also! (now if only I could easily spell that word!)
amindfullmom
0I always add worceshtershire sauce but the olive oil I have to try!
Kim
0I love Worcestershire sauce in my burgers, it adds that something special to them! We call them Steakhouse burgers at home.