Do you know anyone close to you who does not like a good hamburger? I don’t. And that’s exactly why we need a no-fail recipe if we choose to make our own. This one is adapted from RecipeTinEats Food Blog.
We want a hamburger that tastes real beef. No crazy seasoning, preservatives, or extenders. And to make things simpler, we will make this on the stove and not on the grill, because we can! But if you want to do it on the grill then go for it.
WHERE DO WE START?
Let’s break it down into 4 easy steps. This helps us to follow a certain flow and make the cooking process a breeze, especially if you’re doing it for the first time.
Here we go: 1. Prep the burger patties 2. Caramelise the onions and make the burger sauce (if you want homemade) 3. Cook the burger patties and melt the cheese 4. Toast the buns and make the hamburger
1. Prep the burger patties
First, get quality ground beef with fat. It’s best to go with 80% lean and 20% fat ratio. The fat makes it one flavourful and juicy hamburger.
Form the beef into patties about the size of your buns and do it lightly. Make a dent in the centre of the burger to prevent it from shrinking or puffing up. Season it generously with salt and pepper. Nothing more.
2. Caramelise the onions and make the burger sauce
Slice your onions into rings and add these to the hot pan. Cook until it’s caramelised and season it with salt and pepper.
While the onions are hanging out in the pan, grab a small bowl and whisk all the sauce ingredients together.
Remove the onions when done and let the burger sauce chill in the fridge for a while.
Or you can skip making the burger sauce and simply use any condiments you like such as ketchup, mayo, mustard, etc.
3. Cook the burger patties and melt the cheese
Add the burger patties to the same pan where you cooked the onions. Let the burger sear and form a lovely crust, about 2 minutes. Flip once and cook for 1 minute or so. Place cheese on top of the patties, cover the pan, and let the cheese melt, about 1 minute.
For the cheese, opt for one that has a good flavour and melts easily like Swiss cheese, gruyere, aged cheddar, American cheese, etc.
4. Toast the buns and make the hamburger (the fun part second to eating!)
How do you like your hamburger buns? Many go with milk buns – light texture but sturdy enough to hold the patty and the toppings together. Some stick to the standard white rolls. While others, including me, prefer brioche buns – soft and not too filling.
Go ahead and slice the buns then lightly toast the cut side. Start building up your burger by spreading sauce or condiment at the base then add the lettuce and sliced tomato, the burger patty, and topping it with onions, pickles, and more sauce.
Just a side note. You should have seen there was no sliced tomato in my hamburger because I didn’t have it at that time. But I made a special sauce, which tied all the flavours together and it’s yummy! Here’s the original Recipe.
And right there is one superb homemade hamburger! I hope you’re hungry and give it a go.
How To Make Juicy Hamburger
Juicy Hamburger
Ingredients
- 800 g ground beef 80% lean and 20% fat is best
- Salt and pepper
- 3 large onions, peeled and sliced into rings
- 2 tbsp oil, canola or vegetable
- 4 - 8 slices cheese Swiss or other quick-melt
- 4 soft burger buns, toasted
- Lettuce
- Tomato slices
- Burger sauce or condiments of choice (ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, relish, sliced pickles)
Instructions
- Divide ground beef into 4 equal portions. With a light touch, form beef into patties about the size of your buns.
- Season both sides of the patties generously with salt and pepper. Use your fingertips to make a dent at the centre of the burger (just on one side).
- Heat a flat heavy based pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp oil. Cook the onion rings until caramelised. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a plate.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil to the same pan. Add the burger patties and cook until crust is formed on the bottom, 2 - 3 mins. Don’t be tempted to press the patties.
- Flip the patties over and cook for 1-2 mins, depending on your desired doneness. Top with cheese and cover the pan with lid. Wait until cheese melts, 30 sec - 1 min.
- Toast the buns while waiting for the cheese to melt.
- Make the hamburger: Spread sauce or condiment on base of the buns. Add lettuce, tomato, then burger patty. Top with onions, pickles, and more sauce or condiments of choice. Put back lid of bun. Serve hot.