Making a great cheeseburger at home is an art, one that I have perfected. When I developed this burger recipe, I wasn’t trying to reinvent the wheel, I just wanted to make the most perfect classic cheeseburger possible. No small task, but eventually we got there! My mom always added Worcestershire to her meatloaf, so I rarely make ground beef without adding a little Worcestershire to the mix. Seasoning the beef before making patties is step one of burger perfection, but the other thing that makes this cheeseburger recipe truly the best is the special secret sauce that’s slathered all over the buns. Like almost every “secret sauce” this one has mayo & ketchup as the base. Lots of folks add relish, but we like ours smooth, so we use pickle juice, which adds briny flavor without the chunky texture of relish. We love caramelized onions on a burger, (they make our Salmon Burgers and Patty Melts sing) and if you really want to have the best cheeseburger experience possible, pile some caramelized onions on top. Voila! You’ve got yourself one incomparable homemade classic burger! If you love this burger recipe, do not miss our Smash Burgers.
Classic Cheeseburger Ingredients
- Beef: Buy the best quality beef you can find, because for all our talk about the secret sauce, even the best cheeseburger is only going to be as good as the beef itself tastes. 80/20 ground beef is juicy and rich, I don’t recommend choosing a leaner blend for burgers. Chuck is great, or if you want a little luxury in your life, a chuck/sirloin blend works wonderfully.
- Buns: Don’t forget to get good buns, too! I am obsessed with the squishy, sweetness of Hawaiian burger buns, but use whatever type of burger bun you like best.
- Burger seasonings: Garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, mustard powder, salt, and pepper add extra flavor to every bite.
- Cheese: This is a bit controversial, but I use regular cheddar slices on my burgers. You can use processed, American cheese for a really classic, diner-style melty cheese situation if that’s what you’re craving.
- Lettuce and tomato: Crispy, juicy and a must-have.
- Caramelized onions: This topping is optional, but boy oh boy does it make that cheeseburger unforgettable.
- Burger sauce: We’ve talked this up enough, right? But seriously, this sauce is so good. It makes a great hostess gift for summer BBQs, too.
How To Make The Best Cheeseburger Ever
- Caramelize onions. If you’re making these burgers for a crowd, you can do this up to a week ahead of time.
- Season the beef. With a light tough, use your hands to mix in eggs, grated onion, garlic powder, mustard powder, salt and pepper.
- Make burger patties! We typically do ⅓ of a pound of beef per person. If someone’s really hungry, they can always make it a double!
- Grill those burger patties! Cook the burgers to whatever doneness people want. If you’d like, you can use a meat thermometer, you’re looking for 160°F if you want medium-done burgers, 145°F for medium-rare.
- Top with cheese! When you flip the burger, top it with cheese. That way the cheese has time to melt while the beef finishes cooking.
- Assemble the burgers! Everyone can assemble their own as they please but we highly recommend eating them with all of the fixings.
Tips For Perfect Cheeseburgers
- Make the burger patties slightly larger than your buns, because the patty will shrink a little when you grill it.
- Flip the patties only once, if you can. This helps to keep juices sealed inside.
- Don’t press down on burgers while cooking (why this is a trope I have no idea) because it pushes out all the delicious juices!
- Let patties rest for 3-5 minutes after cooking before assembling burgers. Another key to juicyness.
- Toast the buns lightly because it helps keep the bun from getting soggy.
Optional Variations
- Cook them on the stovetop: Grilling is my favorite way to cook a burger, but sometimes we crave burgers in the winter, right? To cook them on the stovetop, warm a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the patties for about 4 minutes per side for medium, adjusting time for your preferred doneness.
- Make it vegetarian: You can use this same cheeseburger recipe using Beyond “ground beef” or Impossible “beef” to make a vegetarian version of this recipe that’s honestly just as delicious.
- Get creative with the burger patty seasonings. The sky is really the limit. Think about what seasonings you love best and try mixing them into the ground beef. You could add some grated Parmesan, finely chopped cooked bacon, or even a little blue cheese crumbles to the beef patties.
- If you are avoiding gluten or carbs, try using lettuce wraps instead of burger buns. It’s a little messy but still delicious.
- Use different cheeses: Cheddar is definitely the most classic cheeseburger cheese, but many cheeses are delicious on a burger! Just pick something that melts well. I’ve had luck with Pepper Jack cheese, Gruyére or even dairy-free cheeses. A lot of vegan cheese slices are very similar to American cheese and work well on a burger.
- Add even more toppings: Creamy avocado slices, a dollop of Guacamole, or some roasted mushroom all make great out-of-the-box burger toppings.
Meal Prep + Freezing
You can freeze the raw beef patties with all the seasonings mixed in so that you have easy burgers anytime you want them. Mix in the seasonings and form the patties, then freeze them until they’re firm. Stack the frozen patties with parchment paper between each patty, and store them in freezer bags for up to 3 months. Thaw the patties in the refrigerator overnight before cooking. You can prep the secret sauce a few days ahead of time, and same goes for the caramelized onions.
More Sandwiches with Secret Sauces
Show Us Your Classic Cheeseburgers
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