Classic Cheese Burger with Secret Sauce

Name: Classic Cheese Burger with Secret Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 pounds 80/20 ground beef; 2 eggs; 3 teaspoons garlic powder, granules; 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce; 2 teaspoons mustard powder; 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning; 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, plus more for seasoning; 6 cheddar cheese slices; 6 brioche or Hawaiian hamburger buns; 6 Romaine lettuce leaves, torn into pieces; 1 tomato, sliced; Pickle slices (optional); 1 cup caramelized onions, (optional); 1 cup mayonnaise; 2 tablespoons ketchup; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; 2 tablespoons pickle juice; 1 teaspoon dried dill; 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice (from 1 lime); 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 teaspoon stone ground mustard

A perfectly soft bun, quality, juicy meat that is seasoned well, plenty of cheese, caramelized onions and a really good secret sauce are the key to making a truly classic cheeseburger at home.

The Best Cheeseburger Recipe, Ever.

There’s no restaurant or fast food burger that compares to a homemade cheeseburger. If you don’t agree, then you clearly haven’t made THIS classic cheese burger recipe with our special secret sauce. Add a generous amount of it to each side of the hamburger bun along with a heaping pile of caramelized onions and you’ve got yourself one incomparable homemade classic burger!

ingredients laid out for cheese burger with secret sauce lettuce, caramelized onions in a dish and tomato slices

4 cooked beef patties on a baking sheet topped with melted cheddar cheese

Ingredients to Make A Classic Cheese Burger.

This traditional homemade burger recipe has a few key components. The first is obviously the not so secret, secret sauce. Next is the perfectly caramelized onions paired with perfectly seasoned homemade hamburger patties! Add cheddar cheese, lettuce and tomato combo and you are right on target for a big time winning dinner! Here’s everything you’ll need to make the burger sauce!

Mayo and ketchup make up the base of this special burger sauce.
Garlic powder, mustard powder & dried dill give this sauce a nice punch of flavor.
Smoked paprika & cayenne pepper take the heat and smokiness to new heights.
Lime juice & pickle juice are our two secret weapons.

Classic Cheese Burger with Secret Sauce with caramelized onions, lettuce and tomato on a cutting board

Classic Cheese Burger with Secret Sauce on a cutting board with French fries, ketchup and pickles on a plate

Best Burger Sauce Recipe Ever

We’d be lying if we said this secret sauce recipe is difficult to make. Because, you guessed it, special burger sauce is WAY and we mean WAY easy to throw together. There’s no big secret about how to make burger sauce—it’s the ingredients that are the “secret”. But, the secret’s out! Here’s what’s in our secret sauce:

Mayonnaise
Ketchup
Garlic powder
Pickle juice
Dried dill
Fresh lime
Smoked paprika
Cayenne pepper
Ground mustard

side view Classic Cheese Burger with Secret Sauce, caramelized onions lettuce and tomato

Classic Cheese Burger with Secret Sauce with french fries and ketchup

And Now—Use That Burger Sauce! AKA How To Make The Best Cheeseburger Ever.

A lot of the work of making a truly classic cheeseburger is in the gathering of just the right ingredients. Get yourself some high quality ground beef. Then, look for some really nice, slightly squishy buns—no whole grains here. Good cheddar cheese—it has to be cheddar—or try a little cheddar and a little American cheese for a really classic, diner-style melty cheese situation. Once you’ve gathered your ingredients and made that killer secret sauce, make a cheeseburger! Here’s how:

Caramelize some onions.
Season your beef! With a light tough, use your hands to mix in eggs, garlic powder, mustard powder, salt and pepper.
Make patties! Form the beef into 6 patties.
Grill those burger patties! To whatever doneness you like. If you’d like, you can use a meat thermometer—160°F is medium, 145°F is medium-rare.
Top with cheese! When you flip the burger, top it with cheese. That way the cheese has time to melt while the burger finishes cooking.
Assemble! Everyone can assemble their own as they please but we highly recommend eating them with all of the fixings.

2 Classic Cheese Burgers with Secret Sauce, lettuce tomatoes and caramelized onions.

Tools You’ll Need

More Sandwiches with “Not-So-Secret” Sauces

hands holding Classic Cheese Burger with Secret Sauce

Show Us Your Classic Burgers

When you pull these cheeseburgers off the grill (or even before then) and pile them high with all your favorite toppings, we want to see them! Be sure to snap a photo and post them on Instagram using @themodernproper & #themodernproper if you do!