You don’t have to be a professional chef to make fantastic burgers at home. These methods are simple, easy to follow, and will result in juicy, delicious patties every time. Whether you want to cook them on the stove, grill, oven, or air fryer – these burgers are simply the best! Use the table of contents below (Click expand and click the link) to quickly jump to the section you are interested in.
How To Make The Best Hamburger Recipe
Unlike steaks that turn out better if brought to room temperature before cooking, you want to keep your patties cold so they stay together when cooked and stay as juicy as possible. Cut the meat into small chunks and add it to a food processor and pulse it until it’s ground to the consistency you want. It’s that easy! In a small mixing bowl, stir together bread crumbs and milk until they are fully moistened (you may need some extra milk depending on the brand of breadcrumbs you are using). Set aside. Cut the bacon into pieces and add it to a food processor. Chop the bacon in a food processor until finely ground. Add it to a large mixing bowl with the ground beef, moistened bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and ketchup. Mix until fully incorporated and shape into eight quarter-pound burger patties or six larger patties. Read on for more detailed instructions on how to mix and form the patties.
Making Cheeseburgers
To make Cheeseburgers, choose a cheese that melts easily. Some good choices are cheddar, mozzarella, American cheese, provolone, or Swiss cheese. Next, when forming the patties, be gentle – again, you don’t want to overwork the meat. Finally, make a slight indentation in the center of each patty. This will help them cook evenly and prevent them from puffing up in the middle. If you’re making them on the stove this is less necessary as you can press them with a burger press or spatula as you cook. Once the grill has heated up, place your burgers, so they are not touching. You want enough room between them for the burgers to cook and avoid steam generation.
Cooking Hamburgers in An Air Fryer
Preheat the Air Fryer to 375°F/190°C and grease the air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray. Add the hamburger patties in a single layer. Cook in the preheated fryer for 6 minutes. Flip the hamburger patties and cook for an additional 5 to 7 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches your desired doneness. The following are the ideal cooking and serving temperatures for maximum taste and juiciness. If food safety is your main concern, cook all meat to well-done. Note: The hamburgers should come off the heat five to ten degrees below the final temperature because the temperature will continue to rise as the meat rests. *Cooking times are approximate based on a cooking temperature of 375 to 400°F. Download the above Hamburger Temperature Table to save for later or print for your convenience. When the hamburgers are almost done, add sliced or shredded cheese directly to the burger patties. Cover the pan or close the grill, oven door/air fryer for about a minute to melt the cheese.
Toasting Hamburger Buns
Burger buns can be toasted on the stove, grill, or in the oven
Toasting Burger Buns on The Stove
Split your buns and heat your pan to medium-high. If you are using a nonstick pan, lightly coat with oil or butter. If you are using a grill pan or cast iron pan, you can toast them dry or butter the cut side.
Place them cut side down on the pan. Toast the buns for about 1 minute or until they are golden brown. Remove from the heat.
Toasting Buns on The Grill
To toast a bun on the stove or grill, split the bun, and place it cut side down on the grill. Cook until it becomes a light golden brown. This happens quickly (maybe seconds) so keep an eye on them and try to avoid direct contact with the flames. Once toasted, remove them from the grill.
Toating Buns in The Oven
Toasting buns in the oven can be done under the broiler (or grill depending on where you are in the world) or in the oven. Under the broiler: Place the rack in the highest position and preheat the broiler to high. Add the buns to a baking sheet cut side up, and broil until golden brown (about 30 seconds). In the oven: Place the rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F/176°C. Add the buns to a baking sheet cut side up, and bake for about five minutes or until the burger buns are warmed through and lightly toasted.
Here are some of my favorite toppings:
Lettuce Red Onions Tomatoes Pickles Crispy Bacon Caramelized Onions Cheddar Cheese Ketchup Sautéed Mushrooms Ranch Dressing BBQ sauce
Erren’s Kitchen is written and produced for informational intentions only. We are not certified nutritionists, and the nutritional information found on this site has not been assessed or authorized by a nutritionist or the FDA. The nutritional information found in our recipes is offered as an estimate and should not be considered a guarantee or fact. The estimated data is provided as a courtesy and calculated through a third-party online nutritional calculator, spoonacular API. Although we do our best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered rough estimates. Many factors, such as brands or products purchased and the nutritional fluctuations that naturally occur in fresh produce, can alter the effectiveness of the nutritional information in any recipe. Furthermore, various online calculators provide different results depending on their particular algorithms and nutrition fact sources. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
