The Best Burger Recipe – So Good the Bun Gets in the Way

Dinner Now

Walking around town touting that I have the best burger recipe seems a little overbearing, doesn’t it?! And yet here I am. Telling the whole internet that this, this right here, is the best burger recipe. So good, the bun gets in the way.

Don’t get me wrong. I love a bun just as much as the next person.

Hamburger bun that is 😉

BUT, we are an 80/20 household. We eat Paleo 80% of the time. 20% is a free for all. So, when I set out to make a delicious grilled burger (perfect for your 4th of July cookout!) I wanted it to be SO good we wouldn’t be missing the bun.

Or the cheese.

Challenge accepted.

Although, since writing this post I have discovered sweet potato buns! Oh my gosh you must try these. Unbelievably easy to make and DELICIOUS. Ok, that concludes this small update.

My mom taught me a few tips and tricks when it comes to making burgers. And one exceptional secret weapon. Which I include in this recipe.

So, let’s get to it, shall we?

The Best Burger Recipe

First, lets talk about the meat you’re going to buy. Ground chuck is the most common. And it best have some fat! Ground chuck without fat means dry burgers. No thank you.

We tend to buy 80/20 ground chuck. 80% lean meant. 20% fat.

Next, adding flavor to your meat. We keep it pretty simple (compared to what is out there). Can I get a spice line-up please?

Introducing:

  • 1 TBS garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 TBS onion powder

And, of course, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce. In a bowl mix these all together and add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil to bring it all together.

Add 2 1/2 pounds of ground chuck to a bowl. (This creates 6 patties. If you need less adjust recipe as needed!) Massage the spice mixture into the meat.

Grab a tennis sized ball of the meat. Work into a ball formation. Then flatten it into a patty by compressing it with your thumbs. This might seem like a large patty but remember that it will shrink when it is cooked! Also, make sure you evenly distribute the meat so it will cook evenly.

Once you create your patties. Take a small pinch of meat out of the center of each patty. Yes. Do it! Reserve the pinched meat. Your patties should look like this:

 

This may seem crazy. Let me assure you, we are a bit crazy 🙂

BUT, this is what my mom taught me. To keep the burger moist she adds a pat of butter to the middle of each patty. Just take 1 tablespoon of butter and cut it into fours. Then add each piece to the middle.

Add a little piece of the reserved meat back to each patty and press it down to incorporate it back into the patty.

Now to grill! Heat your grill to high. We brush each patty with a little olive oil on each side to ensure it will not stick.

And can I stop to say a big thank you to Jeremy?! It was pouring the rain when we made these – but that did not phase him (or our little bear).

Why yes, I did marry a boy scout!

Ok, put your burgers on the grill. Depending on the size of your patties, grill them (without touching them!!) for 6 minutes on the first side. Flip once. Cook on the other side for an additional 4-5 minutes (without touching).

Your burger should register at 160 degrees F.

Take them off the grill and allow them to rest for 4-5 minutes (this ensures the juices will distribute throughout the meat).

Go ahead and prep your veggies! Thanks to the summer season we grabbed up some green tomatoes (welcome to the south!!).

We also love the creaminess of avocados, the peppery bite of arugula, the spicy crunch from red onions and the bold flavor pop from stone ground mustard!

No cheese. I know. We’re keeping it Paleo 😉

And now. It’s time to dress her up and serve her.

Also! So fun – this recipe along with 20 others are featured in my new book Come & Eat: A Celebration of Love and Grace Around the Everyday Table.

Grab a copy today and have a meal plan for 21 days!

Print

The Best Burger Recipe

  • Author: Bri McKoy
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 1/2 pounds 80/20 ground chuck
  • 1 TBS garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 TBS onion powder
  • 1 TBS Worcestershire
  • 1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 TBS butter

Instructions

  1. Make the spice mixture by mixing the Worcestershire, olive oil, garlic and onion powders, salt and pepper together.
  2. Add the spice mixture to the ground chuck. Massage the mixture into the meat.
  3. Create six tennis-sized balls with the meat.
  4. Compress the meat with your thumbs to create patties.
  5. Take a pinch of meat out of the center of each patty. Reserve the meat.
  6. Add a cube of butter to each patty.
  7. Replace the removed meat back to each patty, fully covering the butter.
  8. Grill the patties on high heat. 6 minutes on the first side. 4-5 minutes on the second side.
  9. Let meat rest for 5 minutes.
  10. Serve with your favorite veggies and condiments.

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  1. Shelly says:

    trying this tonight

  2. Shannon LaCorte says:

    OMG! This delicious recipe was absolutely awesome! The little pad of butter in the middle of the burger made it so juicy and yummy! We used a half pork and half beef meat and it was equally as delicious. Can’t wait to make this again in the near future! Would definitely recommend to anyone who loves juicy burgers.

  3. Vic says:

    Add a cube of butter to each patty? Sure. But no bread? Hrmm… Not sure how I feel about this whole “paleo diet” ordeal. Then again, with how delicious that looks, I’m sure I can survive without the unnecessary bread. Not sure if I’ll try this but it sure looks interesting!

    • Bri McKoy says:

      You should give it a try, Vic! If you use butter that comes from the milk of grass-fed cows that are free of growth hormones your body can actually fully digest this butter (unlike bread). I use Kerrygold butter – once you try this you’ll never go back!

  4. Lisa Henry says:

    making this today!!

  5. Martina says:

    I don’t have access to a grill. Will these work if I make them on a skillet pan?

  6. Julie says:

    Thanks so much for this recipe! I have been trying for a long time to get that great grilled burger. I only had 2 lbs of ground beef and made 6 patties and they turned out great. Normally I try to get 4 patties out of 1 pound of beef, I was not on the right track! Very delicious recipe!

  7. Michelle says:

    Tried this recipe for my family gathering this past weekend.  The burgers were flavorful and moist…much better than flavorless prefrozen patties. We froze a portion of the recipe overnight and kept the other batch in the fridge.  Both groups cooked well. We cooked half on the grill and the remainder on the stove top both batches came out great.

  8. CdP2 says:

    These will now be my go-to burgers! I made them last night for Memorial Day and they are the best home-cooked burgers I have ever had (for sure that I have ever made). They are juicy, tender and super tasty! Thank you for the recipe! 5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

  9. Great recipe, Bri! Made these last night and they were great

  10. Cassie says:

    So I wanted to make burgers, but didn’t want them just plain. I did a little bit of Googling and this was one of the first results! It also looked pretty easy (which it was).
    Anyway, I’m glad I tried it because it was delicious! Since I decided to make these on a whim I didn’t really have anything to put on it, so I used some Newman’s hickory BBQ sauce, which was a good pairing. ?

    • Bri McKoy says:

      I am so grateful you found this recipe and that you loved it! I also love your addition of the BBQ sauce! Yum!

  11. Julie Vega says:

    Can I make this in the oven? If so what would be the best temp to set on?

    • Bri McKoy says:

      Hi! I have never made these in the oven but one method is to cook them at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. I hope this works!

  12. Jenna says:

    Can I form these patties a day before grilling them? 

  13. Iris says:

    I found this recipe years ago and forgot to save it after hours of searching I finally found it!!! I printed and booked marked it this time! Honestly best burger recipe ever! Hands down ?? Thank you

  14. Kat says:

     Always comes out amazing! Added onion and mushrooms in the meat before I put it in my George Foreman Grill. I think I’ll put fresh minced garlic in it instead of the garlic powder.

  15. Taylor says:

    Hi! I’m not sure if you’ll get this message, but I’ve always used and egg and breadcrumbs when making burgers. Will these guys still hold together without those two things? I also have just regular ground beef, and not chuck. Is that a problem at all? Thank you in advance!

    • Bri McKoy says:

      Hi! Your burgers will stay together without using an egg or breadcrumbs. I have never had a problem. And yes, you can use regular ground beef. Enjoy!

  16. Heather says:

    My first grilling in a very long time, Fourth of July. Wasn’t sure if I wanted to do that butter, but did because I usually follow the recipe exactly the first time. Have to admit nothing I would change. I did use turkey and ground beef mixed together I just like the flavor.

  17. Shalia says:

    Awesome burgers! No more dry meat!!! Hurray! 

  18. LaCaya says:

    I’m wanting to try this with Bison ground meat. Is there anything you would change?  I also want to make them ahead of time and freeze them. Then thaw and grill while camping. Will they freeze ok with butter in  each patty?

  19. Neil says:

    you can use butter out of the fridge and grate it , into the meat as well 

  20. Peggy says:

    Will these work in an air fryer?

    • Bri McKoy says:

      Hi, Peggy! I do not have an air fryer so I have never tried it. If you try it, let us know how it works out!

  21. Rebecca says:

    These burgers were delicious! I never make them because every time I have a home grilled burger they are always just, meh. I had a family gathering and made these and burgers have been redeemed! We did however have issues with fire in the grill from all the butter (we were making about 18 burgers) but I realized afterwards that I didn’t cover the butter with the pinch of meat, just put it in the dimple. Not sure if that caused it or the number of burgers being made, but will absolutely make them again. 

  22. MochaMama100 says:

    This burger was delicious! 

  23. z grills says:

    Nothing is better than a burger that has been hit with a little smoke and then seared right before coming off the grill. The smoke enhances the natural beef flavor of the patties and works really well with the cheddar cheese. Found the smoked burgers on the pellet grill recipe from Z Grills.

  24. Virginia Harrie: Canada says:

    These burgers are to die for! I have never had such a juicy and flavourful burger like this…ever! Thank you for sharing.

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