The Best Burger

Name: The Best Burger
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef, (extra lean ); ¼ cup mayonnaise, (divided); 4 whole wheat hamburger buns (or sesame seed hamburger buns); ½ cup green leaf lettuce leaves, (torn); 1 medium red tomato (and/or yellow tomato, sliced); ¼ cup ketchup; ½ medium red onion, (sliced)

You'll enjoy how flavorful and delicious this best burger recipe turns out!

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Table of Contents

The Best Burger Ingredients
How To Make This Best Burger Recipe
How To Serve
Storage
More Recipes You’ll Love
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A good hamburger recipe is a must in every recipe box and this one is the best burger around. It’s simple to make and comes out juicy and delicious once you grill it up.

The Best Burger Ingredients

The Best Burger raw ingredients that are labeled

You’ll need:

1 pound extra-lean ground beef
¼ cup mayonnaise, divided
4 whole-wheat hamburger buns or sesame seed hamburger buns
½ cup green leaf lettuce leaves, torn
1 medium tomato sliced
¼ cup ketchup
½ medium red onion sliced

SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS

TOPPINGS: The sky’s the limit with ways you can top your burger. Cheese, pickles, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, fried mushrooms, and much more. Anything you love on burgers will be perfect for this great recipe.

GROUND MEAT: You could also use ground pork or a mixture of pork and beef in this delicious recipe.

How To Make This Best Burger Recipe

STEP ONE: Combine ground beef with 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise in a bowl.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

Handle the meat as little as you possibly can. The more you work the meat, the tougher it will get.

beef ingredients in a bowl and then folded together

STEP TWO: Shape the beef mixture into 4 patties.

PRO TIP:

You can also broil the burgers in the oven until the meat is cooked through.

STEP THREE: Prepare the grill by oiling the cooking grates and preheating the grill to medium-high heat, approximately 300 to 350°F. Grill burgers until done and a meat thermometer reads 160°F.

PRO TIP:

Don’t press down on your burgers too hard with a spatula, prick them with a fork, or turn too frequently as you will lose precious juices from the meat.

STEP FOUR: Spread bun bottoms with remaining mayonnaise. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, hamburgers, ketchup, onions, and bun tops.

top burger with lettuce, slice of tomato, slice of onion, and dill pickle slices

How To Serve

The perfect burger is best served on a bun with tasty toppings and delicious side dishes. Try our grilled corn on the cob or dill pickle pasta salad for yummy options.

Our Oklahoma fried onion burgers and hamburger steaks are two other tasty ways to enjoy the beefy flavor of a good burger.

MORE BEEF RECIPES

Beef Dinner Ideas

Ground Beef Enchiladas

Beef Dinner Ideas

Mongolian Beef

Storage

IN THE FRIDGE: Store leftover burgers in the fridge for up to 2 days.

IN THE FREEZER: You can freeze the burger patties uncooked in the freezer for up to three months and then thaw them and grill them when you are ready.

MAKE AHEAD: You could make these burger patties ahead of time and store them in the fridge until you are ready to grill them.

close up shot of a burger with a one bun missing

There is nothing better than a juicy burger with all the fixings. Ideally, in my opinion, the burger should have melted cheese oozing down the sides, but you can top yours any way you’d like. You’ll love how these burgers taste and it’ll become a favorite recipe, especially on those magical backyard summer evenings!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I add other ingredients to the raw meat mixture?

You can add finely diced onions, grated cheese, or other ingredients into the meat mixture before grilling.

Can I freeze the uncooked burgers?

You can freeze the uncooked burgers separated by waxed paper for up to three months. Thaw and throw them on the grill.

What are the best buns for a good burger?

Try classic sesame seed buns, brioche buns, or pretzel buns for great choices.

More Recipes You’ll Love

The Best Burger

5 from 4 votes

You'll enjoy how flavorful and delicious this best burger recipe turns out!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings

Print Recipe Review Recipe

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef, extra lean
¼ cup mayonnaise, divided
4 whole wheat hamburger buns or sesame seed hamburger buns
½ cup green leaf lettuce leaves, torn
1 medium red tomato and/or yellow tomato, sliced
¼ cup ketchup
½ medium red onion, sliced

Instructions

Combine ground beef with 1 tablespoon mayonnaise in a bowl.
Shape into 4 patties.
Prepare the grill by oiling the cooking grates and preheating the grill to medium-high heat, approximately 300 to 350°F. Grill burgers until done and a meat thermometer reads 160°F.
Spread bun bottoms with remaining mayonnaise. Top with greens, tomatoes, hamburgers, ketchup, onions, and bun tops.

Video

Notes

Handle the meat as little as you possibly can. The more you work the meat, the tougher it will get.
You can also broil the burgers in the oven until the meat is cooked through.
Don’t press down on your burgers too hard with a spatula, prick them with a fork or turn too frequently as you will lose precious juices from the meat.