These ultimate homemade beef burgers are meaty, juicy and packed with flavour. Head of food Tom Shingler’s easy recipe prioritises technique over newfangled additions – including plenty of tips for creating the best homemade burger, topped with cheese and burger sauce.
“A sizzling burger patty on a barbecue is, for me, the sound of summer,” says Tom. “Combine it with a couple of mates, cans of beer and a tinny bluetooth speaker blasting out songs from my youth and I’m in British Summer Time heaven.”
“There’s a beautiful purity about a classic cheeseburger, especially when the patties are given a lick of flame on the barbecue. Combined with the gooey cheese, piquant sauce and a little crunch from onion or pickle, it creates something greater than its parts. The simplicity, however, means you really have to nail each element.”
- The mince needs to be 20% fat. “Any less and you’ll have something dry and crumbly. Don’t buy pre-formed patties; they’re too dense and processed. Lightly work the mince into a disc, then use your thumb to make an indent in the top; this counteracts the beef ‘ballooning’ out as it cooks.”
- Choose the right cheese. “Processed American cheese is an abomination in every scenario except on a burger, where it’s an integral thing. Melty without being greasy, it acts as a sort of rich, creamy glue to hold everything together. Your burger sauce is the third important element, providing sweetness and tang to cut through the rich meat and cheese. And don’t be afraid of going overboard with pickles.”
- Cook on the hob or barbecue: the burgers can be cooked in a griddle pan for a midweek dinner – but are even better on the barbecue. “Barbecuing the patty gives it that smoky finish, as well as the caramelised gnarly crust you usually get only from ‘smashing’ the patty – but with the added bonus of a juicy (and pink, if you like) centre.”
- One final trick: “Wrap the finished article in foil and leave it to rest for a minute or so before tucking in. This allows the residual heat and steam to stick everything together, letting the sauce get to know the patty and the cheese to envelop the onion. It’s the key thing that elevates a burger from good to outstanding.”
- Flexible recipe: Easily double the quantities to cook burgers for a crowd – ideal for parties, barbecues and sports events.
Ingredients
- 500g beef mince, at least 20% fat, at room temperature
- 1 large onion
- Vegetable oil to drizzle
- 8 processed cheese slices
- 4 sesame seed buns
- Butter, softened, to spread
For the sauce
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- ½ tbsp ketchup
- ½ tbsp American mustard
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp celery salt
- ½ tsp onion granules
- 4 gherkin slices, finely chopped, plus a splash of their brine (and extra for the burgers, if you like)
You’ll also need
- Griddle pan or barbecue
Method
- Light the barbecue. If it’s gas, wait until the grill is red-hot; if it’s charcoal, wait until the coals are glowing white. If cooking on the hob, wait until the griddle pan is smoking hot.
- While you wait, mix all the sauce ingredients together with a big pinch of salt and pepper, then set aside. Cut 4 slices (around 0.5cm thick) from the centre of the onion, then finely chop the remaining onion and add to the sauce. Brush the onion rings with a little vegetable oil, then set aside.
- Divide the mince into 4 balls weighing 125g each. Flatten each into a disc that’s roughly the same diameter as your buns. Use your thumb to make an indent in the centre of each patty.
- When the barbecue is up to temperature, season the burgers heavily with salt on both sides and add to the hottest part of the grill (directly above the hottest coals or flame) – or add to the pan. Arrange the onion slices around the outside or on a slightly cooler part of the barbecue or pan. Leave everything to cook, undisturbed, for 3 minutes.
- Use a fork and a spatula to carefully flip the onion slices – don’t worry if they break up a little or get a little charred. If they’re getting burnt too quickly, sprinkle them with water (although some charring is fine). Flip the burgers too and top each one with 2 slices of cheese. Leave to cook for another 3 minutes while you split open the buns and spread the cut sides with butter.
- If cooking on the barbecue, after the 3 minutes you can add the buns, cut-side down, and grill for 20 seconds until lightly charred. If cooking on the hob, remove the burgers from the pan and briefly grill the buns.
- Sit the buns on a board or plate, then add a spoonful of sauce, followed by the burgers, cheese-side up. Put an onion slice on top, then another spoonful of the burger sauce (and more gherkins, if you like). Add the lids, then wrap in baking paper or foil. Wait a minute or so before unwrapping and enjoying.
See all our burger recipes for more toppings and flavour inspiration.
FAQs
Some recipes use egg yolk to help to bind the mixture together and stop the burgers from falling apart, but it’s not necessary in this recipe.
Follow the 80/20 rule: a minimum of 20% fat content is needed for juicy burgers. Chuck steak is recommended, or chuck mixed with brisket and shortrib.
Nutrition
- 680kcals Calories
- 43g (16g saturated) Fat
- 40g Protein
- 31g (8g sugars) Carbs
- 2.9g Fibre
- 2.6g Salt
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Reviews
i love this recipe because its what we call a Proper burger,no calorie counting just pure deliciousness x
I love this recipe because it’s yummy and easy to cook on the BBQ or in the kitchen :)
I love this recipe because the family are barbecue burger buffs and this met all standards, so no worry about what to cook next time.
I love this recipe because it’s quick, easy and is a favourite with all the family and friends kids as well.
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