Best Old Fashioned Hamburger Recipe

This Old Fashioned Hamburger Recipe makes the perfect homemade hamburger that is flavorful and juicy. Use it to create the best at-home burger loaded with your favorite toppings. Great for grilling or cooking on the stovetop. 

If you're craving more simple and delicious burger recipes, then be sure to try making Peach Bourbon Glazed Burgers or Hamburger Patties in Brown Gravy. 

Make a classic hamburger at home in minutes!

All you need is a few ingredients and they come together to create a burger that is incredibly tasty, tender, and juicy.

Let's get started! 

Why You'll Love These Homemade Hamburgers

• Grill or Skillet - Make some stovetop skillet burgers or cook them on the grill. Even a grill pan on the stovetop or griddle will work. 
• A simple blend of seasonings - You won't need a whole bunch of seasonings to make the perfect burgers. To make this recipe you only need paprika, salt, and ground black pepper. 
• Fully customizable - Make your burger your way with all of your favorite toppings. Try adding cheddar cheese, thinly sliced onions, green leafy lettuce, tomato slices, mayo, and yellow mustard. Or sauce it up with barbecue sauce or comeback sauce. 

Ingredients You'll Need 

You only need a few simple ingredients to make the best burgers. You should be able to easily find these items at your local grocery store. 

1. Ground Beef - Use any ground beef that you prefer. I love using ground chuck or with an 80/20 fat ratio. 
2. Worcestershire Sauce - Adds a savory umami flavor to the meat patties. Do not substitute or omit this ingredient, it makes a big difference in taste. 
3. Garlic - Two freshly minced garlic cloves add a pungent sharp garlic flavor. You could use garlic powder instead. 
4. Paprika - Adds a smoky and slightly sweet flavor to the burger mixture. 
5. Salt - Brings out the flavors of the other ingredients and prevents the hamburgers from tasting flat and bland. 
6. Ground Black Pepper - Add a spicy and peppery bite to the burgers. Try to use freshly ground black pepper for the best results. 

Optional Ingredients

These ingredients are not necessary and I prefer to keep my burger recipe simple. But these are some options if you'd like to bulk up your burgers a little more:

• Bread Crumbs - You can add in some original bread crumbs to the meat mixture if you prefer a more crispy burger. 
• Egg - A single lightly beaten egg can be added to the ground meat if you find that you're having trouble with your patties sticking together. 
• Seasonings - Feel free to add in more seasonings to make your beef burgers even more flavorful. Try adding in onion powder, garlic powder, brown sugar, onion soup mix, and cayenne pepper. 

See the recipe card below for exact ingredient quantities and instructions.

What Kind of Beef Makes the Best Homemade Burgers 

When it comes to making the perfect hamburger, there are many ground beef options and you can use any that you prefer. However, depending if you want a thick and juicy burger or a thin and slightly crispy burger, the kind of beef that you select really matters. 

Ground Round - A good choice, some people love it to make burgers, but I find that it's a little too lean and too dry. It's a popular choice to add additional fat to the mix, but this works best for tacos in my opinion. 

Ground Chuck - Probably the most popular and what the mix that I prefer to use. It tends to have a rich beefy flavor and a higher fat content. This is where you will find that 80/20% fat mixture that creates the juiciest burgers, also perfect for smash burgers. 

Ground Sirloin - A higher-end ground beef that is usually the most costly. It's a fairly lean ground beef that works best if you're adding another ground meat with a higher fat content such as ground sausage to it. This will result in a drier burger and I do not recommend using it to form patties on its own. 

How to Make the Best Hamburger Recipe 

In a large bowl add the ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, paprika, salt, and ground black pepper. Stir the mixture together to combine. 

Form the mixture into 4 to 5 even-size hamburger patties. I prefer to do this by hand. 

Heat the grill to medium heat and add the burgers allowing them to cook 5 to 10 minutes on each side until desired doneness is achieved. This step can also be completed in a large cast-iron skillet or grill pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat as well. 

Carefully remove the burgers from the hot grill or hot pan onto a serving plate, allowing them to rest while preparing your favorite toppings.

Serve the burgers immediately between a bun, with your other favorite burger fixings such as lettuce, tomato, onion, slice of cheese, and condiments. Enjoy!

Recipe Tips & Tricks 

• Select a ground beef with a 20% fat content for a flavorful and juicy hamburger. 
• Try not to overcook the meat, once it browns and reaches your desired internal temperature using a meat thermometer you can remove the patty from the heat. 
• Tightly form and flatten the patties, doing this will help them to stay together throughout the cooking process. Also forming the patties while the meat is still cold makes the process much easier. 
• Flip the burgers as often as you want! This actually helps the burger to cook faster and more evenly. This really isn't a recipe to walk away from. 
• Press a dimple into the center of each raw burger patty, this helps to prevent them from shrinking while cooking. 

Storage Tips 

Storage. Store any flavorful burger leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator, separate from the buns and burger toppings for up to 3 days. 

Reheating. Reheat the hamburgers on the stovetop in a skillet over medium heat until warm. They can also be reheated in the air fryer or microwave for a quicker option. 

Freezing. You can store the raw burger patties in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 1 to 3 months. Allow them to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using. They need to thaw completely before cooking from frozen. 

Want More Tasty Beef Recipes? Try These: 

• Peach Burgers
• Hamburger Steaks and Gravy 
• Southern Meatloaf Recipe 
• Easy Baked Spaghetti Recipe 
• Easy Lasagna Recipe 
• Ground Beef Tacos 
• Crispy Baked Beef Tacos 

Have any comments, questions, or other delicious ways to enjoy this Juicy Burger Recipe? Please share them in the comments below!

📖 Recipe