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Quoted: Keys to making a better burger. Fresh ground beef. I prefer using straight whole chuck. Don’t mix anything into it. A good bun. Get them fresh from a local bakery if you can. If not, a martins potato roll is good. Don’t bother with brioche. Season the beef well. Salt and fresh cracked pepper work just fine. Don’t be stingy. This is where most people fail. Toast the bun. Get some good American cheese. Not Kraft single slices. Get some from the deli. They will have Hildale or land o lakes of something comparable. Place the ball in the hot (400 or so) pan or on the griddle and smash it to 1/4 or so. Taper /smear the edges a bit. Season with plenty of kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Once it ready to flip, scrape it off the cooking surface making sure to get all of the crust up. Immediate put the cheese on top, followed by the bun with some mustard or whatever, and wait till it’s melted to scrape the burger off. Build your burger. Eat it. Think of the flavors you’re using. Fat, salt, acid, sweet, umami. In balance. If you’re doing all this and your burger lacks flavor, you are likely building a burger that is not including all of the flavors in a balanced manner. Mustard, pickle, onion is all you need. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/24268/IMG_8302-3514996.jpg 
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Quoted: Keys to making a better burger. Fresh ground beef. I prefer using straight whole chuck. Don't mix anything into it. A good bun. Get them fresh from a local bakery if you can. If not, a martins potato roll is good. Don't bother with brioche. Season the beef well. Salt and fresh cracked pepper work just fine. Don't be stingy. This is where most people fail. Toast the bun. Get some good American cheese. Not Kraft single slices. Get some from the deli. They will have Hildale or land o lakes of something comparable. Place the ball in the hot (400 or so) pan or on the griddle and smash it to 1/4 or so. Taper /smear the edges a bit. Season with plenty of kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Once it ready to flip, scrape it off the cooking surface making sure to get all of the crust up. Immediate put the cheese on top, followed by the bun with some mustard or whatever, and wait till it's melted to scrape the burger off. Build your burger. Eat it. Think of the flavors you're using. Fat, salt, acid, sweet, umami. In balance. If you're doing all this and your burger lacks flavor, you are likely building a burger that is not including all of the flavors in a balanced manner. Mustard, pickle, onion is all you need. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/24268/IMG_8302-3514996.jpg I've been using regular buns but this week, the store actually had some potato rolls (not Martin, though), so I grabbed those and I do think they add a lot. I'm not a brioche bun person, at all. Cheese is definately a concern and I never thought of looking in the deli section for better stuff! We got in the habit of running our salt thru a grinder, which results in very fine salt. On my next burgers, I'll use kosher straight from the box, rather than ground. I think the grinder is actually getting too much salt on the patty. I made an onion burger yesterday that was amazing. Easily the quality I'm looking for in a burger, but I'm still working on getting there with a non-onion burger. |
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Generally it sounds like your technique is fine. My first guess is you simply aren’t putting enough salt on the meat, burgers need a lot, and if you’re doing all the other steps this is probably the biggest variable. Next would be the meat itself, 80/20 isn’t really enough fat. If you’re serious about it, grinding your own isn’t that time consuming. I really like a short rib/chuck blend but anything that has enough fat should be good. This is a great guide that gets into a lot of detail https://www.seriouseats.com/the-burger-lab-the-worlds-best-burger-for-a-single-man-or-woman ETA: just saw your last comment regarding salt. I still think it’s more likely you’re using too little than too much. Maybe you can better describe what you think it’s lacking, and what restaurant in particular you think does it better? |
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Quoted: Thanks for posting! I've been using regular buns but this week, the store actually had some potato rolls (not Martin, though), so I grabbed those and I do think they add a lot. I'm not a brioche bun person, at all. Cheese is definately a concern and I never thought of looking in the deli section for better stuff! We got in the habit of running our salt thru a grinder, which results in very fine salt. On my next burgers, I'll use kosher straight from the box, rather than ground. I think the grinder is actually getting too much salt on the patty. I made an onion burger yesterday that was amazing. Easily the quality I'm looking for in a burger, but I'm still working on getting there with a non-onion burger. Quoted: Quoted: Keys to making a better burger. Fresh ground beef. I prefer using straight whole chuck. Don't mix anything into it. A good bun. Get them fresh from a local bakery if you can. If not, a martins potato roll is good. Don't bother with brioche. Season the beef well. Salt and fresh cracked pepper work just fine. Don't be stingy. This is where most people fail. Toast the bun. Get some good American cheese. Not Kraft single slices. Get some from the deli. They will have Hildale or land o lakes of something comparable. Place the ball in the hot (400 or so) pan or on the griddle and smash it to 1/4 or so. Taper /smear the edges a bit. Season with plenty of kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Once it ready to flip, scrape it off the cooking surface making sure to get all of the crust up. Immediate put the cheese on top, followed by the bun with some mustard or whatever, and wait till it's melted to scrape the burger off. Build your burger. Eat it. Think of the flavors you're using. Fat, salt, acid, sweet, umami. In balance. If you're doing all this and your burger lacks flavor, you are likely building a burger that is not including all of the flavors in a balanced manner. Mustard, pickle, onion is all you need. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/24268/IMG_8302-3514996.jpg I've been using regular buns but this week, the store actually had some potato rolls (not Martin, though), so I grabbed those and I do think they add a lot. I'm not a brioche bun person, at all. Cheese is definately a concern and I never thought of looking in the deli section for better stuff! We got in the habit of running our salt thru a grinder, which results in very fine salt. On my next burgers, I'll use kosher straight from the box, rather than ground. I think the grinder is actually getting too much salt on the patty. I made an onion burger yesterday that was amazing. Easily the quality I'm looking for in a burger, but I'm still working on getting there with a non-onion burger. If you got Aldi's they sell decent buns in a 6 pack. Its pricier than the cheap 8 packs. Only enough the Aldi's beef taste better than the local grocery stores and is cheaper. Land O Lakes from the deli is one of the better options for American Cheese |
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Quoted: My secret is worstishire sauce, salt and fresh ground pepper. This. A good 80/20 grind, quality worcestershire sauce (Meat Church recommends “W” and I found some at my Ace Hardware and it’s actually worth the upgrade from the typical Lea & Perrins), and S&P. The worcestershire isn’t necessary if the grind is good enough, that can be just S&P. I’ll make a special run out to my local butcher for a couple patties for my Best Of Everything burgers once or twice a summer. |
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Burgers, like so many other foods is in the eye of the beholder, or the tastebuds of the beholder. Personally, I don't hate smash burgers, but they are not my go to. Here is my process for how i like my burgers. 75/25, 80/20, or 85/15 ground beef. 80/20 being the preferred. Generally not the tubed ground beef, but the ground beef on the flats. Although, i have used the tubed ground beef successfully. Form into 5.5 ounce on average meatball. Try not to work the meat to much. Press into about a 4.5 to 5 inch round patty, end up being about 5/8 thick, give or take. I use a hand press for that. Cooking on flattop, medium heat After warm up of flat top, place patties on and season liberally with a SPG. I make my own with 2 parts kosher salt, 1 part course ground black pepper and 1 part Granulated Garlic. Season it good, not a few pinches, you will get almost no flavor enhancement out of a pinch. Cook till liquid is bubbling on the top and the meat is cooked about half way up the patty. Flip and liberally season the other side. Cook till about 155 internal or your preferred doneness. At this point if I want melted cheese I will add it at the end for a minute or so. I prefer deli sliced American cheese, but will use other deli sliced cheeses. Individually wrapped American cheese, I avoid like the plague. Cheap buns are not good, but if used then they really need to be toasted. Of course toasting the bun is always a good idea anyways Add whatever condiments and other things you want. I love homemade pickles. This gives me a pretty good burger in my opinion. Others will have a completely different opinion on what is needed to make a good burger. On a gas grill, at least the one I have, heat to medium, add patty season, cook for 15 minutes, flip, season other side, cook for another 10 to 15, add cheese just before pulling to melt. Charcoal grill, place patty above hot coals, season, sear, flip, season, flip, sear, then move to indirect heat with lid closed till desired doneness, add cheese just before removing. Again, others will have a completely different way to get to the finished product. |
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OP, it sounds like you were doing everything pretty much correct. I would make two recommendations… 1. Go to Walmart and buy the Wagyu beef patties. They come in a sealed pack in a three count. Just trust me on this one. 2. Make a smash burger sauce. It is basically a mix of mayo ketchup mustard and pickle juice, but the recipe and ingredients can vary. Use this in place of other sauces. You said you are testing the inside of the buns which I would definitely continue to do, and I also add a little bit of Butter before toasting. I think this really helps a lot. |
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I used regular kosher salt this time and no question, I'm actually over salting my burgers, to the point where my mouth burns. I don't think the amounts of S&P I'm using is the problem. Despite being over-salted, today's burger was a step in the right direction and pretty good. I got a really good toasting on the bun, so I think that helped. I also think my cook times are improving, as far as judging when to flip and when to remove from the flattop. I don't think I mentioned my patty size, but I'm using 3 oz of ground beef, if that makes a difference. My next step will be to get some better cheese, which I'll do sometime this weekend. I've done a little experimenting with beef, with mixed results. Some have been an improvement and some made no difference. We have some beef in the freezer that was given to us and I'll check those cuts and consider grinding some up. I ground up a huge sirloin and made chili last weekend. Smash burgers (at least when cooked on a flat-top) are my go-to but somewhat thicker burgers can be good, as well. One of that style I've had was the Guy's burger place on Carnival cruise ships. The first day of the cruise we noticed the lines there and once we tried them, we understood. Really good burger that was better than the well known "gourmet" burger places around here. |
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Quoted: I used regular kosher salt this time and no question, I'm actually over salting my burgers, to the point where my mouth burns. I don't think the amounts of S&P I'm using is the problem. Despite being over-salted, today's burger was a step in the right direction and pretty good. I got a really good toasting on the bun, so I think that helped. I also think my cook times are improving, as far as judging when to flip and when to remove from the flattop. I don't think I mentioned my patty size, but I'm using 3 oz of ground beef, if that makes a difference. My next step will be to get some better cheese, which I'll do sometime this weekend. I've done a little experimenting with beef, with mixed results. Some have been an improvement and some made no difference. We have some beef in the freezer that was given to us and I'll check those cuts and consider grinding some up. I ground up a huge sirloin and made chili last weekend. Smash burgers (at least when cooked on a flat-top) are my go-to but somewhat thicker burgers can be good, as well. One of that style I've had was the Guy's burger place on Carnival cruise ships. The first day of the cruise we noticed the lines there and once we tried them, we understood. Really good burger that was better than the well known "gourmet" burger places around here. Exactly what cheese have you been using? |
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Quoted: Why smash the juice out of a patty? This. I'll add one trick I use to the many other good ones in this thread. I use a cast iron pan heated to around 400°F I put the 1" thick burger on it for 30 seconds, then take the pan off the heat for 3 minutes. You'll have a good Maillard reaction after 4 minutes, but the inside won't get overcooked. Then I set the burger aside, wipe up the grease with paper towels, add sliced onions, crank the heat back up, and once the onions get transparent, put the burger (uncooked side - duh...) on top of the onions. Cook 3-4 more minutes. Let sit 2-3 minutes on paper towels before assembling final product. |
| It's all about the seasoning and seer. I use a 10" cast iron and on medium heat they cook my burgers great. The trick is not too hot and they will cook a nice carnalized seer. I use salt, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic. Pretty straight forward and my patties are premade frozen from a local farm. |
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Well, for one, you can stop smashing them... I do mine on cast iron, in butter. 1/2lb each. Flatten them out to about 1-1.25" thickness. Press a slight dimple in the middle. Med to med-high heat. 5-6 min/side. Salt, pepper, and maybe some garlic only. Better than any restaurant burger. |
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Quoted: Came here to ask same. WTF? Or even smashing it before cooking. I make 1/3-1/2-pound burgers that are 1/2 inch thick, and I cook them on a grill until the middle is medium rare, just barely 100% cooked. |
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Quoted: I think things taste different when you go through the process of cooking them yourself vs having it put in front of you. Not sure why, but its true.  She would probably say they are better than I think, but she would still agree that they aren't what I'm shooting for, which she is familiar with.
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I'll add my 2c. For most folks there are two types of burgers, the "smash" burger and your regular thick burger. Both can be great, just depends on what you're in the mood for. Smash burgers normally consist of two 3-4oz patties that are dropped on a flat iron grill as balls and then smashed as thin as possible. Its a quick process and delivers a juicy crusty burger that is well done. The thicker burger is usually a single that is at least 1/2" but more likely 5/8"+ thick. This is more like cooking a steak where one wants some pink or even a little red in the middle. It is best cooked over a charcoal grill but can be done on the flat top or even in a pan on the stove top. It delivers a juicy burger with a good crust but more steak like with a medium to medium rare finish. In both cases proper meat selection and seasoning is crucial. I prefer to grind my own meat for an optimal experience but store bought 80/20 will work. As Dupe mentioned, S&P is really all that is needed but don't be afraid to experiment. I've found some great store bought burger seasonings. Lastly, you kind of need to know how to cook. By that I mean if you aren't willing to put in the effort to stand over the meat while it's cooking to monitor/adjust temps and just in general "care" for the meat, just go to Five Guys or something.
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I like charcoal fire in the BGE, ramped to 500 or so. Burger patties no less than 8 oz., 80/20 chuck better (I love American Wagyu). Salt only. Cheese at the very end. For the love of God, don’t smoosh the juices out during the cook. Rest at least two minutes before serving. |
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Quoted: That's only for a thick, 4 oz patty cooked on the grill served with Head Country (and only Head Country) BBQ sauce and a cross-section of raw onion. That's burger Nirvana!  Head country is garbage , they’ve been catering my work events for a decade , still can’t get the people in charge to change it up , their sauce is hot garbage. |
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Quoted: I've mixed it up, but mostly Kraft American  and sometimes real cheese, usually something along the lines of pepper jack.We just got back from the store and I have deli sliced American cheese to try next. Kraft deli American is fine. Just not those nasty ass singles that are wrapped in plastic. |
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Quoted: As 1000s of restaurant cooks across the land search for how to make a hamburger taste "homemade"  You are probably using way too high quality ingredients instead of bottom tier stuff from a restaurant supplier. I was going to add that it needs to be frozen and thawed |
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Quoted: I think things taste different when you go through the process of cooking them yourself vs having it put in front of you. Not sure why, but its true. This is definitely a thing for me. Shit tastes better when someone else makes it, even when there are identical ingredients and technique. |
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Quoted: This is definitely a thing for me. Shit tastes better when someone else makes it, even when there are identical ingredients and technique. |
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Quoted: Why smash the juice out of a patty? You're smashing the uncooked ball of ground beef onto the the pan/griddle. So no fat has been turned to grease yet. And then that face that you smashed down on the pan is seared quickly, sealing a lot of the juices in. I will add it is better to buy your 80/20 chuck right from the the butcher case in the store, it will be relatively freshly ground that morning at least. Not like the plastic wrapped pack in the meat coolers, that stuff especially when on sale comes from australia, probably not ground over there, but gets ground in some big packing house and sits refrigerated or frozen for days or more until it gets to your grocery store. All they will probably do it put in in the flat foam trays. Sometimes I will buy some ground chuck at a local butcher shop/smokehouse, and it has a distinctly different flavor My local Sams Club store hasn't had 80/20 in bulk flat packs for years. Just 90/10, which is Ok for other stuff, but not burgers. But they do have it in those big tubes. Never bought it in that form. I use a little bit of coarse sea salt, and fresh ground BP. I also usually use wbeer gourmet burger seasoning.. mostly I flame grill mine, but like Op i will use a fying pan on the stove when its nasty outside like it is now. I do have a flat top griddle for a dual burner master chef, but for just me and maybe my Mom, its too much trouble. |
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We grind our own burger, but instead of using fat we use good bacon..Love the taste compared to generic burger..We pretty much only do our game meat anymore(moose, caribou mainly) but we used to do beef as well...Doesn't matter if its cooked on the propane grill, briquets, or wood, or on the stove in a cast iron fry pan, good regardless..My favorite is 20 to 25 percent bacon by weight to the meat... Attached File Attached File Attached File |
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Quoted: I have the exact opposite experience. I think my anger from paying today's prices for hamburgers taints the experience, whereas a home cooked burger is almost always awesome whether it is smashed, charcoal grilled, steamed, made with Kraft singles or fancier cheeses always tastes extremely good. Agreed. I find myself muttering more and more "I could've made it better myself" |
Hey OP, somehow watching stuff about the Bills on YT brought this up. Made me think of this thread  Former Five Guys Manager Reveals Secrets to Making Their Burger at Home 
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Quoted: Hey OP, somehow watching stuff about the Bills on YT brought this up. Made me think of this thread  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4x38F9dQxf4 |
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Isn’t the point of a homemade burger to have a burger that tastes homemade? I love a homemade burger with a slice of tomato and onion. I don’t like any special sauce or unusual stuff. There was a place in Raleigh off of 401 in a shopping center back around 1990 that had a staff made up of almost all special needs kids and adults. They made a real homemade burger and it was fantastic…best non homemade homemade burger I’ve ever had. Probably the biggest thing is to not use ground beef from the grocery store but instead buy a piece of meat and grind it up. All it needs is salt and pepper and BUTTER. Burgers always taste better with some char too. |
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Quoted: Isn't the point of a homemade burger to have a burger that tastes homemade? I love a homemade burger with a slice of tomato and onion. I don't like any special sauce or unusual stuff. There was a place in Raleigh off of 401 in a shopping center back around 1990 that had a staff made up of almost all special needs kids and adults. They made a real homemade burger and it was fantastic best non homemade homemade burger I've ever had. Probably the biggest thing is to not use ground beef from the grocery store but instead buy a piece of meat and grind it up. All it needs is salt and pepper and BUTTER. Burgers always taste better with some char too. |
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Quoted: We grind our own burger, but instead of using fat we use good bacon..Love the taste compared to generic burger..We pretty much only do our game meat anymore(moose, caribou mainly) but we used to do beef as well...Doesn't matter if its cooked on the propane grill, briquets, or wood, or on the stove in a cast iron fry pan, good regardless..My favorite is 20 to 25 percent bacon by weight to the meat... https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/404934/IMG_0676_jpeg-3687855.JPG https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/404934/IMG_0841_jpeg-3687856.JPG https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/404934/IMG_0678_jpeg-3687857.JPG 
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Quoted: I'm coming from the perspective of someone who grew up in a house where neither parent knew how to cook. From that perspective, "homemade" is not a positive term. Oddly enough, my dad made killer burgers on the grill, but that was about the extent of my parent's combined ability to cook well. And Burgers cooked on a grill are a totally different thing from burgers cooked on a flattop or in a skillet/pan. They’re never quite as good as burgers cooked over a flame. A lot of people who grow up in homes that didn’t cook, never learn how to cook, you should be proud of yourself and your burgers. Well done. You….not the burgers :) |
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Quoted: Keys to making a better burger. Fresh ground beef. I prefer using straight whole chuck. Don’t mix anything into it. A good bun. Get them fresh from a local bakery if you can. If not, a martins potato roll is good. Don’t bother with brioche. Season the beef well. Salt and fresh cracked pepper work just fine. Don’t be stingy. This is where most people fail. Toast the bun. Get some good American cheese. Not Kraft single slices. Get some from the deli. They will have Hildale or land o lakes of something comparable. Place the ball in the hot (400 or so) pan or on the griddle and smash it to 1/4 or so. Taper /smear the edges a bit. Season with plenty of kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Once it ready to flip, scrape it off the cooking surface making sure to get all of the crust up. Immediate put the cheese on top, followed by the bun with some mustard or whatever, and wait till it’s melted to scrape the burger off. Build your burger. Eat it. Think of the flavors you’re using. Fat, salt, acid, sweet, umami. In balance. If you’re doing all this and your burger lacks flavor, you are likely building a burger that is not including all of the flavors in a balanced manner. Mustard, pickle, onion is all you need. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/24268/IMG_8302-3514996.jpg 
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Quoted: They're never quite as good as burgers cooked over a flame. A lot of people who grow up in homes that didn't cook, never learn how to cook, you should be proud of yourself and your burgers. Well done. You .not the burgers :) Quoted: Quoted: I'm coming from the perspective of someone who grew up in a house where neither parent knew how to cook. From that perspective, "homemade" is not a positive term. Oddly enough, my dad made killer burgers on the grill, but that was about the extent of my parent's combined ability to cook well. And Burgers cooked on a grill are a totally different thing from burgers cooked on a flattop or in a skillet/pan. They're never quite as good as burgers cooked over a flame. A lot of people who grow up in homes that didn't cook, never learn how to cook, you should be proud of yourself and your burgers. Well done. You .not the burgers :) What's funny is that I didn't realize my parents didn't know how to cook until I was in my 50's and overheard my wife casually tell someone "Corwin's parents don't know how to cook....". It was a light bulb moment for me. LOL |
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Quoted: Since the weather turned cold, I've been cooking my burgers on the stove, but no matter what I try, they still taste like homemade burgers (which is not a good thing, to me) instead of restaurant burgers. Can any of the pro's here troubleshoot my method and help me improve my burgers? 1) I use 80/20 chuck or better, from the butcher counter at the local grocery store. 2) I cook on a thick steel griddle at @ 450 degrees F. 3) I smash with a 2.5 lb burger press 4) I season with salt and pepper or Lawry's seasoning salt (ala George Motz) and pepper 5) I generally use plain old bread buns but finally found potato buns, which seem to be recommended a lot. 6) I smash flat, let cook until liquid bubbles up and the sides start to curl, flip (always have good crust), season and add cheese and the top half of the bun. 7) Sometimes I toast the buns on the bare griddle, sometimes in butter and sometimes I don't toast them at all. I've used fried onions and raw onions. I generally use mustard but sometimes use A1 steak sauce, BBQ sauce or ketchup and mayo. I use American cheese slices and think this might be a weak point, but I haven't seen "American Cheese" that seems of good quality. My burgers still taste like a homemade burger. Is there some ingredient or process I'm missing? |
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Quoted: I've mixed it up, but mostly Kraft American and sometimes real cheese, usually something along the lines of pepper jack.We just got back from the store and I have deli sliced American cheese to try next. Quoted: Quoted: Exactly what cheese have you been using? and sometimes real cheese, usually something along the lines of pepper jack.We just got back from the store and I have deli sliced American cheese to try next. The deli stuff is where it's at. That was going to be my suggestion. |