Do you dream of grilling cheesy burgers for friends and family on a perfectly preheated grill in a spacious backyard? Yeah, me too. But sometimes that’s just not the reality, is it? Maybe you don’t have a grill; maybe you live in a city; maybe it’s just raining!
Don’t stuff your buns in the bin just because it’s overcast or, like, winter. Learn how to make a burger indoors on the stove instead.
The best beef mix for burgers on the grill is 80/20, but it’s better to go for a leaner 90/10 mix when you’re cooking burgers on the stove so you don’t get too much fat melting into the skillet.
I prefer to use a large griddle when I’m making indoor burgers, but I’ve also had great success with a plain ol’ cast iron skillet. Make sure to preheat it to get a nice even heat so you can make multiple burgers at once.
I like to make stovetop burgers thinner and flatter than grilled burgers. If you are making single burgers, 4 ounces per burger is a nice size. If you are making double patties, opt for 3 ounces.
When you are portioning the burgers, don’t worry about shaping them into perfect patties, like you would if you were grilling the burgers. In fact, for burgers on the stove it’s best to flatten the burgers while they are cooking in the skillet!
If you are cooking multiple burgers, clean your skillet or griddle between cooking batches to help prevent excess burning and smoking. No need to completely clean the surface in the sink; just scrape away any burger bits, then wipe the surface down quickly before going onto round two.
As soon as your burger is cooked and you remove it from the skillet, add cheese on top, then cover it with a metal bowl. This will catch the steam coming off the burger and quickly melt the cheese without it melting all over your skillet.
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 pound ground chuck (90:10)
- 3 potato or brioche buns
- 6 slices American cheese
- Nonstick spray
- Green lettuce leaves
- Thinly sliced red onion
- Thinly sliced fresh tomato
- Prepare the optional burger seasoning mix:
Before you start cooking, prepare the seasoning mix. In a small bowl, mix together the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Set aside.
- Make the sauce:
In another small bowl, mix the mayonnaise, mustard, and ketchup together until smooth. Set aside.
Simply Recipes / Nick Evans - Form the burgers:
Preheat a large sturdy skillet (cast iron is best) over medium heat.
Loosely divide the ground beef into three 1/3-pound patties. Shape into discs about 1/2 inch thick and put a divot in the center of each patty to prevent swelling in the center. Season the patties with 1/2 teaspoon of seasoning mix per side of the patty, if using.
You’ll have more seasoning mix than you need, but it keeps, tightly sealed, for up to 1 year.
Simply Recipes / Nick Evans - Cook the burgers:
Turn on the fan over the stove and open a window to help with air flow.
Spray your skillet with a little non-stick spray and place burgers in the skillet. Press down on each patty with a spatula for 10 seconds. This is to encourage browning.
Cook the burgers over medium heat for 4 minutes. Don’t touch them too much so you get a nice crust on the first side. Use a sturdy metal spatula to flip the burgers, being sure to scrape up any caramelization with the burger.
- Flip the burgers:
After you flip the burgers, add the cheese, if using, and continue to cook for 3 minutes until the burger is cooked to desired doneness, usually medium.
If you are only cooking one burger, you can toast your buns in the same skillet as your patty, or you can toast them separately if you are cooking multiple burgers at once.
If you want the cheese to be very melted, cover the burgers with a lid for the last minute of cooking.
Simply Recipes / Nick Evans 
Simply Recipes / Nick Evans 
Simply Recipes / Nick Evans - Build the burgers and serve:
Build your burgers by spreading some burger sauce on each bun. Put the burgers on the bottom bun and top with the lettuce, onions, tomatoes, and the top bun. Serve immediately with a cold drink.
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Simply Recipes / Nick Evans
