Name: Stovetop Burgers
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef, or ground chuck; 1 tbsp ketchup; 2 tsp yellow mustard; 1.5 tsp onion powder; .5 tsp salt; .5 tsp ground pepper; 1 tsp olive oil ((for pan))

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Stovetop Burgers are the perfect way to enjoy a perfect cheeseburger year round, with no grill. A delicious seasoned meat is formed into patties, and cooked to perfection on the stove, topped with melty cheese for one of the best burgers you’ll ever have.

Best Beef for Stovetop Burgers

I prefer using ground chuck- it has less fat than regular ground beef and does not compromise the flavor. Ground chuck has about 15-20% far whereas regular ground beef has around 30% fat.

Stovetop Burger Ingredients

The ketchup and mustard are the key ingredient to perfect tasting burgers, reminiscent of the kind you get at a 50’s diner.

Mustard
Ketchup
Onion Powder
Salt
Pepper

I recommend mixing the beef together with the seasoning ingredients using clean hands. You want to be careful not to overmix the beef, doing so will result in less tender burgers. Mix them just until the seasoning is combined, about 30-45 seconds for perfect beef burger patties.

How Do You Make Burgers on the Stove?

Divide the meat into 4 equal portions, and form them into patties, placing them onto a plate or platter once done.
The burger patties do not need to be perfect- the less handling, the better the burger.
- One of the biggest mistakes of homemade burgers is forming them into round balls, and smashing them down. Doing this causes the meat to be overworked, and results in burgers that shrink.
  - Only do this if you’re making smash burgers with a small, thin patty!
Top each patty with salt and pepper, which will help form a crust. Allow the burgers to sit on a plate on the counter while you heat the skillet on the stovetop.

Cooking Burgers on the Stove

Once the pan is hot, add olive oil, and add the burgers to the pan.
I like to use a nonstick pan, or even a nonstick grill pan for the best sear marks.
- You can choose to use a cast iron pan, but you’ll want to make sure it is well seasoned if you do. The meat can tend to stick to it if it is not seasoned.
Grill the burger on each side for about 3-6 minutes, depending on the level of ‘doneness’ you desire. Here’s a great guide to temperatures of burgers for each doneness level!

PRO TIP: We like to leave the lid on when cooking burgers- it traps in steam helping to cook them, and keeps the meat moist.

How Long to Cook Burgers on the Stove?

We recommend cooking your burger about 5-7 degrees less than your desired level of doneness, as the burger will continue to cook outside of the pan while it rests before serving. Allowing the burger to rest for 5-10 minutes allows for the meat to absorb the juices after it cooks, for a deliciously tender and moist burger.

Ground meat is considered fully cooked at its thickest point once it reaches 160 degrees fahrenheit per the USDA.

- Well done: 160 -165 degrees fahrenheit (brown center)
- Medium-well: 150-155 degrees fahrenheit (brown exterior with a hint of pink in center)
- Medium: 140-150 degrees fahrenheit (brown exterior with light pink center)
- Medium-rare: 130-140 degrees fahrenheit (brown exterior, pink middle with a little bit of red in the center)
- Rare: 120-125 degrees fahrenheit (brown/pink exterior, red/pink throughout center)

A properly stovetop burger will yield a delicious crust, that easily pulls from the pan. If it doesn’t pull from the pan, leave it. It will release on its own once it is ready. Once the burger has reached your desired level of cooking, add cheese if you like, and let the burger sit on a clean cutting board or plate for 5-10 minutes before serving, to preserve the juice.

We had our burgers medium well- but we also have a toddler and we’re cautious with making sure our meat is fully cooked for him. Usually we’d prefer a medium rare burger, but mom duties call, and he matters most! We served our burgers with tater tots from the airfryer, but I’d also recommend Air Fryer Potato Wedges or if you’re going low carb, serve your burger in a lettuce wrap with Smashed Brussel Sprouts on the side!

If you are a burger fiend, here are a few recipes to try!

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Enjoy! – Kathi and Rachel