If you are looking for the BEST Hamburger Recipe, look no further. Juicy beef, melty cheese, toasted buns, and Famous Secret Sauce take this burger over the top.
This is the Best Hamburger and Famous Secret Sauce recipe, you will always end up with a juicy, flavorful burger. I don’t think that there is anything better than a perfectly grilled hamburger.
How to make The BEST Hamburgers with Secret Sauce:
When it comes to making a juicy burger, the secret is in the fat percentage of the ground beef.
For most recipes on this website, we use a super lean ground beef – it helps cut back on calories and is overall a little more healthy. However, for juicy hamburgers, you will want to do just the opposite and pick a ground beef that has a higher fat percentage.
You may have noticed at the store that ground beef will have 2 percentages on the packaging – the first percentage is lean and the second percentage is fat.
Juicy, flavorful burgers will always come from beef with a higher percentage of fat(more fat also means more flavor in your burger!). We recommend using a 80/20 beef for a happy balance between a juicy and not overly greasy hamburger.
Many chefs will even say to go with a 70/30, but we find that sometimes that can be a little too greasy for our tastes.
If you go higher than an 80/20 beef (such as an 85/15), keep in mind that the beef will dry out faster when cooking – so keep an eye on it while it cooks.
“I have so much time!” -No mom ever
Let us give you your time back. With the Six Sisters’ Meal Plans, we do the dinner planning, grocery ordering, and then all you have to do is decide whether to pick them up or have them delivered.
How to shape the perfect Hamburger:
To make your hamburger the perfect shape, we highly recommend using ahamburger press(they are definitely worth the investment). We love that they give you a perfectly even and consistently-shaped burger every time (they also make the best stuffed burgers!).
If you don’t have a hamburger press, I usually just grab a fistful or about a 1/4 – 1/5 of the pound of beef, shape it into a ball, then press it out with my palms until my desired thickness. You will want to be sure that you make your hamburger just a little wider than the bun and then they will be the perfect size when they are finished cooking.
How to keep your Hamburger Patties from falling apart:
Some of our readers have made comments that their hamburger patties have fallen apart on the grill. Here are some tips to keep them held together:
1. Keep your meat cold– the colder your meat is, the more likely that it will stay together. Shape the hamburger into patties and stick them back in the fridge until you are ready to cook. When you shape your patty, your hands actually transfer a lot of heat into the meat and they need to cool down. They will stay together much better after this.
2. Handle your patties as little as possible– if you over-handle your hamburger patties, they are much more likely to fall apart. Add your seasonings, give it a quick stir, then let it be.
3. Do not over-flip your patties– when cooking your hamburger patties, you are only going to want to flip your burgers one time – NO MORE. When your patties are still a little cold, they will hold together well. When they are finished cooking, they are solid and firm. However, when they are in-between these stages, they are flimsy and will fall apart. Flip them as little as possible – once is enough! By only flipping them once, you are allowing them to completely cook on one side, giving you a good base to flip from and keep them from falling apart.
4. Add an egg– if you have tried all these things and still struggle with a hamburger that falls apart, add an egg! It will work as a binding agent to hold the ground beef together. You won’t be able to taste it in the meat and hey – it’s some added protein!
5. Don’t add liquid– a lot of people will add Worcestershire sauce or BBQ sauce to their beef, but this will only make the beef fall apart while cooking. If you want the flavors of the sauce, brush it on the hamburger while it’s grilling instead of mixing it in. You can also freeze the patties for about 1 hour after you make them. Then place on grill.
The perfect Hamburger toppings:
- red onion
- lettuce
- cheese (Swiss, pepper jack, American . . . anything goes!)
- tomatoes
- pickles
- avocado
- jalapeno peppers
- banana peppers
- fried onion
- mushrooms
The Special Sauce
In addition to the seasoningin the burger itself, this sauce puts our hamburger recipe over the top. The sauce is a mixture of ketchup, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and relish. Sometimes in Utah we also call this “Fry Sauce” and we love it for dipping ourSweet Potato Fries.
Related Recipe: Try another one of our favorite sauces! This copycat Raising Cane’s Sauce is amazing!
The perfect side dishes to go with The Best Hamburger (and Famous Secret Sauce) Recipe:
- Restaurant Style Onion Rings
- Baked Tater Wedges
- Seasoned Steak Fries
- Zucchini Fries
- Baked Red Potato Wedges
Serves: 5
The Best Hamburger (and Famous Secret Sauce) Recipe
Juicy beef, melty cheese, toasted buns, and Famous Secret Sauce take this burger over the top.
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 12 minutes mins
Total Time 22 minutes mins
PrintPin
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef (I used 80/20 – fattier meat means a juicier burger!)
- ½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- ¼ cup BBQ Sauce
- ¼ teaspoon seasoned salt
- pepper, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
Secret Sauce
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup pickle relish
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 5 Hamburger Buns (we like sesame seed buns)
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, shredded cheese, bbq sauce, and seasonings. Don't add too much bbq sauce or the patties will have a hard time taking shape. Shape patties that are about 1 inch thick (about 5 patties). (You can also freeze the patties after shaping them for about 1 hour to help them hold their shape.)
Turn grill up to high and let it get hot.
Reduce heat to medium-high and place the burgers on the grill. Allow this side of the patty to cook for about 4-6 minutes, but make sure it does not burn. Then flip the burger over and cook until done.
For the sauce, combine all sauce ingredients and whisk until well mixed. Taste and adjust ingredients to your liking.
Assemble the burgers and serve with the special sauce and other hamburger toppings of choice.
Notes
- Keep your hamburger meat cold, that will help the patties stay together.
Nutrition
Calories: 421 kcal · Carbohydrates: 38 g · Protein: 27 g · Fat: 17 g · Saturated Fat: 6 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 5 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 5 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 72 mg · Sodium: 1158 mg · Potassium: 524 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 12 g · Vitamin A: 230 IU · Vitamin C: 2 mg · Calcium: 184 mg · Iron: 4 mg
Equipment
Large Bowl
Grill
Medium Mixing Bowl
Whisk
Recipe Details
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Join The Discussion
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shweetpotato says:
Yummy .. I wrote it all down to try :) Now please tell me you made the fries too and are sharing that recipe :) hehe
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Suzanne says:
This sauce is very similar to the Survival Sauce I make (to help us deal with not having In-N-Out Burger in Georgia) -- I'll have to try the Worcestershire sauce! And we've learned from Five Guys Burgers & Fries to shake some McCormick Cajun seasoning on our fries!
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lizabet says:
I love this sauce .. I have been making it for years. My secret salad dressing is this sauce mixed with natural rice vinegar. I have caught my friends licking the salad bowl .. True!
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lizabet says:
P.s. I love you guys! I have bookmarked so many recipes and ideas from your site!
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Jay, Holly and Ava says:
Can't wait to try the burger! This sauce is awesome. here in Utah we call it fry sauce. its everywhere. but I have never put Worcestershire in it. ill have to try it. thanks
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Jay, Holly and Ava says:
Can't wait to try the burger! This sauce is awesome. here in Utah we call it fry sauce. its everywhere. but I have never put Worcestershire in it. ill have to try it. thanks
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Sarah V. says:
This looks just like the burgers from this place called Nessy Burger near where I live. Those burgers are FANTASTIC!
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aftertheivyleague says:
That secret sauce looks delicious for a burger! I'm tailgating this weekend, I think I need to try it!
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Cardio Queen says:
We had these for the first time on Friday night, along with the sauce! Oh my goodness, this will be my new burger recipe! That sauce is sooooo good! Thanks for all your awesome recipes!
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Joyce Cunningham says:
Thanks for sharing out this content it are really fastidious.
cookingrecipetips -
Courtney says:
Trying this recipe right now...burgers are about to go on the grill! Can't wait to try them!! Just wondering, though, do you have a favorite brand of seasoning salt you use? Thanks so much for the recipe!
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Alicia Hart says:
Does leaving out the cheese make a huge difference?
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Camille says:
I really like Lawry's, but right now I just have a random store-brand in my cupboard. :) I am not picky.
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Camille says:
I think that they would still be fine without the cheese! It shouldn't make that big of a difference at all.
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Skye says:
I just tried this last night and it was great! Thanks for all the great recipes!
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Arianna says:
sorry I don't know what relish is, can some1 explain? thank u!Arianna
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Six Sisters says:
Relish as in Pickle Relish. :)
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Unknown says:
Awesome recipe but can you suggest an alternative to Monterrey grated cheese that you mixed in the beef for the cholesterol conscious ones. Thanks a lot
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Joan The Baptist says:
how do you make your salad dressing with rice vinegar. Thank you.
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Joan The Baptist says:
I noticed a follower of your's on my blog so I followed her here to your site. Not too sure I am happy I did (smile)I am making a grocery list as I go down the recipe list. Thank you.
God Bless,
Cassie -
Six Sisters says:
We have only made this recipe as directed.
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Bethany Bjorlie says:
Do you use sweet relish or dill relish in the original sauce recipe? My husband and I both prefer dill - does that work with this recipe, too?
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Cyd says:
Either relish will work. We used dill, but some family members use sweet.
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Riley says:
Dill or sweet pickle relish?
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Ashley says:
I made the secret sauce to go with burgers tonight. AMAZING! Also good as a fry sauce for dipping. :)
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Lorina says:
I am making these right now. I tasted a small piece of the cooked beef, and it is delicious! However, the patties seem to be falling apart on my grill. Did anybody else have this problem? Any suggested remedies? Thanks so much!
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KathyC says:
To hold your burgers together better, make the patties and freeze them on your plate, just until semi frozen, 20-30 minutes!
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Trish says:
I had the same problem ... they totally fell apart and 1/2 of them went down into the coals. :-( I finished what was left up in a frying pan, but it was more like a sloppy joe than a burger. I froze what was left of the meat mixture, but when I make them again, I think I will need to break some saltines up in it to bind it.
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Nicole says:
Followed the recipe to the t and it was an epic failure
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Megan says:
I just made the sauce.....it is brown, nothing like what the photo shows. I had to add more of the other ingredients because the Worcestershire totally overpowers.
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Angie says:
I have tried to make these twice but I cannot get them to stay together on the grill. They always crumble as I start cooking them. I eat them in crumbles because the flavor is so yummy. But I'm wondering if you have any tips to helping me keep them from crumbling.
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Angela says:
I've made these twice and they fall apart on the grill. Why are they falling apart when other recipes don't? Thanks
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Ed says:
For those of you having problems with the ground beef falling apart: First, use ground beef with a HIGHER fat content when grilling burgers. AT MOST 80% lean. Second, after forming your burgers, put them on a plate or separate with wax paper and put them in the FREEZER for at least an hour. Keep in mind your cheese and sauces have a lot of salt in them, so go easy when seasoning the meat. And this "secret sauce" is essentially Thousand Island dressing (ketchup, mayo and relish) with Worcestershire sauce in it.
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Cyd says:
Sometimes we add bbq sauce to add a little kick to the secret sauce. It's just whatever you prefer. In Utah we serve this secret sauce at Arctic Circle and Crown Burger and we call it "Fry Sauce" here in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains. It's amazing with fries too! Happy National Utah day!
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Ed says:
Also, LEAVE ANY LIQUIDS OUT UNTIL AFTER COOKING. If you put liquids such as BBQ sauce into your meat before forming, it will disintegrate the beef on the grill. At most, maybe a few drops of liquid smoke or toasted sesame oil, but those can also be added AFTER cooking. Others will use binders such as eggs or panko bread crumbs, with varying results.
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Lewis Rike says:
These burgers were delicious! I substituted the meat with pancake batter and I used apple sauce instead of mayo but they were still delicious! I used fried lotus root instead of fried onions and it tasted the same! I couldn't find ketchup at the grocery store so I mixed fish sauce and bolognese and it tasted delicious! These are the best burgers I have had in my whole life! I'm allergic to cheese so I used butter instead. (both dairy right?) and I mixed up bananas and banana peppers but they tasted identical!
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Daniella says:
The hamburger looks so sweet
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Barbara says:
Burgers fell apart. Next time will add a egg. Taste was good.
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Steak Shop says:
Thank you for your review. Also, do check our Canadian based restaurant for some delicious food. http://steakshop.ca/
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Diane says:
That is hilarious.I am always puzzled when I read “I loved the recipe and then the writer goes on to mention all the tweets they made.Your reply is Epic!
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Diane says:
Tweeks. (Spell check, grrrr).
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Cshell4 says:
Just made the secret sauce as directed and it is awesome but you notes said to use BBQue Sauce as an ingredient.The recipes states, Mayo instead. Was it incorrect?
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Momma Cyd says:
It's mayo. Thanks for catching that.
About The Author:
Camille Beckstrand
Camille Beckstrand is married to Jared and they have 4 kids. She loves a good true crime podcast, a big plate of cheesy loaded nachos, and going on adventures with her family.
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