Steakhouse Burgers

Tested & Perfected Recipes Cookbook Recipe
Steakhouse Burgers

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Replicate your favorite steakhouse burgers at home — these are packed with flavor and reliably juicy, even when cooked to well-done.

Steakhouse burger on a plate with burger toppings.

Who doesn’t love a big, tender, and juicy steakhouse burger? Problem is, they’re difficult to replicate at home because most steakhouses blend different cuts of beef, like sirloin, chuck, and short ribs, to customize the flavor and fat content of their hamburgers. While it’s possible to grind your own meat or ask your butcher for a special blend, there’s an easier way. By combining ordinary supermarket ground beef with a panade — or mixture of bread and milk — and lots of seasoning, you can make steakhouse-style burgers in no time. This recipe has made me a star among my kids’ friends. My daughter’s friend Allie nicknamed them “Segal Burgers” — it stuck, and now we all call them that too.

What You’ll Need To Make Steakhouse Burgers

burger recipe ingredients

Step-by-Step instructions

Begin by making the panade. In a large bowl, mash 2 pieces of white sandwich bread (cut into small pieces) and 1/3 cup milk together with a fork until it forms a chunky paste.

panade or bread and milk paste for burger recipe

Add 2-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1-1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce and 2 tablespoons of ketchup.

adding seasoning to panade for burger recipe

Stir until well combined.

seasoned panade in mixing bowl

Add 3 pounds of 85% lean ground beef and 3 finely sliced scallions (if using).

adding ground beef and scallions to panade

Mix everything together until just combined.

meat mixture for burgersDivide the mixture into 8 equal portions and shape into balls. Flatten each ball into a 3/4-inch-thick patty that’s about 4-1/2 inches across. (Keeping the burgers thick ensures a nice char on the outside without overcooking the inside.) To prevent the burgers from forming a domed shape on the grill, create a slight depression in the center of each patty.

burgers ready to cook on baking sheet

Grill the burgers 2 to 4 minutes on the first side until nicely browned. Flip and cook on the second side a few minutes more, until desired doneness is reached. The panade in these burgers keeps the meat tender and juicy, even when overcooked, so these burgers are ideal for kids, the elderly, pregnant women, or anyone who just prefers their burgers well done.

burgers on the grill

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Steakhouse Burgers

Replicate your favorite steakhouse burgers at home — these are packed with flavor and reliably juicy, even when cooked to well-done.

Servings: 8
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Total Time: 25 Minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 pieces white sandwich bread, crusts removed and cut into ¼-inch pieces
  • ⅓ cup milk
  • 2½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 3 pounds 80 to 85% lean ground beef
  • 3 scallions, white and green parts, very finely sliced (optional)
  • 8 hamburger buns

Instructions

  1. Preheat the grill to high heat.
  2. In a large bowl, mash the bread and milk together with a fork until it forms a chunky paste. Add the salt, pepper, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and ketchup and mix well.
  3. Add the ground beef and scallions and break the meat up with your hands. Mix everything together until evenly combined. Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and form compact balls. Flatten the balls into ¾-inch patties about 4½ inches across. Form a slight depression in the center of each patty to prevent the burgers from puffing up on the grill.
  4. Oil the grilling grates. Grill the burgers, covered, until nicely browned on the first side, 2 to 4 minutes. Flip burgers and continue cooking for a few minutes more until desired doneness is reached. Before serving, toast the buns on the cooler side of the grill if desired.
  5. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The uncooked burgers can be frozen for up to three months. (Freeze the burgers on a baking sheet or plate so their shape sets, then transfer them to a sealable plastic bag for easy storage.) Defrost the burgers overnight in the refrigerator prior to serving and then cook as directed.

Pair with

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Serving size: 1 burger
  • Calories: 517
  • Fat: 27 g
  • Saturated fat: 10 g
  • Carbohydrates: 28 g
  • Sugar: 5 g
  • Fiber: 1 g
  • Protein: 37 g
  • Sodium: 567 mg
  • Cholesterol: 116 mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

  • ??

  • Hi Jenn,
    First of all I Love your site, I’m going to make the burgers today first will the burgers turn out as good as Reviewers say if I use a Iron Skillet and use 92 percent Laura’s Lean beef, there is only me and John so I’m only making half the recipe. I have made several of your recipes all have been excellent. Burgers are my down fall also making one of your corn salads Thanks Donna Roanoke VA

    • Hi Donna, Thanks so much! The iron skillet is no problem at all — in fact, they’ll be delicious cooked that way. But I wouldn’t advise using lean beef if you can avoid it. They’ll still be good — the panade will prevent them from drying as much as they would typically — but for best results, I’d stick with 85/15. Hope that helps!

      • 85/15 is lean. Extra lean is 90/10. Regular is 80/20.

  • They look good. I’ll update tomorrow after Dad’s Day. I’ll go a conditional 4 stars.

  • Delicious, juicy burger! It came out great and was very tasty. This is my new favorite burger recipe

  • Loved it! You have a fan for life! Our friends with a cattle ranch are taking it home to share!

    • — Donna Newstead
    • Reply
  • Can I use whole-grain bread instead of white bread?

    • Yes, that’s fine. Enjoy!

  • The good-the meat had a nice flavor, the bad- the burgers stuck to the grill and crumbled apart while cooking. I sprayed the grill and lightly sprayed the patties. I don’t know- never had this happen before. The taste was good but the burger looked a mess.

    • I’m sorry to hear they stuck like that Ruth! Did you firmly form them into patties? Also, it could be that your grill was not clean enough (and that causes things to stick).

      • If you preheat your grill with lid down to 500+F, then clear out any big charcoal chunks from the side (use your spatula at a 45 degree angle) and the top of the grates, you’re all set. BUT when you lift the meat from the grill, start with the spatula at one side of the meat, lift it off the grill bar on that side with the spatula at an angle, repeat and work your way under the meat and you’ll ALLWAYS end up with nice grill marks and a whole piece or meat or burger, or salmon filet for that matter.

  • Finally – the burger recipe of my dreams. Tender, juicy and full of beefy, lip-smacking flavour, my family gobbled them up!

    • — Joanne Wallace
    • Reply
  • Can the patties be made ahead of time and sit in the fridge until ready to grill? Thanks!

    • Yes Jessie, you can refrigerate them for up to about 24 hours before grilling.

  • Hi Jenn, I plan on making these for my husband’s surprise birthday. Could I make the patties a day in advance before grilling or would you advise against this?

    • Yes Clare, you could refrigerate the patties for about 24 hours before cooking them. Happy birthday to your husband :).

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