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

  • This is the worst patty I have made, falls apart better than ground beef in a pasta sauce..Where is the binding (an egg or two)…the people that rated this have never made it..neither has the blogger….Burger..NO…pasta sauce YES

    • no need to be rude, Bill

      • Hello from Egypt
        Been looking for a juicy burger recipe for ages..glad I finally found it

    • You obviously did something wrong. I’ve made these patties several times. They always hold their shape and are absolutely delicious!

    • Did you overmix the burgers? I’ve never had this problem and have made them plenty of times. And I’m sure these have been made before… there’s photo evidence and 350+ reviews. Burger? Yes! Pasta sauce? If you’d like.😉

    • Hey Bill, I had the same problem and I followed this recipe to the T. I have no idea what happened but my burgers turned out to be suited for pasta or other “ground beef” recipes.

      If you overmix then they are going to be tough….sooo again…not sure what we did lol

      Crumbled and did not stay together at all.

      Also, I hope I don’t receive any emails since I had to give my email address to post a comment.

      • Y’all know y’all can make adjustments, right? If you’re having trouble with crumbling then use a binder. Problem solved!

    • Made this recipe for the first time last night! Yum! I am a novice grill chef is why I had to google a recipe and I can tell you they turned out perfect with tons of flavor!
      Not sure what you did wrong but for someone who is a disaster in the kitchen my wife asked me to keep this recipe!

  • Awesome burgers, next time I’ll try half the salt as it was too much.

  • Just made these yesterday for a cookout at our house for my sons and 30 friends before they all head back to college. Many of them commented on the juicy burgers! I prepped 40 burgers 2 days ahead and kept them in the fridge layered with parchment paper in 13 x 9 covered dishes. In order to get the seasonings and panade just right, I made the recipe in 4 batches (rather than quadrupling the recipe and mixing 12 lbs. of beef together at once.) I did not add the optional scallions. This recipe allowed us to safely grill the burgers to well done without drying them out! Thank you, Jenn! I will always use this recipe for burgers from now on.

  • Hi Jenn,
    I recently discovered your recipes online and I have become a huge fan—so much so that I have just ordered your cookbook! I made the steakhouse burgers tonight and they were delicious. However as I grilled them they came apart just a little, a few cracks here and there. I was wondering whether I didn’t flatten the patties tightly enough, or maybe I massaged the meat mixture a little too much before making the patties? Any ideas?

    • Glad you’re enjoying the recipes and thanks so much for purchasing the cookbook! Sorry to hear the burgers fell apart — as you mentioned, it could be that you didn’t form them firmly enough into patties. Also, did you grease the grill grates? If they stick to the grates, that can cause them to get crumbly.

  • These were amazing! So juicy and delicious

  • I used a beef, veal and pork mixture (equals parts) and wholewheat bread. All else was as per your recipe…was actually making the burgers for tomorrow night supper but could not resist (after reading all the favorable comments !!) making one for myself to try. OMG did not disappoint and like everyone else this will now become my go-to burger recipe. Thank you for sharing

    • — Alexandra de Jesus
    • Reply
  • Made these again last night. Love these! As we are also trying to eat more meatless meals, would love it Jenn, if you came up with a veggie burger recipe! Thanks for all the wonderful meals.

    • Glad you like these Romi! I will add veggie burgers to my list of recipes to potentially develop. Thanks for the suggestion. 🙂

      • If I don’t have a grill to cook my burgers, would a cast iron pan be the next best thing? Can’t wait to make my burgers. Glad I came across your site!

        Thank you.
        Cindy

        • Yep, cast iron will work nicely. 😊

        • use a grilling cast iron pan, since I got one I do not use the gaz BBQ any more.

  • Every recipe I’ve made from Jen has been fantastic and wins rave reviews from my family. I love that they are fresh and delicious but also fairly easy. Thank you for sharing all of these recipes! The steakhouse burgers were fantastic as was the sweet corn salad with basil.

  • Hi Jen
    What kind of condiments would you suggest serving with this?

    • Hi Tana, they have tons of flavor on their own, but I’d suggest whatever usual condiments you’d use on your burgers (i.e., ketchup, mustard, onions, lettuce, etc.) Hope you enjoy!

  • Tried this with American style Kobe and it is just to die for. Probably the best burger ever cooked on my smoker. Literally no chewing required……Many thanks

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