Steakhouse Burgers

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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

  • Excellent recipe/method. The panade does the trick. No breadcrumbs or egg is a very good idea. I only had 94% beef so added grated frozen butter to the mix. That worked well. Was afraid we would taste the ketchup and worcestershire in the burger, but it wasn’t at all in your face. You would probably miss it if it wasn’t there, they enhanced the flavor. Thank you!

  • This recipe did not work. I did everything exactly and my burgers completely fell apart.

  • I made these and loved them. I substituted bar b q sauce for ketchup and added some Chipotle sauce for a kick. Awesome!

    • — Jaylene berger
    • Reply
  • Amazing recipe. Topped with a grilled jalapeno and cheese.you nailed this one. Thank you

    • — Thomas Wallace
    • Reply
  • We really enjoyed these! We made them exactly as the recipe suggested and they were thick and juicy. Will definitely make again!

  • Amazing burgers, no falling apart, they cook fast, and they taste amazing!

  • We had a late Easter celebration this evening and made these juicy steak burgers! They are delicious and oh so filling! I couldn’t finish my burger! They were a hit with everything! Thank you for the nice recipe!

  • Made these and liked them, but haven’t thought about making them again till my son started to ask me – repeatedly – “Dad, when you going to make those hamburgers again you made last time?” They were on the hamburgery side of meatloaf, but we liked them that way.

  • I was hesitant trying this because of a review that said it tastes like meatloaf (I’ve actually made meatloaf burgers before because my step son and I always fought over the end pieces and making burgers allowed all of us to have end pieces 😉).
    I’m really glad I tried them, and have made them 4x in the past two months!
    Due to the panade the burgers don’t turn out too dense and they’re never dry even though my wife likes her meat very well done!
    In the past I’ve worked at many food establishments and I’m never happy ordering a burger when I’m out at a restaurant because I can make them better at home, and now that’s an understatement! Previously my burgers were always ok, sometimes really good depending on which seasonings I used and if the meat was fresh or thawed. Now they’re delicious every single time and they never get dry while waiting for my wife’s to get well-done.
    I definitely recommend this recipe and recommend making extra and freezing them for when you’re working late and don’t have time to prepare anything!

  • Made these today – so simple and quick and most importantly ….tasted delicious!! My 6 yr old said she felt like she was eating at a fancy restaurant and then gobbled it up !!

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