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

  • Could I used minced onion in place of the scallions since I don’t have any on hand? If so, how much should I use?

    • — Brionda on May 28, 2023
    • Reply
    • Sure, Brionda – I’d use about 2 tablespoons.

      • — Jenn on May 29, 2023
      • Reply
  • I started making these a couple years ago. They really are the tastiest homemade burgers I ever had. Follow the directions….it’s that simple.

    • — Jamie Kincaid on May 28, 2023
    • Reply
  • The best burger recipe ever! Everyone at my backyard cook-outs scream for the recipe. :^)

    • — DopplerDan on May 27, 2023
    • Reply
  • You will not find a better burger on the planet!!
    Every time I make them I get compliments.
    There are only 2 in our family. I cook 2 burgers and vacuum seal packages of 2, so we always have burgers on hand.

    • — Del on May 27, 2023
    • Reply
    • Another favorite! My family loves every recipe I’ve ever tried on your site. Thank you!

      • — Farrah on May 27, 2023
      • Reply
  • Which are better as meatballs: this recipe or your meatball recipe?
    I want to do cocktail size meatballs in a delish sauce

    • — Joni antweil on May 18, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Joni, I’d go with the meatball recipe. 🙂

      • — Jenn on May 19, 2023
      • Reply
  • These are the BEST. The only recipe I ever make now and everyone raves over them.
    Always make big batch and freeze like you advise and they are sooo good, maybe even better than fresh.

    • — DeeDee on May 15, 2023
    • Reply
  • Delicious! The only hamburgers my family requests!!

    • — Carol on May 5, 2023
    • Reply
  • How much of the ingredients would you use for just making one burger?

    • — Carlie Rex on May 3, 2023
    • Reply
    • Carlie, I’m not sure about the amount of each ingredient you need for one burger, and my math isn’t quite good enough to help with that – sorry! If it helps at all, you could make the full (or even half) recipe and freeze the uncooked burgers. They freeze beautifully!

      • — Jenn on May 3, 2023
      • Reply
  • White sandwich bread?
    Does anyone actually eat that anymore?
    Could you offer another filler?
    Maybe panko or even whole wheat bread crumbs..
    Thx so much

    • — Barb on April 21, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Barb, Any kind of bread will work here. Hope you enjoy!

      • — Jenn on April 22, 2023
      • Reply
    • Hi Barb, I am making these for the first time and am just going to use some leftover hot dog buns. I think panko might be too crunchy.

      • — Jeanne on May 27, 2023
      • Reply
  • These are the only hamburgers we make! So delicious! It’s only two of us so I vac seal the extras to freeze. I recommend 100% Yummy!

    • — Megan Livingston on April 17, 2023
    • Reply

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