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

  • This is my 2nd time using this recipe. Wow… and delicious burgers! I halve this recipe to make 4 burgers (since it’s just me and my husband) — can’t wait to make the full recipe when having guests… The 2nd time I didn’t have bread for the panade but substituted the panko bread crumbs I had on hand as per reading the reviews. This worked out great for us.

    I use grass fed beef that I buy locally here in New Mexico (so not sure if I had the right ratio: 80 to 85% lean ground beef) – but fortunately it turned out fantastic.. Moist.. perfectly flavored.

    Thank you Jenn! Your recipes are a blessing to me…

    • — Jeannie Wheeler on July 9, 2024
    • Reply
  • These were perfect for our Independence Day BBQ! Usually people don’t notice the meat unless it’s dry and over cooked since there are so many side dishes, but I kept hearing comments about how delicious the burgers were!

    I made them as written, and added some chopped fresh thyme (about a tablespoon). I saw Julia Child making burgers on an old TV show and she said she liked to add thyme and finely chopped onion to the meat. We really liked those additions and I’ve used fresh thyme ever since. These steakhouse burgers already have the onions.

    Two thumbs up!

    • — Kay on July 4, 2024
    • Reply
    • I loved watching Julia Child when I was a kid. I might have to try the fresh thyme in my burgers tonight!

      • — Lulu on July 12, 2024
      • Reply
  • These burgers are amazeballs. I added oregano and parsley and removed the scallions and used onion powder instead.

    • — Keekz on July 3, 2024
    • Reply
  • Made these a couple weeks ago and they were soooo good! Thought about making a sauce but they didn’t need any- Very flavorful as written! It’s just three of us so we were able to freeze uncooked patties for another meal. Have some defrosting in the fridge for tonight. Can’t wait! I may double the recipe next time so we can freeze more. So easy to thaw, slice the veggies and grill these up. Gives me time to also make a nice side salad.

    • — Shannon C on June 11, 2024
    • Reply
  • It was absolutely delish! Reduced the amount of salt (my preference), but other than that followed the recipe. Thank you for another family fav!!

    • — Judy on June 7, 2024
    • Reply
  • Why don’t your listings allow readers to select how many servings they want to prepare. Many other sites allow this adjustment. My wife and I hardly need three pounds of burger meat for an evening meal!

    • — Mike in RC on May 27, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Mike, It’s actually in the works. That’s a feature that I plan to slowly but surely add to recipes. Stay tuned!

      • — Jenn on May 29, 2024
      • Reply
    • I feel that this is an exceptionally rude comment. This site is made freely available to you-you aren’t paying for it–and the chef does not claim to be providing “meals for two” suggestions. While I think that a servings calculator can be useful in a hurry, it is eminently possible to reduce a recipe yourself if you have basic math proficiency.

      • — MJ on July 6, 2024
      • Reply
    • Seriously? She straight up said in the recipe that this makes 8 standard-sized burgers. Just because the website can’t divide portion numbers for your leisure, doesn’t mean you can’t use a calculator, or simply freeze the rest of the burgers for other meals (as was also a suggestion that was noted).
      You aren’t throwing away 3lbs of meat, you can freeze them for the next time you want them, or have others over for dinner and serve them an amazing burger.

      • — Julie on July 22, 2024
      • Reply
  • These are the best! I made these on Saturday for the holiday weekend. Another go-to recipe.
    Thank you Jenn Segal!

    • — Carole Bruno on May 27, 2024
    • Reply
  • Excellent tender, juicy and flavorful hamburgers that don’t require anyting other than a bun.
    I substitute chopped scallions for the spring onions, less salt and more ketchup and Worcester sauce, and substitute panko bread crumbs for the slices of bread.
    The mixture can be shaped into a loaf, covered with added ketchup and Worcester mixed and spread on top for a wonderful meatloaf.

    • — Jenny C on May 25, 2024
    • Reply
  • Can you replace the milk with water if you want to keep it kosher ?

    • — Maureen on May 25, 2024
    • Reply
    • Yep!

      • — Jenn on May 25, 2024
      • Reply
    • I used water also to keep these kosher to serve at my BBQ. We had both kosher & non-kosher eaters, all agreed these were the best burgers ever.

      • — Jessica S on May 28, 2024
      • Reply
    • Best burger ever. I usually don’t have bread on hand. So I’m wondering if I swap panko bread crumbs for the bread, how much would I need?

      • — Angelica on July 5, 2024
      • Reply
      • So glad you liked them! read crumbs should work here. I’d guesstimate you’d need about 1/2 – 2/3 cup.

        • — Jenn on July 5, 2024
        • Reply
  • Best hamburgers I’ve ever made or eaten! Even my teenage grandchildren both said OMG, these are amazing!

    • — Lynda Freedman on May 25, 2024
    • Reply

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