Burgers / Cheeseburgers

American · Sandwich · 30 min · Serves 4

A proper homemade burger beats takeout every time—juicy, flavorful, and done exactly how you like it. These are simple enough for a weeknight dinner but impressive enough to serve at a backyard cookout, and the cheese melts perfectly while the patties are still hot off the griddle.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbsground beef (80/20)
• 1 tspkosher salt
• 0.5 tspfreshly cracked black pepper
• 4 slicescheddar or American cheese
• 4burger buns
• 1 tbspbutter
• 4 leaveslettuce
• 1tomato
• 0.5red onion
• 8dill pickle slices
• 3 tbspmayonnaise
• 2 tbspketchup or mustard

Method

1. 1

   Divide ground beef into 4 equal portions and gently form each into a patty about 0.75 inches thick, making a slight indent in the center with your thumb. Don't overwork the meat or it'll be tough.

2. 2

   Heat a cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat until very hot. Season each patty generously with salt and pepper just before cooking.

3. 3

   Place patties on the hot skillet and cook without moving them for 3–4 minutes until golden brown on the bottom.

   3-4 min

4. 4

   Flip once and cook for another 2–3 minutes. In the last minute, lay a cheese slice on each patty and cover the skillet to melt.

   2-3 min

5. 5

   Lightly butter the cut sides of the buns and toast them on the skillet or a separate pan until golden, about 1 minute per side.

   1 min

6. 6

   Spread mayo on the bottom bun, add lettuce, tomato slice, and onion. Top with the cheeseburger patty, pickles, and your choice of ketchup or mustard on the top bun.