Description
A classic, juicy cheeseburger recipe with a flavorful homemade burger sauce, perfectly cooked beef patties topped with melted cheddar cheese, and served on toasted brioche buns with fresh lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles. This recipe is easy to make in under 40 minutes and yields 6 delicious servings.
Ingredients
Scale
Burger Sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1 Tablespoon dill pickle juice
- 3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Cheeseburgers
- 2 pounds ground beef, 20% fat
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter (divided)
- 6 slices cheddar cheese (or your favorite cheese)
- 6 Brioche hamburger buns
- Green leaf lettuce (for topping)
- Sliced tomato (for topping)
- Sliced red onion (for topping)
- Dill pickle hamburger chips (for topping)
Instructions
- Prepare Burger Sauce: In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise and ketchup. Whisk together until smooth. Add dill pickle juice, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, and cayenne pepper, and whisk again until all ingredients are fully incorporated. Cover and refrigerate the sauce while you prepare the burgers.
- Form Patties: Gently shape the ground beef into six evenly sized patties, about 1 inch thick each. Place the patties on a large platter and season both sides generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Cook First Batch of Patties: Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add three patties to the skillet and cook for approximately 4 minutes on one side until they develop a light char, then flip and cook another 4 minutes or until desired doneness is reached. Top each patty with a slice of cheddar cheese, allowing it to melt while finishing cooking. If desired, transfer cooked patties to a 200°F oven to keep warm.
- Cook Second Batch of Patties: Repeat the cooking process with the remaining butter and patties, melting cheese on top as before.
- Toast Buns and Assemble: Toast the brioche buns lightly in the skillet or oven if desired. Build each cheeseburger by spreading a generous layer of the prepared burger sauce on the buns, then adding the cooked patty with melted cheese and your preferred toppings such as green leaf lettuce, sliced tomato, red onion, and dill pickle chips.
- Serve: Serve the assembled cheeseburgers hot and enjoy immediately with your favorite side dishes.
Notes
- Using a cast iron skillet ensures an excellent sear for the patties, but a heavy-bottomed pan will also work.
- For juicier burgers, avoid pressing down on the patties while cooking to retain moisture.
- Adjust the spice level of the burger sauce by varying the cayenne pepper amount.
- Brioche buns complement the rich flavors of the cheeseburger, but any hamburger bun can be used.
- To keep burgers warm without overcooking, place them in a low oven set around 200°F.
- Let the burgers rest for a few minutes after cooking for better juiciness.
