Looking for the ultimate steakhouse burger recipe? This classic burger made easy in your own kitchen is fully loaded with flavor using a special mix of seasonings. And becomes even more special by adding a drizzle of Fry Sauce. You’ll flip your lid over the combo of flavors.
Hands down, burgers are my absolutely my all-time favorite food. And for me, the best burgers one can eat are from restaurants that cook them on a flat-top grill. Or from a good steakhouse that uses an open flame.
And speaking of that good steakhouse burger, don’t you wonder why they’re so good? And exactly what makes a burger a steakhouse burger?
For one reason, a steakhouse will use high quality beef and will grind their own blends to create their “signature” burger. Cuts like sirloin, chuck and even short ribs. Plus they all have their own special seasoning blend secrets.
Home meat grinders are certainly available for us home cooks to grind and blend meats. However, if we season ground beef properly and purchase an 85% lean product, there’s no reason we can’t turn out a great steakhouse burger in our own home.
This recipe will give you your own personal secret seasoning blend to make a good burger great.
Let’s take a look.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Burger Buns
- 85% Lean Ground Beef
- American Cheese
- Mayonnaise
- Ketchup
- Steak Sauce
- Spicy Brown Mustard
- Prepared Horseradish
- Montreal Steak Seasoning
Ingredient Subs and Swaps
- Cheese: American cheese slices are such a great cheese for burgers. The cheese melts quickly and evenly and is creamy in texture. You could also use Pepper Jack slices or Muenster cheese.
- Steak Sauce: We’re A-1 Steak Sauce fans around here, but your favorite steak sauce will work well here.
- Steak Seasoning: Seems like Montreal Steak Seasoning is king for seasoning beef, but feel free to substitute your favorite seasoning here.
Step by Step Instructions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for complete ingredients and instructions.
- Step 1: Begin by making the special Fry Sauce. In a small bowl, add the mayonnaise, horseradish, ketchup and spicy brown mustard.
- Step 2: Using a whisk, blend until ingredients are combined and the sauce is smooth and creamy.
- Step 3: Season the hamburger. Add the ground beef to a bowl. Sprinkle in the Montreal Steak Seasoning and the steak sauce.
- Step 4: Using your hands, gently combine the ingredients into the ground beef,
- Step 5: Divide the meat into 4 pieces. Using your hands, form the hamburger patties. You can either for four patties to make 1/4 pound burgers, or three patties to make larger 1/3 pound patties.
Pro Tip: Use a kitchen scale to weigh each piece of meat to evenly divide the patties.
- Step 6: Preheat a grill to 500 degrees. Then lower to 350 – 400 degrees. Add the burger patties and cook for 5 – 6 minutes. Then turn patties and cook for an additional 5 – 6 minutes on the second side.
Note: These Steakhouse burgers should be cooked to a safe internal temperature of 160 degrees to destroy harmful bacteria that may be present. Use a digital read thermometer to make sure they’ve reached that safe temperature. Source: U.S. Dept of Agriculture.
Tips to make a great hamburger patty.
- Keep the ground beef in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it. Cold ground beef is easier to work with and will form patties that will stick together better.
- Handle to beef as little as possible. Gently and quickly form the meat into a patty The heat of your hands can compromise the texture and may cause the beef to fall apart or to become too compact. A hamburger patty that is too tightly formed will cause it to be less juicy in texture.
- Patties will shrink slightly when cooked. Flatten the patties so that they’re slightly larger than the bun you’re using.
- Some burger aficionados like to press a small thumb print indent into the center of the burger before placing it on the grill. The purpose is so that the burger will not swell while it cooks and will help the burger cook more evenly. I’ve never gotten into the habit of doing that.
Pro Tip: Don’t forget to toast that burger bun. Butter top and bottom of each bun. Grill or pan sear until bread is toasty. A toasted bun will take a steakhouse burger from good to great.
FAQ’s
Purchasing a ground beef blend that is 85% lean is the most important factor. A leaner blend just doesn’t have enough fat to make a burger juicy. And remember with that fat comes flavor. Another important trick is to not overwork the meat when making the hamburger patties.
Maillard Reaction means flavor … flavor … flavor. Cooking burgers with the lid open will give you a better sear on the outside of the patties. You’ll achieve that thin sought after outer crust, which is called Maillard Reaction.
If you don’t have a grill, a cast iron skillet will be your best friend. Heat the skillet over medium high heat until the skillet is sizzling hot. Drop in the hamburger patties and let them cook 5- 6 minutes or until there’s a good crusty sear on one side. Turn the burgers and cook until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
What To Serve With Steakhouse Burgers
- First choice for me is Onion Rings. Purchase onion rings in the freezer section at the grocery store. There are a couple of good brands available like Nathans and Red Robin.
- Potatoes: Try Smoked Paprika Oven Fries, Turkish Fries, or Grilled Sweet Potato Fries.
- Salads: Classic Potato Salad is a great choice for burgers, as well as a Macaroni Salad.
- If you have your sights set on a fresher side dish, try a Four Bean Salad, or this Pineapple Slaw recipe.
Recipe For Steakhouse Burgers
This recipe is from Kansas Living Magazine published by the Kansas Farm Bureau.
Nothing says summertime like grilled burgers. Juicy ground beef patties cooked to perfection over a hot grill, topped with cheese, toppings, special sauce and toasted buns.
And if you’re looking for more Summer Grilling recipes, don’t miss my Best Grilling Recipes Category. You’ll find lots of great back yard recipe ideas, including the most popular on my site for Grilled Ham Steak with Brown Sugar Horseradish Glaze.
Steakhouse Burger With Fry Sauce
Ingredients
- For The Smack-Down Fry Sauce
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tablespoon spicy brown mustard
- 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
- For The Steak Burgers
- 1 pound ground beef 85% lean
- 1/4 cup steak sauce
- 2 teaspoons Montreal Steak Seasoning
- 4 slices American Cheese
- 4 hamburger buns
- Toppings: tomato slices, onions, lettuce, pickles
Instructions
- Make The Smack Down Sauce: In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the sauce and stir until smooth.
- Make The Burgers: In a medium bowl, combine the ground beef with the steak sauce and Montreal Steak seasoning.
- Use your hands to gently combine. Then form 3 – 4 equal sized patties.
- Preheat a grill to 500 degrees. Then lower to 350 – 400 degrees. Add the burger patties and cook for 5 – 6 minutes. Then turn patties and cook an additional 5 – 6 minutes on the 2nd side.
- Add a slice of American cheese to each cooked burger, letting it melt a bit.
- Toast the buns while burgers are cooking.
- To assemble, add lettuce to the bottom bun, add a slice of tomato. Drizzle on a bit of the fry sauce and then top with the cheeseburgers, a slice of onion and then the top bun.
- Serve immediately along with remaining fry sauce for dipping with your favorite fries, potato wedges or onion rings.
Notes
Steakhouse Burgers …. They’re Whats For Dinner
More Fab Burger Recipes
And if you’re looking for more grilled burger recipes, don’t miss this stellar lineup of Best Grilled Burgers. I’m certain you’ll find a burger you can’t live without.
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Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
4th of July weekend – the perfect time to try a new burger! Love this one. Looks juicy and a burger where every bite would be a dance in my mouth. YUM!
Love a good burger! One of those things I can never turn down. This looks excellent — really nice recipe. Thanks!
That is a great looking burger and some good tips on creating it. I like that you mixed the seasoning in with the meat and I’m generally too lazy to do it but will for our Independence Day cookout. The fry sauce also sounds interesting and I suspect it may taste a little like remoulade and I will offer it to our guests as well. Thanks for the opportunity to up my burger game.