Description
This Classic Cheeseburger Recipe delivers a juicy, flavorful burger with a perfectly seared crust and melted cheddar cheese. Topped with a tangy homemade burger sauce, fresh lettuce, ripe tomatoes, and onions, all sandwiched between soft hamburger buns, this is an all-American favorite that’s easy to make on the grill at home.
Ingredients
Scale
Burger Patties
- 1/2 lb ground beef (80/20)
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Burger Sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
Toppings
- Medium cheddar or American cheese slices, 2 slices
- Ripe tomato slices, 2 slices
- Iceberg or green leaf lettuce, 2 leaves
- Thinly sliced onion, 2 tablespoons
Buns
- 2 hamburger buns
Instructions
- Form Patties: Gently shape the ground beef into two round patties, about 1/2 lb each, being careful not to overhandle or compress the meat to keep them juicy.
- Season Patties: Season the formed patties generously with salt and pepper just before placing on the grill to aid crust formation.
- Preheat Grill: Heat your grill to high heat to get it very hot, which helps develop a perfect sear and crust on the burgers.
- Grill Patties: Place the patties onto the grill and cook according to your preferred doneness (see temperature guide: 120°F rare, 130°F medium-rare, 140°F medium, 150°F medium-well, 160°F well-done).
- Add Cheese: When burgers are almost done, place cheddar or American cheese slices on top and allow to melt for 1-2 minutes on the grill.
- Make Burger Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, ketchup, sweet pickle relish, sugar, and white vinegar until combined.
- Assemble Burgers: Toast hamburger buns if desired. Spread burger sauce on the buns, layer with lettuce, tomato slices, onion, the cheesy burger patty, and top with the bun.
- Serve: Serve immediately while hot and enjoy your homemade classic cheeseburger.
Notes
- Use 80/20 ground beef for a juicy and flavorful burger with enough fat content.
- Don’t overwork the beef when forming patties to prevent dense burgers.
- Salt the patties right before grilling, not before forming, to ensure a crusty exterior.
- You can substitute cheddar with American cheese or your favorite melting cheese.
- Toast the buns lightly on the grill for extra texture and flavor.
- Adjust cooking times to your grill and doneness preference using a meat thermometer.
- This recipe is perfect for an outdoor grill but can be adapted to stovetop skillet cooking if needed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 burger
- Calories: 630 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 750 mg
- Fat: 45 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 24 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg
