How to Make the Best Stovetop Hamburgers

Even though your grill is put away for the winter, you can’t stop thinking about biting into a tasty hamburger. You’ve got a perfectly good stove in your kitchen, but how can you use it to make the burgers you’re craving? The great news is that it’s easy to cook juicy, flavorful hamburgers right on your stovetop. In this article, we’ll give you all the instructions you need to whip up delicious hamburgers on the stove. You might even find that your stovetop burgers rival their grilled counterparts. Read on to get cooking!

Things You Should Know

Separate ground beef into 6 ounce (1.7 hg) pieces. Use your hands to flatten the beef into 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick patties.
Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Then, season the patties with salt and place them in the pan once it’s hot.
Cook the patties for 2-4 minutes over medium-high heat. Then, flip each patty over and cook them for an additional 2-4 minutes.
In the final 1 minute of cooking, top the patties with slices of your favorite cheese. Cover the skillet with a lid to melt the cheese.

Ingredients

1.5 pounds (0.68 kg) of ground beef
Salt
4 buns
Cheese, optional
Toppings, optional

Servings: 4

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Forming the Patties

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1
Buy quality beef with a meat-to-fat ratio of 80/20. Lean meat above 90% tends not to cook as well as beef with a slightly higher fat content. It’s okay to go a little leaner than 80/20 with beef that’s 85/15, but 80/20 typically gives you the tender, juicy burgers you’re looking for.^{[1]
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- Buy freshly ground beef from the butcher counter for the best quality meat.
2
Separate the beef into patties that are about 6 ounces (1.7 hg) apiece. Use a kitchen scale to measure out the beef into equal sizes. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, just divide the beef into equal-looking sections based on the amount of meat you have.
- For instance, 1.5 pounds (0.68 kg) of meat usually makes about 4 patties.
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3
Form the meat into 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick patties with your hands. Handle the meat gently, as the less you mess with it, the more tender it will be. To form the patty, simply roll the meat into a light ball with your hands. Then, press it down onto a plate or between your hands to flatten it into a circle.^{[2]
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- You don't need to mash the patties or knead the meat. That tends to make the meat tough.
4
Press a dimple into the middle of each patty with your finger. Patties tend to puff up and create a dome shape when they cook. To keep them flat, push your thumb into the middle of each patty, creating a dimple.^{[3]
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- However, if you prefer your patties to puff up, simply skip this step.
5
Put the patties in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Cover the patties up with plastic wrap and let them chill in the refrigerator. Chilling the patties helps them stay together better when you cook them. It also prevents the center from cooking too quickly.^{[4]
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- Don't leave the patties out at room temperature, as that encourages bacteria to grow.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Preparing the Skillet and Patties

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1
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Place the skillet on the stove and turn the burner on medium-high. Letting the pan heat up before you put the burger patties in helps prevent them from sticking and gives your burgers a beautiful sear. To test if the skillet is hot enough, splash in a little bit of water. If the water instantly sizzles, the pan is likely ready for your patties.^{[5]
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- Cast iron skillets are generally best for cooking burgers, but griddle pans or other non-stick pans work great.
2
Salt the patties before you place them in the skillet. Salting your patties when you initially form them pulls out moisture, which can lead to dry hamburgers. So, sprinkle your patties with a pinch of salt on each side before you put them in the pan. This gives them a nice seasoning and helps retain their juiciness.^{[6]
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- If you want more flavor, season your hamburgers with black pepper, paprika, garlic, cumin, or whatever your heart desires.
3
Place the patties in the hot skillet. Gently and carefully set each patty in the skillet, being sure to avoid any popping grease as you do. If your skillet is hot enough, the patties will sizzle and make noise as soon as they're inside. They’re already starting to create a nice, seared crust.^{[7]
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- If your patties aren’t sizzling as soon as you drop them in your skillet, turn up the heat.
- Use a splatter screen or drop the patties in the skillet with long tongs to avoid popping grease from the pan.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Cooking

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1
Cook the patties over medium-high heat for 2-4 minutes, then flip them. Using high heat crisps and cooks the patty quickly. After letting the first side cook for 2-4 minutes, flip the patty. When you flip it, you’ll see that it has a nice, golden-brown crust. That’s the delicious crunch you’re aiming for, even if you prefer the inside of your patty to be rare to medium.^{[8]
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- Use a thin spatula for flipping. A thin spatula makes it easier to get under the seared crust.^{[9]
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2
Cook the patties for no more than 10 minutes. Your hamburgers will usually be well-done after cooking them for 10 minutes, or 5 minutes on each side. If you want your patties medium or medium-rare, cook them for about 6 to 8 minutes, or 3 to 4 minutes on each side.^{[10]
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- Use a meat probe to check the hamburger’s internal temperature and ensure that it’s done to your liking.
- The Food and Drug Administration recommends cooking ground beef until it's 160 °F (71 °C), which is when it's considered well done. This kills any bacteria inside the burger. If you prefer your burger rare, medium-rare, or medium, there is a risk that bacteria like E. coli haven't been killed (though, this is rare).^{[11]
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3
Push broken patty pieces back together. Sometimes, your patty will fall apart as it cooks. If one of yours does, just use the spatula to move and squish the broken pieces back together. Letting it cook that way for a few minutes helps the pieces stay intact.^{[12]
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- Adding cheese on top of your patties is a tasty way to help your patties stay together.
4
Add slices of cheese on top of your patties in the last minute of cooking. If you want to make a cheeseburger, just cut up some thin slices of your favorite cheese. When your patties have 1 minute left to cook, place the cheese directly on top of the burgers. Cover the pan with a lid or aluminum foil to reflect the heat back down on the cheese and help it melt.^{[13]
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- Many kinds of cheese work well with hamburgers. American cheese, cheddar, Gouda, Monterrey jack, blue cheese, and Swiss are all delicious choices.
- To get your cheese to melt quicker, add a small dash of water to the pan. The water will instantly turn into steam, which helps melt the cheese.
5
Remove the patties from the stove and serve them on buns. Turn off the heat and use a spatula to take the patties out of the skillet. Place them on a plate to cool down for a minute, or set them directly onto buns. Add any extra toppings you like, and dig in!^{[14]
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- Spice up your burger with condiments like mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, or bbq sauce.
- Toppings like raw or grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, grilled mushrooms, cooked bacon, and avocado slices add extra flavor and texture to your burger.
- Dial up your hamburgers even more by toasting the buns in a skillet, in the oven, or in the toaster.

Expert Q&A

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Question

How do you form hamburger patties?

Ollie George Cigliano
Private Chef & Food Educator
Ollie George Cigliano is a Private Chef, Food Educator, and Owner of Ollie George Cooks, based in Long Beach, California. With over 20 years of experience, she specializes in utilizing fresh, fun ingredients and mixing traditional and innovative cooking techniques. Ollie George holds a BA in Comparative Literature from The University of California, Berkeley, and a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from eCornell University.

Ollie George Cigliano

Private Chef & Food Educator

Expert Answer

Grab two deli lids that are 4 in (10 cm) wide and place the meat in between them. Then, press between the lids, gently pressing the meat while moving the lids in a circle. Simply remove the top and bottom lids to reveal your perfect patty!

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Question

Is it okay if I place some chips on top of the hamburgers after I cook them?

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Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

Yes, feel free to add whatever toppings you like to your hamburgers. Chips are an excellent choice, as they'll give your burger an extra crunch.

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Do hamburgers cook when they're covered with a lid or another frying pan?

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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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Staff Answer

Hamburgers cook best when they're uncovered. It's not recommended to cover hamburgers as they cook, as they tend to come out less crispy and browned.

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