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American

Classic beef burger

Non-vegetarian

Juicy, well-seasoned beef patties seared hard in a hot pan, topped with melting cheddar and served in toasted buns with crisp lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles.

Classic beef burger is an American burger from United States, ready in about 27 minutes and made with ground beef and hamburger bun. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Close-up of juicy cheeseburgers with lettuce and pickles served on a wooden board.
Photo: Mohamed Olwy / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
15 min
Cook
12 min
Total
27 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
511

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Divide the beef into 4 equal portions and shape loosely into patties about 2 cm thick and slightly wider than the buns. Press a shallow dimple into the centre of each so they stay flat as they cook. Chill while you prepare the toppings.

    • 5 min

    Food safety: Wash hands and boards after handling raw beef.

  2. Step 2

    Butter (opens in a new tab) the cut sides of the buns and toast them in a dry frying pan over medium heat until golden. Set aside.

  3. Step 3

    Season the patties generously on both sides with salt and pepper (opens in a new tab) just before cooking. Heat the oil in the pan over high heat until shimmering.

    • 2 min
    • high heat

  4. Step 4

    Cook the patties without moving them until a deep brown crust forms, then flip. Lay a slice of cheese on each and cook until done to your liking.

    Food safety: Minced beef should reach 71 °C in the centre to be fully safe.

  5. Step 5

    Build the burgers: bun base, lettuce (opens in a new tab), patty, tomato (opens in a new tab), onion and pickles, then sauces and the bun lid.

    About this dish

    Origin
    United States · Commonly attributedSeveral US towns and cooks claim to have invented the hamburger sandwich; none of the claims is settled.Also popular in Canada, Australia, United KingdomMore food from United States
    Dish
    Lunch · Dinner · Burgers · Sandwiches · Main courses
    Cooking method
    Pan-fried, Grilled
    Taste
    savoury, umami, rich
    Diet
    No nut ingredients · High-protein
    All labelsNon-vegetarian · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · High-protein
    Without the optional extras: No added sugarWith the listed swaps: No gluten ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Child-friendly · Everyday
    Cook more with
    Ground beef · Hamburger bun · Butter · Lettuce · Tomato · Red onion
    Techniques
    Grilling · Charcoal grilling · Pan-frying · Pickling

    Allergens

    • Contains: Milkfrom cheddar, hamburger bun, butter
    • May contain: Eggsfrom hamburger bun
    • Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom hamburger bun
    • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom hamburger bun
    • May contain: Soyfrom hamburger bun
    • May contain: Sesamefrom hamburger bun
    • Contains, can be adapted: Mustardfrom dill pickles, tomato ketchup, prepared mustard
    • May contain: Celeryfrom tomato ketchup
    • May contain: Sulphitesfrom prepared mustard

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    511 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 260 g · recipe makes 4

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 26%
    • Carbohydrate 22%
    • Fat 51%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy511 kcal196 kcal
    Protein33.3 g12.8 g
    Carbohydrate27.8 g10.7 g
    Net carbohydrate26.1 g10 g
    Sugars5.2 g2 g
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre1.7 g0.6 g
    Fat28.7 g11 g
    Saturated fat——
    Trans fat1.4 g0.5 g
    Cholesterol110 mg42 mg
    Sodium956 mg367 mg
    Salt equivalent2.4 g0.9 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    621 mg
    Calcium
    106 mg
    Iron
    5.1 mg
    Magnesium
    45 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    102 µg
    Vitamin C
    6 mg
    Vitamin D
    0.2 µg
    Vitamin B12
    —
    Folate (DFE)
    —

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: cheddar, dill pickles, tomato ketchup, prepared mustard.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • Handle the meat as little as possible; overworking makes dense, springy burgers.
    • Salt only the outside, right before cooking — salting the mince early makes it sausage-like.

    Common mistakes

    • Pressing patties with a spatula squeezes out the juices.
    • Crowding the pan steams the meat instead of browning it.

    Serve with

    • Serve with oven fries, coleslaw or a green salad.

    Storage

    • Shaped raw patties keep 1 day in the fridge or 3 months frozen between sheets of baking paper.

    Variations

    • Smash burger: Press balls of beef very thin onto a smoking-hot griddle for lacy, crisp edges.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in steps 1, 2, 4, 5

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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