Steakhouse Burgers
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No need to go out—these homemade steakhouse burgers are tender, juicy, and full of flavor thanks to a few simple tricks. Easy enough for a weeknight, good enough for company.
Who doesn’t love a big, tender, and juicy steakhouse burger? Problem is, they’re difficult to replicate at home because most steakhouses blend different cuts of beef, like sirloin, chuck, and short ribs, to customize the flavor and fat content of their hamburgers. While it’s possible to grind your own meat or ask your butcher for a special blend, there’s an easier way.
By combining ordinary supermarket ground beef with a panade—or mixture of bread and milk—with garlic and scallions, this steakhouse-style burger recipe comes together in no time.
When my kids were little, this recipe made me a star among their friends. My daughter’s friend Allie nicknamed them “Segal Burgers,” and the name stuck. No matter how old everyone gets, they still ask for them! You can dress them up with condiments like ketchup, mustard, spicy relish, or mayonnaise, add a slice of cheese, or pile on bread and butter pickles, pickled red onions or caramelized onions—but they’ve got so much flavor on their own, you barely need anything at all.
“Best burgers ever! I served them on buns with cheddar, lettuce, tomatoes, and butter pickles, but I seriously believe they don’t need any dressing up—they’re that good.”
What You’ll Need To Make The Best Steakhouse Burger Recipe
- White Sandwich Bread & Milk: These two come together to form a simple panade—a soft paste that keeps the burgers juicy and tender. Use soft white bread with the crusts removed so it blends right in.
- Ground Beef: Stick with 80 to 85% lean for burgers that are juicy, flavorful, and hold together nicely.
- Garlic & Scallions: Add a fresh, aromatic boost that takes the flavor up a notch.
- Worcestershire Sauce & Ketchup: Bring in that classic steakhouse vibe with a hit of umami, a little sweetness, and just the right amount of tang.
- Kosher Salt & Black Pepper: Keep it simple—these basic seasoning bring out the best in the beef.
- Hamburger Buns: Go for soft but sturdy, and toast them if you like a little crunch to contrast the juicy patties.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step instructions
Step 1: Make the panade. In a large bowl, mash the torn-up sandwich bread and milk with a fork until you get a chunky paste.
Step 2: Add seasoning. Stir in the salt, pepper, garlic, Worcestershire, and ketchup until everything’s mixed together. Adding the seasonings to the panade first ensures they distribute evenly throughout the meat later without overmixing the beef itself.
Step 3: Mix in the beef. Add the ground beef and scallions (if using). Use your hands to mix just until combined—don’t overdo it. Mixing too much can compress the meat and make the burgers dense. Gently folding the mixture with your hands keeps the texture light.
Step 4: Shape the patties. Divide the mixture into 8 portions and roll into balls. Flatten into ¾-inch-thick patties about 4½ inches wide. (Keeping the burgers thick ensures a nice char on the outside without overcooking the inside.) Use a light touch when shaping the patties—packing them too tightly can make them tough. Press a little dent in the center of each one so they don’t puff up while grilling.
At this point, the uncooked burgers can be refrigerated for 24 hours or frozen for up to 3 months. Just pop them into the fridge to thaw overnight prior to cooking.
Step 5: Grill the burgers. Grill the patties for 2 to 4 minutes on the first side, until nicely browned. (Avoid pressing down on the burgers while they cook—it squeezes out juices and can dry them out.) Flip and cook a few minutes more, until they’re done to your liking. (The panade keeps them tender and juicy—even if you prefer your burgers well done—so they’re great for kids, grandparents, or anyone who’s not into pink centers.)
Pro Tip: While I never bother, you can use an instant-read thermometer to determine the doneness of your burgers. You’re aiming for 130–135°F for medium-rare, 140–145°F for medium, and 160°F for well done.
More Burger Recipes You May Like
Steakhouse Burgers
These steakhouse-style burgers are juicy, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned—sure to become your new go-to burger recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 pieces white sandwich bread, crusts removed and cut into ¼-inch pieces
- ⅓ cup milk
- 2½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 3 pounds 80 to 85% lean ground beef
- 3 scallions, white and green parts, very finely sliced (optional)
- 8 hamburger buns
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to high heat.
- In a large bowl, mash the bread and milk together with a fork until it forms a chunky paste. Add the salt, pepper, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and ketchup and mix well.
- Add the ground beef and scallions and break the meat up with your hands. Mix everything together until evenly combined. Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and form compact balls. Flatten the balls into ¾-inch patties about 4½ inches across. Form a slight depression in the center of each patty to prevent the burgers from puffing up on the grill.
- Oil the grilling grates. Grill the burgers, covered, until nicely browned on the first side, 2 to 4 minutes. Flip burgers and continue cooking for a few minutes more until desired doneness is reached. Before serving, toast the buns on the cooler side of the grill if desired.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The uncooked burgers can be frozen for up to three months. (Freeze the burgers on a baking sheet or plate so their shape sets, then transfer them to a sealable plastic bag for easy storage.) Defrost the burgers overnight in the refrigerator prior to serving and then cook as directed.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 burger
- Calories: 517
- Fat: 27 g
- Saturated fat: 10 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Sugar: 5 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 37 g
- Sodium: 567 mg
- Cholesterol: 116 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Hi Jenn,
First I must say EVERY recipe I’ve made from your website is OUTSTANDING!! It actually makes me look good in the kitchen, which is quite a feat! Love the step by step instructions & pics…so helpful! These burgers are especially good – even my husband agrees, who rarely comments at all & if he does, it’s generally not very favorable! What are your thoughts about making a meatloaf with this recipe? We’ve been bragging on these & are having a family dinner so I’m trying to save a little time, but still impress everyone. Any changes? Temp, time, etc?
Hi Kelly, so glad you like the recipes and that even your husband comments on them :)! I’m not certain how well these would work as one big meatloaf as they may be kind of crumbly. You could potentially shape them into mini meatloaves and bake them that way. I suspect they’d take about 30 minutes. Or, if you want some meatloaf options that are guaranteed to work, you can try this Italian Meatloaf or this BBQ version.
Thank you, Jenn! I do make the BBQ Turkey Meatloaf often, & I LOVE it!! (I use the BBQ sauce recipe for everything!) My husband isn’t much of a turkey fan though… I haven’t tried the Italian Meatloaf yet & it does sound delicious, (no surprise!), so maybe I’ll go ahead & do that. I’ll “experiment” with this recipe another time when it’s just us! Thanks again…so awesome that you allow us wanna-be chefs direct access to your expertise! Really, really, really hope you’ll do a cookbook soon! 🙂
Cookbook coming out 2018, Kelly…and this recipe is in it 🙂
Phenomenal recipe! And, no egg!
I needed to switch up burger night fast. We had a last-minute guest who loves them, and I suspected he liked fancier burgers than I ever make.
Having to work with what I had on hand, I used 1/3 cup of Trader Joe’s panko crumbs for the sliced bread and half-and-half for the milk (same volume) as I never have milk in the house.
I had 2# of ground beef. With the substitutions described above, I used the exact measures of all other ingredients listed.
The result was truly outstanding. Thank you SO much for your terrific work. I have loads of cookbooks. But, it’s your website collection of recipes that I always always consult first. Keep up the terrific work!
This is the best burger recipe I have ever tried and it is a family favorite! The recipe is perfect just as written, and the burgers are delicious and juicy. I usually make 7 patties per recipe, which works for the larger sized buns. I have even frozen the patties, uncooked, between sheets of waxed paper and in a freezer bag. We put them on the grill frozen and they cook up nicely and retain the flavor and juiciness.
These are the BEST burgers ever! We had them at a friend’s house for a gourmet burger night and I couldn’t get over how fantastic they were. So good that it’s the only burger we make at home now. As a matter of fact, we’re having them tonight. I didn’t change a thing about the recipe because they are PERFECT just the way they are!
Seriously, the best hamburgers I’ve ever made. Always a hit!
I made these burgers for the first time tonight and served them to friends over for a BBQ. They were delicious! My friends said they were the best burgers they had had in a very long time.
Thanks for posting the recipe.
Can you pan fry ?
Definitely!
Used 3lbs of Chuck steak and 1lb of Top Sirloin. Also mixed in 4 slices of bacon to the mix.
It was a big hit with a group of 9. Very juicy and flavorful!!!
Will certainly be making this again.
The recipe says to use 3 scallions. Do you use the entire scallion or only the white part?
Hi Cindy, I use the whole scallion.
These look fabulous! What is the approx. measurement of the chopped white bread? I’m hoping to substitute ciabatta or french bread.
I’d estimate it’s about 1 – 1 1/2 cups of chopped bread. Hope you enjoy!