Steakhouse Burgers
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Replicate your favorite steakhouse burgers at home — these are packed with flavor and reliably juicy, even when cooked to well-done.
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 — and lots of seasoning, you can make steakhouse-style burgers in no time. This recipe has made me a star among my kids’ friends. My daughter’s friend Allie nicknamed them “Segal Burgers” — it stuck, and now we all call them that too.
What You’ll Need To Make Steakhouse Burgers
Step-by-Step instructions
Begin by making the panade. In a large bowl, mash 2 pieces of white sandwich bread (cut into small pieces) and 1/3 cup milk together with a fork until it forms a chunky paste.
Add 2-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1-1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce and 2 tablespoons of ketchup.
Stir until well combined.
Add 3 pounds of 85% lean ground beef and 3 finely sliced scallions (if using).
Mix everything together until just combined.
Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and shape into balls. Flatten each ball into a 3/4-inch-thick patty that’s about 4-1/2 inches across. (Keeping the burgers thick ensures a nice char on the outside without overcooking the inside.) To prevent the burgers from forming a domed shape on the grill, create a slight depression in the center of each patty.
Grill the burgers 2 to 4 minutes on the first side until nicely browned. Flip and cook on the second side a few minutes more, until desired doneness is reached. The panade in these burgers keeps the meat tender and juicy, even when overcooked, so these burgers are ideal for kids, the elderly, pregnant women, or anyone who just prefers their burgers well done.
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Steakhouse Burgers
Replicate your favorite steakhouse burgers at home — these are packed with flavor and reliably juicy, even when cooked to well-done.
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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I added bacon bits and BBQ sauce instead of ketchup, and I used whole wheat sandwich bread. Burgers were excellent. My son & daughter enjoyed them. They always used to complain about my dry tasteless burgers. Not this time. This recipe combined with my homemade buttermilk buns made the perfect cheeseburger.
Hi Jennifer,
Looking forward to trying another one of your recipes!
If I sauté the garlic and scallions will it add even more flavor to the burgers?
Thank you so much for sharing your great recipes!
Have a fantastic day!
Catherine
Hi Catherine, Actually leaving the garlic and scallions raw will add the most flavor, as cooking them would mellow their flavor. Hope that helps!
What do you think about using Ritz crackers if you don’t have any extra bread?
That should work, but I’d cut back on the added salt as the crackers are saltier than the bread. Hope you enjoy!
Thanks, Jenn! It turned out great 🙂 I probably used about 10 crackers for half the recipe. It was probably a little bit too much, so I’ll use less the next time I don’t have bread. These burgers are always awesome, now with bread or Ritz crackers!
The burgers had a meatloaf flavor that was undesirable.
Freaking amazing recipe
My kids (10 and 7) love these burgers. My wife loves them too since it is the only thing I cook! In fact, they prefer these over going out for burgers. Sometimes I experiment with different things like using BBQ sauce in place of ketchup. Next time, I’d like to try adding sweet chili sauce with a tad bit of heat. One twist I add is to finely chop pre-cooked bacon into little bits and mix it into the ground beef. Super juicy and tasty. My kids almost lost their minds with that twist…in a good way.
Soft white bread or hard ?
I usually use soft but hard should work too. Enjoy!
Can I use almond milk in place of milk?
Definitely – enjoy!
Hi Jenn!!
These were the best burgers I’ve ever made…PERIOD! Husband loved them as well!
Question, why is it or IS it important to use 80/85% lean Ground beef?
Thanks
I like the 80/85% ground beef as that makes them moist. Glad you liked them!
I usually never write reviews but both my picky kids just ate this burger all up! You just saved me a ton of money. Most of the time they turn their noses up at homemade burgers because they get too dry. This burger was super moist and flavorful. Thank you for sharing!!
HI, can I substitute quick oats for the bread? If so, how much should I use? Thanks.
Hi Terri, I’ve never tried oats here but I think it should work. I’d use about 2/3 cup.
Thanks!
Completely awesome!!!
Hi. I cant wait to try this recipe tonight! Just a question though, I don’t have any Worcestershire sauce at home. Can I use soy sauce as a substitute?
Yes that should work, Rola. Enjoy!
Juiciest tasting hamburger I have ever had! The next day the hamburger was even better! Thanks for the recipe. I am definitely keeping this one
I had given up on making a decent burger—until this recipe. It is fabulous. The only negative to making them is the cleanup afterwards, which is somewhat mitigated by how awesome they are and how much everyone in my family liked them!
I am a home chef and I do not think I have ever left a review on something before (starting today that will change, promise!!!) wow! These burgers reminded me of an upscale restaurant, something you may pay $50 for 2 burgers. These were amazing and the whole family ate them in a moment! Will be saving this recipe! Thank you chef!
Greetings from Germany, this recipe is incredibly delicious. The first hamburgers that convinced me. thanks
I would really like to make thee burgers and your grilled chicken, but I don’t have a grill, and my stove doesn’t have a vent hood so grilling on the stovetop at high heat doesn’t go well.
I see in the comments you said the burgers could be broiled in the oven— about how long? Any other advice ? Thanks !
Hi Stephanie, The timing for the burgers should be about the same as it is for the grill. Also, make sure you use a grill pan so the juices can drip down. Hope you enjoy!
Fry them in a fry pan on stove
I thought I made a really good burger until I tried this recipe on a whim. This is now the only burger that I’ll make. It’s that good.
This is our favorite burger recipe!! This is the first time I have made one of your recipes… I’m hooked. Can’t wait to try more! Anything you highly recommend? 🙂
So glad you liked the burgers! I have a section with my most popular recipes. You can check them out here. Hope you enjoy whatever you try!
I forgot to select the stars before submitting. Here is my final submission following my comments.
These were fantastic! I ended up making the full recipe instead of half because I ended up sending my son home with a care package. My son and husband said they were beyond restaurant quality (good restaurants only lol) and cooked to perfection. I added about a 1/4 cup finely diced red pepper because I had some leftover that I wanted to use up. I cooked them on the indoor grill on my gas stovetop because we ended up having a thunderstorm. Definitely a keeper!!!
I love this recipe. After countless tries at getting the perfect burger recipe, I found yours. Thank you so so much! Would love to see an alteration to the recipe with just one pound of meat since I seem to never remember to buy three when I crave these wonderful burgers. Thanks again, it seems that I frequent your website more and more these days!
I’m same – I’m just going to half all ingredients for 1 lb of ground beef
Hi.
I have made these burgers exactly as written and they were delicious.
My question is, why white bread and not any other kind?
Is there a reason or is any kind of bread good?
Thanks
Dagmar
Glad you liked them, Dagmar! Any kind of bread is really fine here. 🙂
Silly me I just read through your recipe properly now and realized you’re asking to mix bread with milk to make the panade. Can I use Panko breadcrumbs instead of white bread because we don’t eat white bread and I don’t want to buy a whole loaf just for that.
Sure, Judy, you can use panko here instead. I’d guess you’ll need about 1/2 – 2/3 cup.
These were Amazing! I had to use sprouted bread and about a 1/4 of finely chopped onion because it’s all I had on hand and I regret nothing 🤤
Hi Jennifer, I’m planning on trying these tomorrow. As my son is coming to visit and I want to make him a yummy burger with a side of fries… One of his favorites. My question is first of all it’s only three of us so 3 pounds of meat is a lot. I’m thinking of cutting that in half. If I do that obviously I should cut all the other ingredients in half? Last but not least can I do these in the oven? If I do would you recommend a temperature of 450°? To get a nice crisp maybe?
Yes, if you’d like to cut this in half, halve all the other ingredients too. And if you want to cook these in the oven, I’d broil. (Just place them on a broiler pan or rack so the juices can drip down.) Hope you all enjoy!
The best burger ever, hands down!
I’m a Nebraska girl – and we know our burgers. I served these at a cookout last night and EVERYONE loved them. Juicy, flavorful, hearty – just perfect!
Great recipe!!! I also added one whole yellow onion!!! Love it! I will definitely do it again!!! I was wondering how would this recipe came out with ground turkey!
Loved these burgers! Incredibly delish!
These burgers were awesome. I actually overcooked them a bit and they were still moist and delicious!
Delicious burgers. Ideal recipe for kids too.
These were delicious – I think the panade made these even juicier than a normal burger. Everyone commented on how great they were. I made half pork/beef. This is definitely a go to recipe – yum!
Fantastic recipe. Been to Canada many times as a kid and loved Licks burgers. Reminds me of those. This is my ‘go to’ recipe now. Had it with steak cut chips dipped in beef dripping from Aldi. Oh yeah!!
Can this be prepared and frozen?
Sure (I would freeze them uncooked). See the bottom of the recipe for freezer-friendly instructions.
This is one of the best recipes I’ve come across with to make burgers at home. They taste absolutely delicious and juicy. The whole family loved it and we will be memorising this recipe for always!
Thank you! I got this recipe from my sister in law and was blown away by it! I made them today on the BBQ and people who had my other burger recipe said this should be your new recipe! So excited that people noticed a difference.
I made these last night and threw em on the grill. They are honestly the best burgers I have ever tasted in my life. It tasted like something you would get at a fancy restaurant. I am keeping this recipe for the rest of my life on earth lol
I made these as written. They were good just a little too much Worcestershire for our taste. Very juicy even cooked to medium well.
I eyeballed the appropriate amount of panko in lieu of bread, and it was still the best burgers I’ve ever made at home. Hubby even said “SAVE THAT RECIPE!” We grilled it over charcoal and it was amazing. Thank you!
Best Burgers ever and we have tried many recipes! Every bite was juicy and tasty!
Best burger I’ve made, and better than most I’ve eaten. Excellent texture and depth of flavour. I only had some very stale sourdough that required extra soaking and mashing to achieve a paste, but it worked fine. They remained juicy despite being on the grill longer than the recommended time. I’m sure they’ll be great in a cast-iron pan too.
They were nice but we found them a bit to salty.
Holy doodlebugs, AMAZING. I’m not a big meat-eater. I eat it for the health benefits, mostly. 🤷♀️ Well, I just ate a burger because it tasted sooooooo good! (And I might have had a second if the first wasn’t so filling.)
“Phenomenal” and “flipping delicious” were the Husband’s compliments. This coming from a guy who doesn’t offer an opinion on what I serve very often. 😯
I had no milk in the fridge so I subbed vegetable broth. I am also lazy so I didn’t cut the crusts off the bread. 3.25 pounds of freshly butchered ground beef made 6 nice bun-sized burgers (you’ll think they’re far too big and heavy…have faith) and 4 thinner, but still bun-sized, ones for me and my frail Mom who doesn’t have much appetite.
Writing this in my recipe book IMMEDIATELY. Only the best recipes get there, and this is one of them. Thanks for sharing it! ❤
This is the best burger recipe I have ever used, and I have been cooking for 40 years! I made it yesterday and my husband (who is very very particular about his food) loved it!!! There are only 2 of us in the house, so I sized it down to 1 lb of beef (4 senior size burgers) and the adjustment worked just fine. The only measures which were not 1/3 of original were bread (1 slice whole wheat with crusts left on), milk (1/4 cup to account for the extra bread), and ketchup (1 Tbsp). The request has been made that I never use a different recipe, so I won’t! Thank you!
Hi, I’ve made these on the grill and they are delicious but I’m wanting to try it on the my blackstone. Do you think these would turn out good on that too?
Hi Alisa, I’m not familiar with/have never used a blackstone, but another reader commented that they used a blackstone successfully. Please report back if you try it!
My only go-to recipe and works every time even after charring them they’re delicious and favorited by my family
Hi! This burger is always a hit. We don’t always keep regular milk at home so I end up buying a small carton just for this recipe. Is there a substitution you’d recommend? (We do always have oat milk, but I wasn’t sure if it would work.) Thanks!
Glad you like them! And oat milk is perfectly fine to use for the panade. 🙂
I tried this recipe today! Unfortunately, the burgers fell apart! 🙁
They did taste good though! Very juicy and full of flavor!
I’ll give it another try adding an egg to the mixture.
Hi Omnia, Sorry to hear you had a problem with them falling apart! Next time you make them, make sure when you shape the burgers, that you apply a bit of pressure to make the patties a little more compact. Hope that helps!
Mine were delicious, everyone loved them. But they did fall apart . The cheese helped a bit. Next time I’ll either use more bread or less liquid. Great tasting burgers
Hi Jim, Glad you liked them! To keep them from falling apart, next time you make them, make sure when you shape the burgers, that you apply a bit of pressure to make the patties a little more compact. 🙂
Do you put the burger mix together the day before to blend or the same day? Going to make these on Monday. Thanks for the recipe!
Lynn
You can do either. Enjoy!
Love the burgers. This recipe is one of our favorite. I have to do them every weekend. Family is crazy about them. We make our buns on our own and with the meat, it’s a amazing combination. Love the recipe. Thank you.