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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Mine came out too moist and wouldnt form patties. They fell apart in the pan…
Flavor was good tho, just not what i was looking for.
BEST burgers ever! Very moist and full flavored. Will not be making hamburgers any other way! Thank you.
This the the first time I tried the recipe. I’m very happy! I used 10% cream instead of milk and it worked just fine. I added cayenne pepper to add a bit of spice. The burgers were SUPER juicy. I’ll use it again. 🙂
Not sure about all of the other reviews but this recipe simply does not work. The mixture does not bind. The milk and bread is a terrible combination. I highly recommend searching elsewhere for a burger recipe. Ruined my 4th of July burger. 1 star
Made these over the last weekend, exactly as in the recipe. Really good, the whole family enjoyed them.
I made these tonight for the 4th of July, using a broiler set on high. They turned out so amazingly tasty! My husband said they were the best he’s ever eaten, and he knows his way around a burger 😉
Two things: I would recommend chilling the patties for at least 30 minutes. It allows the fat to re-congeal after being worked on at room temperature with warm hands, and I always do this to minimize the chance of them falling apart. Also, I did the math for 1 lb of beef, instead of 3. I’ll include it, in case it is helpful to anyone else wanting to make fewer burgers.
2/3 1 piece of white bread
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 clove garlic
1/2 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Ketchup
1 lb. beef
1 scallion
Thanks again Jenn for such a foolproof and delicious meal 🙂
Made the Steakhouse Burgers and Fresh Corn Salad with Scallions and Basil for July 4th, and both were a hit! Easy and delicious! Thanks!!
Just made these for July 4th. The burgers were awesome. Entire family loved them and my 22-year old son said it was the best burger he has had. I halved the recipe and made them using about 1.4 lbs of meat. Used 1.5 slices of bread though. My wife likes burgers more medium-rare to medium and I overcooked them for her liking. But they were still incredibly juicy and she loved them. Even with the panade, these burgers retained their burger taste and didn’t have a meatloaf taste at all. Put them on toasted brioche buns with butter my son made today! What a great recipe. Thanks Jenn!
All my family loved the taste of these burgers. They were very juicy. However, I found the taste very salty and will next time try cutting the salt in half. I had a problem with the burgers breaking apart on the grill even though I only flipped once and had an oiled grill grate and took care not to over-handle the meat with my hands, keeping the beef cold until grilled. Also, I found it took a lot longer than normal to grill the burgers … at least 6 minutes per side (12 total) and it was still pink inside (I do like medium rare)… I think this is due to the milk inside, liquid does take longer to heat than fat/protein. I wonder if the breaking apart was due to the liquid content. I did use 73-27 ground beef as I felt more fat was better, but this may have also made the burgers too fragile. The flavor was delicious, so I am willing to tinker more with this bread and milk idea but was wondering your thoughts?
Hi Nils, glad you liked the taste of these but sorry to hear you had a problem with them holding together. I’ve made the burgers before with 80/20 ground beef and haven’t had a problem. You mentioned you were very careful not to overhandle the meat – – is there any chance you may have been too delicate?
Very simple but delicious way to premix and grill burgers! I have used this nearly every time I grill burgers, and will continue to do so. The measurements aren’t needed to be precise, just kinda close gets awesome results. Tweak the amount of seasonings to suit your taste.