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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Wow! I mean, WOW! These are by far the best burgers that I’ve made. Super juicy, full of flavor superb consistency… these are a winner!
This was a great recipe to satisfy my brother who prefers a medium-rare burger, my mom who enjoys a well done burger, and myself– I like my burgers prepared medium. Lots of flavor and really juicy! I prepared 1 lb of beef using the measurements provided in a previous post. Thanks again for the step-by-step pictures to assist with the process!
This recipe was AMAZING!!! I made it to my whole family and they really loved it. Instead of mashing the bread and milk, I used breadcrumbs.
I would recommend this recipe!
The burgers are delicious. I made them today. Thank you for sharing the recipe!!!
Wow these burgers are amazing…lots of flavor and super juicy even when cooked to “well done”! Super simple recipe and perfect for people with egg allergies (so many recipes seem to use egg as the “glue”)!
I found this recipe and added it to my grilling repertoire! My family absolutely LOVES their burgers made this way. I have some on the grill now but I subbed barbecue sauce for the ketchup. We shall see…
I was so happy to find your answer on how to adapt to one pound of ground beef. These were the best burgers I ever ate in my ENTIRE life. Absolutely perfectly juicy even when cooked well, which is what I prefer. Fantastic! Thank you for sharing. I will never make another burger 🙂
I don’t have white bread. Would you substitute sourdough or whole wheat bread for the panade?
Wow! Another Segal hit! I’ve been looking for years for the best burger and I believe I’ve found it. Thank you for ALL of your amazing recipes.
Holy sh*t!! Just quoting myself after taking a first bite into one of these. I’m so excited I made this. I get really intimidated by recipes sometimes but for this one I dove in and the result was absolutely amazing! I will definitely repeat this one and store it for future use with an actual grill and worchestershire sauce. Also, I was so thrilled that the ingredients I did have, like almond milk and gluten free bread were great substitutions! YUMMM
Hi, I would love to try these burgers but am looking for a recipe I can cook in a normal fab oven? How long would I need to put these in and what temperature? Have seen some comments about broilers but we do not have broilers here.
Hi SM, I wouldn’t recommend baking these, but you could cook them on the stove in a grill pan. Hope you enjoy if you make them!
Way too salty. Maybe i am used to making my burgers like meatballs. Using egg as a binder. Fresh mint. Lemon. Breadcrumbs and milk instead of Worcestershire sauce and ketchup. I might try using one tablespoon Worcestershire next time. No ketchup. Egg. Mint. Lemon. Breadcrumbs. Milk. Some olive oil. And way less salt!
Hey there! I have been cooking these burgers on a wire rack (wire above a drip pan) on the top shelf of my oven (regular oven, not fan forced, temp runs a tad high though) at 200c for 10ish mins on each side as I do not currently own an bbq and my pans need replacing.
You might need to toy around with the time as to your preference of ‘doneness’ but they’ve been turning out well as long as you’ve got the binding process right.
I think they’d likely be even tastier cooked with the recipes method, just working with what I have 🙂