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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This is the best ever hamburger recipe. Very, very juicy
It is a little salty, so I cut the salt down.
I also added a small, very finely cut brown onion instead of the scallions as it gives it a sweeter flavour.
But my family love this recipe, so thank you so much for posting it.
Excellent burgers! We are not big meat eaters any longer, but honestly these burgers will get you eating meat again ! Buy high-quality meat and eat it less often – just make it worth your while using a recipe like this.
I followed the recipe but I added about a quarter cup of fresh minced Italian parsley (I just like aromatics in meat).
My husband grilled them to perfection on the bbq. They were so very very juicy and he cooked them through (as Jenn said, it feels like they couldn’t be overdone). They were juicy and tasty.
I caramelized a large batch of onions and served some on the burgers next to a large mixed green salad with vinaigrette dressing. You must try making these burgers. You won’t regret it.
Another great recipe Jenn. Hats off to you.
Ps folks. Caramelized onions take so long to fry-whoever makes a small amount? But what’s one to do with the leftovers?? Rather than risk having them go bad in the back of the fridge, I freeze mine in silicone cupcake liners. I then store the frozen “pucks” of caramelized onion in a ziplock bag. They defrost well and are perfect to add to soups, quiches, omelettes or served as a condiment with a fresh batch of hamburgers !
So glad you like these and I’m sure people will appreciate the tip about freezing the caramelized onions!
Thank you thank you thank you. I love burgers so much I wish I had been born as one. I’ve tried so many recipes – and binding using onions, breadcrumbs, egg, etc. These are by far the best homemade burgers. I’ve made them 3 times now before leaving a review just to make sure they weren’t a fluke. Thank you very very much indeed.
LOL – so glad you like them!
I don’t grill. Can I make this recipe either by pan frying or broiling?
Thanks!
Kim
Yep – hope you enjoy!
I thought I had perfected my burger technique till I tried these. I’ll never make them a different way again! Truly the tastiest, tenderest, juiciest burgers my family had ever enjoyed at home. Thank you for yet another keeper recipe – your versions of every dish are taking over my recipe binder!
So true about the recipe binder. 😊Everything I make from this site is fantastic!!
What if im frying them vs grilling?? Time wise?
Hi Krystle, Timing should be about the same as the grilling method. Hope you enjoy!
Ces hamburgers sont vraiment excellents! Ils sont pleins de saveur, très juteux.
Je les ai fait cuire au four à (Broil) environ 15 minutes; très bon.
Merci.
Reg
I’ve made these burgers a few times before and they never disappoint. The flavor is so good that I could eat them without any toppings! I appreciate that I can cook them to well done and they still come out juicy. With things as they are, I’ve limited my trips to the grocery store and all we had in the house was whole wheat bread, so I made the burgers with them. The burgers were still juicy, but they did not keep their shape as well as when I make them with white bread. Also had to use a bit more milk to get the right consistency for the panade. I will stick to white bread from now on. Try it, Jenn does not disappoint with this recipe either!
These burgers are really excellent! They’re full of flavor, very juicy, and quick to assemble.
I don’t have a grill, so I cook them on my gas range and pat dry to get rid of excess grease. Since I have a small family, I also fraction the recipe. A pound of meat still makes 4 good-sized burgers.
What an amazingly tasty burger. One of the best I have ever tried. Thank you.
Oh forgot to say that I mixed half kilo of lamb mince with half kilo of beef. It worked great. I put the mixture on wide skewers and BBQed them on open fire. Incredibly juicy and tender…. everyone in my family loved it. Looking forward to doing it again.
This is meatloaf, give me a break
YES!! I wish I saw this before I cooked! Not even a very good meatloaf!
Maybe don’t comment if you haven’t actually made them.
So….you didn’t actually make them but you’re leaving a negative review because you don’t agree with the ingredients?
Don’t review recipes you haven’t made.
My absolute go to burger recipe! I’ve made it so many times now, I have it memorized. The mixin’s make it so tender and juicy. Best burgers!!!