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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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.