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 my 2nd time using this recipe. Wow… and delicious burgers! I halve this recipe to make 4 burgers (since it’s just me and my husband) — can’t wait to make the full recipe when having guests… The 2nd time I didn’t have bread for the panade but substituted the panko bread crumbs I had on hand as per reading the reviews. This worked out great for us.
I use grass fed beef that I buy locally here in New Mexico (so not sure if I had the right ratio: 80 to 85% lean ground beef) – but fortunately it turned out fantastic.. Moist.. perfectly flavored.
Thank you Jenn! Your recipes are a blessing to me…
I feel that this is an exceptionally rude comment. This site is made freely available to you-you aren’t paying for it–and the chef does not claim to be providing “meals for two” suggestions. While I think that a servings calculator can be useful in a hurry, it is eminently possible to reduce a recipe yourself if you have basic math proficiency.
These were perfect for our Independence Day BBQ! Usually people don’t notice the meat unless it’s dry and over cooked since there are so many side dishes, but I kept hearing comments about how delicious the burgers were!
I made them as written, and added some chopped fresh thyme (about a tablespoon). I saw Julia Child making burgers on an old TV show and she said she liked to add thyme and finely chopped onion to the meat. We really liked those additions and I’ve used fresh thyme ever since. These steakhouse burgers already have the onions.
Two thumbs up!
I loved watching Julia Child when I was a kid. I might have to try the fresh thyme in my burgers tonight!
These burgers are amazeballs. I added oregano and parsley and removed the scallions and used onion powder instead.
Made these a couple weeks ago and they were soooo good! Thought about making a sauce but they didn’t need any- Very flavorful as written! It’s just three of us so we were able to freeze uncooked patties for another meal. Have some defrosting in the fridge for tonight. Can’t wait! I may double the recipe next time so we can freeze more. So easy to thaw, slice the veggies and grill these up. Gives me time to also make a nice side salad.
It was absolutely delish! Reduced the amount of salt (my preference), but other than that followed the recipe. Thank you for another family fav!!
These are the best! I made these on Saturday for the holiday weekend. Another go-to recipe.
Thank you Jenn Segal!
Excellent tender, juicy and flavorful hamburgers that don’t require anyting other than a bun.
I substitute chopped scallions for the spring onions, less salt and more ketchup and Worcester sauce, and substitute panko bread crumbs for the slices of bread.
The mixture can be shaped into a loaf, covered with added ketchup and Worcester mixed and spread on top for a wonderful meatloaf.
Can you replace the milk with water if you want to keep it kosher ?
Yep!
I used water also to keep these kosher to serve at my BBQ. We had both kosher & non-kosher eaters, all agreed these were the best burgers ever.
Best burger ever. I usually don’t have bread on hand. So I’m wondering if I swap panko bread crumbs for the bread, how much would I need?
So glad you liked them! read crumbs should work here. I’d guesstimate you’d need about 1/2 – 2/3 cup.
Best hamburgers I’ve ever made or eaten! Even my teenage grandchildren both said OMG, these are amazing!