Simple Cheeseburgers

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Say hello to the best simple cheeseburgers you’ve ever had! These cheeseburgers are always delicious, and never dry. Enjoy!

Cheeseburger on a plate.
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The BEST Simple Cheeseburgers

It’s burger night, people! And if you’ve ever thought you couldn’t have a perfect cheeseburger without visiting a restaurant, we’re here to prove you wrong! These simple cheeseburgers are perfectly juicy, easy to make, and truly the perfect summer meal.

Why you’ll love ’em

Super Simple: homemade ground beef cheeseburgers are so easy to make. Toast the buns, make ground beef patties, top with cheese & enjoy.

30-Minute Meal: in less than 30 minutes, dinner will be ready!

Moist: dry burgers no more! We’re sharing our top tips to moist and juicy cheeseburgers.

Ingredients for cheeseburgers.

Ingredients for Simple Cheeseburgers

  • Unsalted butter: You’ll spread room temperature butter onto the hamburger buns before toasting them to golden brown perfection.
  • Hamburger buns: Choose your own adventure here! We love a classic brioche bun, but a pretzel bun or even rye bread would be amazing.
  • Ground beef: We recommend 85/15 beef for the perfect juiciness.
  • Salt & pepper: That’s all you need to season these simple cheeseburgers!
  • Sliced cheddar cheese: We love a classic sliced sharp cheddar, but don’t let that stop you from using your favorite variety of sliced cheese.
Cheeseburger buns in a cast iron skillet

How to Make Simple Cheeseburgers

These simple cheeseburgers come together in 4 simple steps, which means you’re 4 steps away from cheeseburger perfection. Let’s get into it:

Toast Buns

Spread the butter on the inside of each hamburger bun. Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat and toast the hamburger buns until they become golden brown.

Prepare Burger Patties

Divide the ground beef into 4 sections. Form each ¼ into a patty about 4 ½ – 5 inches in diameter. Make a thumbprint in the center of each hamburger patty, and season each side of the hamburger with the salt and pepper. 

Cook Burgers

Heat the same skillet over medium heat. When the pan becomes very hot, but not smoking, put the hamburger patties in the thumbprint side up. Cook the patty without moving for 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook for another 3-4. 

Place 2 pieces of cheddar cheese on top of each burger and cover with a lid or tin foil until the cheese is completely melted. 

Grilling instructions: Preheat the grill to 450℉ to 500℉. Grill the burgers for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until desired doneness. 

Assemble Burgers

Assemble the burger with your favorite toppings, and enjoy!

Beef patties in a cast iron skillet.

Toppings for Cheeseburgers

We topped these cheeseburgers with cheese (obviously!), lettuce and sliced tomato, but feel free to get creative and top your cheeseburgs with whatever your little heart desires, like:

  • Another green like arugula or spinach
  • White onion
  • Pickles
  • Mayo
  • Mustard
  • BBQ sauce

Top Tips for the Perfect Cheeseburgers

Adding a dimple to the meat in the middle of the patty helps prevent the juices from pooling in the middle of the burger creating that mushroom top. 

Ground beef should be kept as cold as possible before cooking. While some meats like steaks should be brought to room temperature before cooking, ground beef tends to crumble. 

The key to getting a nice crisp crust on the outside of the burger is not moving it while its cooking.

Storage

You can store cheeseburger patties in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container.

Freezer Instructions: Let the burger patties cool completely before placing them in a freezer safe bag and placing them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To thaw: Remove the turkey burgers from the freezer 24 hours before you want to cook them. Then follow the grilling or stovetop instructions when the patties are completely thawed.

Cheeseburger on a plate.

Simple Cheeseburgers

These are the best simple cheeseburgers you’ve ever had! Enjoy these super juicy burgers in under 30 minutes.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
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Ingredients 

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 4 hamburger buns
  • 1 lb. 85/15 ground beef
  • 1.5 teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground pepper
  • 8 slices cheddar cheese

Instructions 

  • Spread the butter on the inside of each hamburger bun.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat and toast the hamburger buns for 2-3 minutes or until they become golden brown. Set aside.
    pancakes in a skillet on a white background.
  • Divide the ground beef into 4 sections. Form each ¼ into a patty about 4 ½ – 5 inches in diameter. Make a thumbprint in the center of each hamburger patty.
  • Season each side of the hamburger with the salt and pepper.
  • Heat the same skillet over medium heat. When the pan becomes very hot, but not smoking, put the hamburger patties in the thumbprint side up.
    four hamburger patties in a skillet on a white surface.
  • Cook the patty without moving for 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook for another 3-4.
  • Place 2 pieces of cheddar cheese on top of each burger and cover with a lid or tin foil for 2 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted.
    fried cheeseburgers in a skillet on a white background.
  • Assemble the burger with your favorite toppings and enjoy.
    Cheeseburger on a plate.

Tips & Notes

  • Grilling instructions: Preheat the grill to 450℉ to 500℉. Grill the burgers for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until desired doneness.
  • Adding a dimple to the meat helps prevent the juices from pooling in the middle of the burger creating that mushroom top.
  • Ground beef should be kept as cold as possible before cooking. While some meats like steaks should be brought to room temperature before cooking, ground beef tends to crumble.
  • The key to getting a nice crisp crust on the outside of the burger is not moving it while cooking.

Watch It

“[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=””PbIt9Nb4″” upload-date=””2022-05-08T09:00:00.000Z”” name=””Simple Cheeseburgers”” description=””Say hello to the best simple cheeseburgers you’ve ever had! These cheeseburgers are always delicious, and never dry. Enjoy! “”]”

Nutrition

Calories: 553 kcal, Carbohydrates: 23 g, Protein: 33 g, Fat: 36 g, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 3 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About Emily Richter

Emily spent the first 10 years of her career in marketing and advertising roles and started side-hustling with our sister site, Fit Foodie Finds, in Fall of 2015. She joined the team full-time in the Spring of 2018. Em lives in Minneapolis with her husband and dog, and manages The Cheese Knees (and Fit Foodie Finds) business operations as well as all things sponsorships and brand collaborations.

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