I am going to walk you through how to make a fast food burger that will rival your favorite chain’s. Read this for a step by step walkthrough of everything involved with making a great fast food burger!
I’d like to think I know a thing or two about making burgers. I once owned a gourmet burger truck, but it turned out I was a better burger flipper than a mechanic. Though, in preparation for this colossal headache I made burgers everyday for over 6 months straight. True story.
When you make burgers everyday for 6 months, and you live in a small two bedroom apartment, burgers frying pretty much becomes your cologne. It’s sexy.
But despite the obvious drawbacks, it did give me extensive insight into what makes a restaurant quality burger patty recipe. I used pre-ground meat, ground my own chuck, used lean meat, used fatty meat, grass fed beef, corn fed beef, hand-formed patties, used a press - I tried everything on my quest to learn how to make great burgers.
Here is what I learned:
There are essentially two types of burgers, and the preparation of each is very different. There is the larger style patty you typically see on gourmet burgers and in sit-down restaurants, and there is the fast food burger which is a thin patty generally under a ¼ lb.
I am going to walk you through how to make a fast food burger that will rival your favorite chain’s. Living in Wisconsin, I’ve long held Culver’s up as the crème de la crème of fast food chains, and though I did not design this recipe to perfectly replicate the Culver's Butter Burger recipe, after reading this post you will be able to do so with amazing accuracy if you wish.
Let’s break the fast food burger down into its components because each part is important to replicate that taste you’re looking for.
The Patty
You will want to use 80/20 ground beef. Any fattier and it will shrink down too much, any leaner and it will be too dry. Buying pre-ground beef is fine for a fast food style burger.
Start with 1 pound of ground beef and divide it into 6 equal chunks. This size is ideal to ensuring your cooked patty will properly fit a traditional-sized bun. You will want these chunks to be round-ish, similar to a golf ball or a small hockey puck, but they don’t need to be perfect by any means.
You will be cooking these in a really hot skillet, I recommend cast iron. You want the skillet hot enough to create a sear on the bottom of the burger. This gives the Culver’s Butter Burger its classic taste. You can assist the formation of this sear by lightly oiling the pan before you place your first patty in. I have my stove on medium high for this, and smoke alarms off.
When you place the rounded chunk of ground beef in the pan, only then do you flatten it into the shape of a burger patty. If you try to create thin, fast food style patties before you place it in the skillet they are likely to fall apart on you and be hard to work with. To flatten the patty, use a stiff spatula (metal works well) and press firmly all across the patty until it forms an even disc roughly ¼” thick. This Amazon affiliate link shows a great example of the spatula that I use.
It is important you only press the patty while it is still fresh in the skillet. If you press it after it starts cooking too much you will release all of the juice in the burger and have a very dry patty. The flattened patty should initially be slightly larger than the size of your bun, as it will shrink slightly while cooking.
Beef can take a lot of salt, so season liberally with salt and pepper.
Flip the burger once the top starts changing color from the cooking. This will ensure you have given the bottom sufficient time to form a sear. The second side won’t take long to cook.
Remember to season both sides with salt and pepper.
Hint: These are great patties to use when making authentic butter burgers.
The Cheese
I hate to recommend it, but American cheese. Yes, if you are going for that classic fast food burger taste, you need to use American cheese slices. The other benefit of American cheese is how easily it melts. The residual heat in the burger patty will be enough to melt the cheese once it is done cooking. Only buy name brand American Cheese (Land O'Lakes is recommended). I have purchased generic American cheese singles in the past and have been mortified by its taste and texture.
If you want to upgrade the burger and use real cheese, mild cheddar is the way to go. I find sharp cheddar is way too strong and completely throws off the flavor of the burger. If you decide to go with real cheese, you will want to buy the pre-sliced cuts designed for sandwiches. Mild cheddar does not melt as easily as American cheese, so place it on the burger as soon as it is flipped so it can start melting. Don’t cut the cheese yourself, or it will likely be too thick and not melt properly on the fast cooking burger.
The Bun
People don’t realize how important choosing the bun is. The bun can make or break the burger. I’m serious.
For a fast food style burger you won’t want to buy fancy buns from the bakery. You need the pre-packaged buns found in the bread aisle.
However, I still wouldn’t buy the generic, or store brand hamburger buns. They often have a drier, stiffer, texture that detracts from the burger. Instead, purchase a premium brand of hamburger buns that feel soft and fresh in the package. A brand like Village Hearth Classic Hamburger Buns would serve you well.
You will want to butter the inside of the buns and lightly toast them. This is what makes Culver’s ButterBurger, a “butter” burger. The butter gives a little boost in flavor and lightly toasting the bun improves the texture.
Toppings
It starts with iceberg lettuce. Not romaine, not green leaf, not spinach. Those are all great options for a gourmet burger, but for a fast food burger it has to be iceberg lettuce.
Onions – If you live in Wisconsin and you want to replicate a Culver’s burger you will want thin slices of red onion. For the more typical fast food burger I dice yellow onion and sprinkle it on the cheese.
Pickles – Slices of hamburger dill pickles, about three to four per burger, depending on size.
Tomato – I omit tomato from my fast food burger recipe because I think the out of season tomatoes are incredibly flavorless with a mealy texture. However, if you wish to add it to your burger I recommend getting a larger beefsteak tomato and thinly slicing it.
Toppings can go above or below the patty. They taste great either way.
Condiments
Ketchup and mustard. That’s it. If you are aiming for that classic fast food burger taste, these are the non-negotiable.
Side
If you are going to make homemade fast food burgers there can be no better side than my homemade French fries. Seriously, this is the best hand-cut fry recipe out there. They don’t turn dark brown when you fry them like traditional hand-cut fries. Plus, is there any other side you can serve with the classic American cheeseburger?
So there you have it! How to make a fast food burger that is actually really good! I’m not joking about that part either, I made the burgers in these pictures 3 days ago and I’ve been craving more ever since. Give the recipe a try, it will sure beat the oversized meatballs you’ve been passing off as hamburgers!
How to Make a Fast Food Burger – That is REALLY Good!
Ingredients
- 6 Prepackaged hamburger buns from the bread aisle
- 1 lb 80/20 beef
- 6 slices American Cheese
- Sliced Dill Pickles
- Iceberg lettuce, bun sized leaves
- Yellow Onion chopped
- Salt
- Pepper
- Ketchup
- Mustard
Instructions
- Divide the beef into 6 equal round chunks.
- Place beef in a medium-high skillet and firmly flatten into a ¼" thick round patty with a metal spatula. (The patty should be larger than the bun since it will shrink while cooking)
- Season liberally with salt and pepper.
- Flip burger once the top begins to change color from the cooking underneath.
- Season second side with salt and pepper.
- While burgers are cooking butter the inside of the buns and toast lightly in separate skillet.
- Placed cooked patty on a bun, top with American cheese, chopped onions,3-4 pickles, and lettuce leaf.
- Place ketchup and mustard on other half of bun and top the burger.
- Enjoy!
Nutritional Information
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Mmmmeat
Hamburgers are the world’s most perfect food, and this recipe brought them to our table just the way I love them—tasting like I just dropped $3.65 at the drive-thru. Thank you, you have changed my life!
(The rest of my family thanks you too.)
huntley
You know how to build a burger. My favorite burger has always been a fast food/dairy bar type with a thin pattie and a nice crust.
A good burger does not need a pound of meat or to be 6 inches tall it does not need to be so slimy you can’t hold it in your hands. I do it your way ( only I shred the lettuce)
You have some great recipes!
Fox Valley Foodie
Thanks my friend, I am glad you like it!
Mike
I've been on a burger-kick and have been making thick, restaurant style burgers. My wife informed me that she actually prefers them thin! :-O We lived in Wisconsin for a while so I set out to create the butter burger and found this recipe which looks great.
However, I'm having trouble where the burgers shrink too small even though they are still red in the middle. I think I'm having a combination of trouble:
1) I wonder if my beef is really 80/20 like it says on the package. Next time I might try 85/15. My burgers are swimming in fat while cooking.
2) I have trouble getting them thin enough when I wait to flatten them until they are on the grill. Instead, I ended up flattening them on parchment paper and then flipping them onto the grill. That way I can take my time to get them as flat as I can.
I've also been cooking them covered to try to cook the middle more. Not sure if that's a good idea or not.
Also, I have a question about seasoning. If you flatten them on the pan, how do you season the side that's on the pan first? I've read that you should season it liberally (salt and pepper) while raw because that helps create a sear/crust on the burger. I ended up seasoning the ball itself, so when it's flattened it should have seasoning on both sides. But I'm not sure if that's the right way.
Any suggestions?
Fox Valley Foodie
-I would stick with 80/20, it is a tried and true blend for burgers. Perhaps try a different store if you are questioning the fat content. That should help you figure out if it is you or the beef.
-You are going to have trouble flattening these on a grill, they will likely squish through the grates. You can flatten them in a skillet, or anything else that has a flat bottom, however if you plan on grilling them you need to flatten them first.Parchment paper works wonderfully.
-If the middle is not getting done, your heat is too high. Lower the heat and let it cook longer. However, this shouldn't be an issue if the burgers are thin enough. In regards to the shrinking, you need to plan on them shrinking and make them extra wide so they shrink to the appropriate size.
-You can season the patty before it goes in the skillet.
Hope that helps!
Mike
Sorry, I meant pan, not grill. I'll stick with 80/20 and try turning down the heat a bit in addition to flattening on parchment paper to get them super thin. Thanks.
Mistee
This Burger was delicious!!!! We usually do gourmet with all kinds of crazy stuff added. But these were so simple and so yummy. This is the kind of Burger I CRAVE ALL THE TIME. This recipe and it's author are to thank fir our new favorite meal. We used potato bread buns, and a little hot sauce. Super yum!
Jonalee
My son was in the mood for burgers but it's subzero outside and there was no way I was going to grill. These burgers were a huge hit with my family and made me wish I had cooked two pounds of beef instead of just one. I am definitely making this again! Thank you for the wonderful pointers!
Nick
Kraft? Seriously? Go to the deli and get some land o lakes american cheese. So much better!!
Other than that everything else is perfect.
Fox Valley Foodie
You are right actually. I am updating the recipe. 🙂
Fairy Clairy
I've tried so many burger recipes over the years but this one is the simplest yet yummiest one we've ever had! Thanks ☺️
Blake Chambers
You had me until ketchup and mustard only. I'm pretty sure lots of fast food burgers use a "special sauce" or whatever you want to call it. Mustard is great but it's hardly a non negotiable burger condiment. There is room to change the sauce don't be so rigid.
Fox Valley Foodie
You are certainly welcome to use different condiments, and the burger will still taste great. However, my point was ketchup and mustard will be what you want to reach for "if you are aiming for that classic fast food burger taste." By all means, nothing is preventing you from using what you like.
Melissa from Mke
Ive worked at culvers for about 6 years doing everything 🙂 the pucks weigh 2.75 oz before cooking and the cheese that is used is not kraft!!! The best cheese to use is land o lakes american- presliced- not the individually prepackaged nonsense - it is the kind i have used at home since working there- culvers is the best- and so very clean!
Fox Valley Foodie
Awesome tip, I look forward to trying that.
Motherof2
I am extremely disappointed
I followed the i structions used 80/20 beef
As well as used 1pound
Dividing a pound of ground beef into 6 equal parts doesnt even make a ful enough butger to fit on any bun. The patties are nearly half the size of my bun. You have not only wasted my time but my money as well.
Fox Valley Foodie
Were your patties as thin as mine are in the photos? If not, then you need to flatten them more. If so, then your meat was likely closer to 70/30 than 80/20, despite what the packaging said. I promise you if you give this more practice it is possible. Many fast food restaurants have built empires serving burgers this size. It is normal for them to shrink while cooking, so you want to make sure you flatten your patty out to be larger than the bun when you first start cooking.
Fox Valley Foodie
Also be careful not to cook the patty to death. That will also cause it to shrivel up into a tiny tasteless puck.
MIKE HUNT
A 'mother of two' yet ya can't make this work out with this easy recipe? PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!
Debby Bauer
Lol! 😉😏
Jessa
Mother of 2: You're an idiot
Tracey
These are by far THE BEST burgers I've ever had! Period. Hands down.
I can't not each much red meat in one sitting. A quarter lb. or less is perfect for me. I served these on buttery toasted brioche buns (just the shinning glory to sandwich this cheeseburger between), if you haven't served cheeseburgers on brioche rolls you must! It's a small life's indulgence that's worth every penny and it changes this from fantabulous to fantabulous with angels singing! Lol. You'll see. :))
I constructed mine this way while burger was cooking the buttered brioche rolls went down buttered side to begin toasting in a separate pan. Smashed my burger and as I turned the burger and added cheese the rolls were done. Layered a piece of cheese and a bacon slice cut in half on top of cheese then added the cheese covered burger on top of the already cheese and bacon haha (*insert evil giggle voice haha*) THEN added another bacon strip cut in half added 5 dill pickle slices/rounds topped with a ketchup/Mayo blend and then......sat back in total bliss and took the most perfect bite...ahhhhhhh. Where have you been all my life you little juicy hunk of love?
I do not ever nor did I grow up on eating fast food burgers. Since not being able to each much red meat at one sitting I never thought I would ever eat another cheeseburger because of how ungodly humongous to the point of obnoxiousness they are (you can't really taste cheese/pickles/add ons becauce of the over powering thickness of the spaceship that's arrives on your plate (imho lol).
So THANK YOU for this most perfect small yet over top cheeseburger...well for me anyway. LOL
Sorry to have gotten a little carried away ☺️ but it's been at least 5 years maybe more since I've eaten a cheeseburger!
Tracey
And I will be passing this on!!! :))
Tracey
Fox Valley Foodie
Haha, your comment is fantastic! And yes, I COMPLETELY agree brioche buns are the greatest things since, well you know...
Sarah Anderson
Getting the patty right is probably the most important part, and it's the part that I am the worst at. Don't get me wrong, I make a tasty burger, but I can never get it fast food style. Pressing on top of the patty while it's cooking is something I haven't tried yet, does that make so much of a difference?
Fox Valley Foodie
Whether or not it is done at the beginning of cooking, pressing the patty properly is probably the most important step. I found it is easiest to do it when you first put it in the pan because once it is properly thinned it gets difficult to transfer it into the pan without it falling apart. It is important to note, you don't want to ever press a burger after it has been cooking for a while or you will squeeze the juice right out of it. I only press it while it is still raw.
Wenda
Tried these tonight. Amazingly good. My Patties could have been a little bit thinner, next time. Along with mustard mixed some mayo and sriracha together. Will definitely make again.
Fox Valley Foodie
I love getting comments like these! So glad to hear it was a success!
Marissa @ OMG FOOD
Hey Ben! I saw this while pinning some recipes and I just had to come tell you how delicious this looks. I looooooove burgers, but I can never pick an absolute favorite. It all depends if I'm in the mood for gourmet or fast-food-like! You nailed it with this.
Fox Valley Foodie
Thanks so much! I LOVE this burger. It is as good as it looks!
Meaghan | Cook. Craft. Love.
Excuse me while I wipe the drool off my chin and skip off to the store for some ground beef and burger buns. Yum!
Fox Valley Foodie
Here at FoxValleyFoodie.com we don't judge!
Farha - faskitchen
Looks fabulous.. I am forever trying to perfect my burger.. this looks just it..
Kathleen
Thanks for bringing this very comprehensive tutorial on burgers to the #HomeMattersParty
Kathleen
Kim | Mom, Can I Have That?
I love this post. My kids pester me for fast food burgers all the time (as I did my parents) and I'm thinking, why? With your secrets and tips I can't wait to surprise them with their favorite taste at home. Thanks!
Fox Valley Foodie
Haha, yeah I can relate. I remember asking my mom to make me McDonald's burgers at home as a kid. She told me we would have to ask them if we could borrow their flattop grill, which I thought was a viable option!
Scott
Bang on! Only other thing I add is Worcestershire sauce to the beef.
Matt
This is exactly how I make mine when cooking indoors for smaller family events. There are SO many great ways to cook burgers, but this really is superior to other choices and methods indoors. Being a Wisconsinite, a family favorite is a short run in a beer wash as well. One of the things I love about your blog is that you highlight both the fun of cooking, AND that there is an art to it as well. Thank you.
Fox Valley Foodie
Thanks for the comment! It is really important to me to try to balance the "hows" of cooking with lighthearted reading, so it means a lot when I see someone appreciating it!
Janessa
It sounds AMAZING! Great tips on how to cook.
Fox Valley Foodie
Thanks!