Home » Blog » Course » Main Dish » How To Make Perfect Cast Iron Skillet BurgersHow To Make Perfect Cast Iron Skillet Burgers Pin RecipeRate RecipePublished: Mar 10, 2023 by Andrea + Stef · This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our full Disclosure Policy for details. There is no need to heat up a grill for these juicy and delicious cast iron skillet burgers. They cook to perfection on the stovetop in only 15 minutes and can be garnished with all your favorite burger toppings! They are so much better than take-out! Jump to Recipe If you have been craving a juicy and flavorful hamburger, then these easy, homemade cast iron skillet burgers are perfect for you! Even though you might think a grill or an open flame is the perfect way to cook a burger, this cast iron skillet recipe actually produces the best burgers you have ever tasted. They are perfectly seasoned, tender, juicy and done in only 15 minutes. With our scrumptious special sauce made from scratch and all your favorite burger toppings these cast iron skillet cheeseburgers are simply out of this world good! Table of Contents Why You’ll Love This Ingredients Recommended ToolsInstructionsMake AheadOther Cooking Methods For BurgersStef says…. Recipe Tips Serving SuggestionsMore Hot Sandwich RecipesAndrea says….How To StoreHow To ReheatCommon QuestionsHow To Make Perfect Cast Iron Skillet Burgers Why You’ll Love This Notable: Amazingly juicy and tender burgers made from scratch that cook up in a hot skillet in only 15 minutes. These tasty burgers are the absolute best! Main Ingredients: cooking oil, ground beef, spices, hamburger buns, slices of cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, onion, pickles, special sauce (mayonnaise, mustard, dill pickles, pickle juice, sugar, white wine vinegar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder)or other condiments of choice Cooking Method: stovetop Cooking Time: 5 minutes prep time, 10 minutes cooking time Pairs well with: French fries, potato wedges, crunchy salad, pasta salad, potato salad Special Equipment Needed: large bowl, cast-iron skillet, cooking spatula, meat thermometer, small mixing bowl, cooking spoon or whisk Ingredients You may have all of these simple ingredients for this cast iron burgers in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store! If this is your first time making this homemade burgers recipe you might want to read the possible variations before deciding on your ingredients. Cast Iron Skillet Burgers Ingredients 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil 1 lb ground beef (85%lean/15%fat) Hamburger Seasoning Ingredients 1 teaspoon sea salt ½ teaspoon black pepper ½ teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 tablespoon paprika Special Sauce Ingredients ¾ cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon yellow mustard 2 tablespoon dill pickles (finely chopped) 2 teaspoon pickle juice 2 teaspoon sugar ½ teaspoon white wine vinegar ½ teaspoon paprika ¼ teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon onion powder Optional Toppings 4 brioche burger buns (toasted) 4 cheese slices tomato slices lettuce onion slices pickle slices special sauce or other condiments of choice Variations and Substitutions Oil: You can use vegetable oil, avocado oil or grapeseed oil to fry up your delicious burgers. As a matter of fact you can even use olive oil for searing in a pinch. Meat: We recommend using ground chuck for this easy recipe. Additionally, you can substitute other ground meat, such as ground turkey or chicken for the ground beef. Cheese: Feel free to use any cheese you like, such as cheddar cheese or American Cheese, for example. Moreover, Swiss cheese or Pepper Jack cheese would be other great options. Hamburger Buns: Substitute brioche buns with sesame seed, potato, pretzel, or ciabatta buns, for example. Additionally you can skip the buns altogether, and sandwich your burgers and toppings between lettuce leaves for a more keto friendly meal. How To Make Gluten Free Use a gluten free burger bun for this good burger in order to make this meal gluten free. The hamburger patties are already naturally gluten free. WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love these perfect burgers, try them with a side of Cheesy Hasselback Potatoes. You’ll love them because they are full of thin, tender potato slices roasted to a golden crisp and stuffed with melty cheddar cheese. Recommended Tools Links to our favorite tools are affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link we may get a tiny portion of the sale. Cast Iron Pan — When cooking a burger patty on the stovetop, using a cast-iron skillet is the best way to get a juicy and perfect burger. However, you can also use any other frying pan or even a non-stick pan in a pinch. Optional Alternative Ways To Cook A Burger: Air Fryer – This recipe requires an air fryer. We have both this Cosori air fryer, which is wonderful, and this Cuisinart Air Fryer, which we also love. The Cuisinart also has convection oven and toaster oven capacity. You can buy an air fryer with a basket with high sides that food goes into or a tray type of machine. The trays are shallow but are usually longer and can accomodate more food in a single layer. Grill — An indoor or outdoor grill is needed for this recipe. We love our indoor Zojirushi grill for cooking inside. Instructions This section shows how to cook cast iron burgers on the stovetop, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For printable detailed instructions and nutritional information see the recipe card below. Step 1: Firstly, combine 1 pound of ground hamburger and hamburger seasoning in a large bowl. Then, gently mix together with your hands. Step 2: Afterwards, divide the meat mixture into 4 equal parts. You can use a kitchen scale to divide the beef mixture perfectly equal. Step 3: Then roll each piece into a ball and flatten with your hands into a patty. As patties will shrink in size when they cook, make them a bit bigger than the buns. Afterwards, heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add a little oil to the pan. Then use a spatula to spread the oil evenly around the surface area of the pan. Step 4: Add each hamburger patty to the preheated skillet. In case your pan is not large enough cook them in batches. Cook over medium heat for 4 minutes on the first side, until the underside of the hamburger is beginning to become a nice golden brown. Step 5: Afterwards, flip the hamburger patties and place a slice of cheese in the center of each patty. Cheese will melt as the burger cooks. Cook for about 3-4 minutes more on the second side, until the patty has a nice sear on the bottom. Step 6: When the cheese is melted and the hamburger patty is cooked to desired doneness, remove from the hot pan. Step 7: For the special sauce, combine mayonnaise, yellow mustard, chopped pickles, pickle juice, white wine vinegar, paprika, garlic powder and onion powder in a small bowl. Then stir until well combined. Afterwards add the desired amount of sauce to the bottom bun. Step 8: Then place the perfect cooked hamburgers on the toasted buns. Step 9: Add sliced tomatoes, sliced onions, sliced pickles, lettuce and all your other favorite toppings. Try some bacon or sautéd mushrooms as well. Step 10: Finally serve these amazing burgers with your favorite side dish and enjoy! WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love this easy to make burger recipe then you’ll love our Easy Baked Cheesy Meatball Sub Sandwich. This meatball sub recipe combines crispy French bread with juicy meatballs and melty mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Make Ahead You can prepare the burger patties up to 12 hours ahead of time. You can stack them with parchment paper pieces between each patty for easier storage. Make sure to store them in the refrigerator until ready to cook. Additionally you can freeze them until ready to use. Other Cooking Methods For Burgers Besides cooking burgers on a traditional grill, the air fryer is another great way to make delicious burgers. Air Fried Burgers come out tender and juicy with just the right amount of crispy bits on the outside. Stef says…. For a fun twist on a traditional burger, try my delicious Big Mac Salad. It has all of the flavors of a Big Mac but uses simple ingredients that are healthy and even suitable for a low carb diet. Recipe Tips Follow these tips to make the best cast iron skillet burgers. Tip: Use ground chuck with either 80/20 or 85/15 mixing ratio for your hamburger patties. Tip: Do not overcook your meat. Otherwise it will turn out very dry. Tip: Only assemble the burgers when you are ready to eat them, therefore avoiding soggy hamburger buns. Serving Suggestions We love to eat cast iron skillet burgers all by themselves. But sometimes you need to serve it as a meal. Try one of these delicious recipes: Potatoes: Serve juicy burgers with crispy Fries, Potato Wedges, Tater Tots, Hassleback Potatoes, Baked Sweet Potatoes or classic Baked Potatoes. Salad: Pair homemade cheeseburgers with a fresh salad. A green salad like our Easy Italian Salad or Tortellini Pasta Salad. Or even a Greek Salad with olives, cucumbers and feta or an Artichoke Rice Salad. Other Sides: Yummy burgers would also taste great with Air Fryer Pasta Chips, or Air Fryer Zucchini Fries. How to Cook Frozen Fries in Air Fryer Easy Italian Salad Recipe With Homemade Salad Dressing Air Fryer Potato Wedges Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe More Hot Sandwich Recipes Warm sandwiches make great lunches, dinners or party snacks. If you like burgers, you will also love our other scrumptious slider and sandwich recipes: Easy French Dip Sandwiches In The Oven Hawaiian Roll Meatball Sliders Pulled Pork Sliders (Instant Pot, Slow Cooker or Oven Roasted) Andrea says…. I love adding some crispy bacon to this delicious burger recipe. My favorite way to cook bacon is this easy recipe for Oven Baked Bacon. It comes out perfectly cooked every time without any of the greasy splatter. How To Store Refrigerate: Store leftover burger patties in an airtight container, ziploc bag or tightly wrapped in aluminum foil or plastic wrap in the fridge for 1-2 days. We do, however, not recommend storing assembled burger leftovers, because the toppings will loose their texture and the burger buns will get soggy. Freeze: We recommend freezing uncooked burger patties in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. For easy removal, place a small sheet of parchment paper between each patty before freezing. Defrosting: Thaw frozen burger patties in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight. Alternatively you can cook them from frozen as well. How To Reheat Reheat cooked burger patties in the microwave or in the air fryer. Common Questions What is the best meat to use for hamburger patties? For the best, beefy, and juicy burgers we recommend using ground chuck. Ground chuck usually provides the perfect lean meat/fat ratio at about 80-85 % lean meat and 15-20 % fat. The higher fat content is necessary to keep your burger flavorful and juicy. Even though, lean ground beef might sound like a better and healthier choice on paper, it unfortunately makes dry burgers that are no fun to eat. Is it better to use fresh or frozen hamburger patties? There is actually not a big difference in quality or taste between frozen and fresh hamburger patties. While fresh hamburger patties do provide a slightly richer taste, they have a very short shelf life. Fresh patties are the better choice if you want to follow a specific hamburger patty recipe and if you are planning on cooking them within a day or two. Frozen hamburger patties, on the other hand, are a lot more convenient and still provide great taste. You can safely store them in the freezer for up to 6 months without losing any flavor. Moreover, frozen patties cook up quick and easy without defrosting, which makes them a great choice for a last minute meal. What internal temperature should my burger have when it’s done? The internal temperature of a great burger depends on the degree of doneness you prefer. According to the FDA a well done burger should be between 160 and 165 degrees. In case you prefer your burger medium-well it should have an internal temperature of 150-155 ºF. Medium-rare burgers should be between 130 and 135 degrees. What are tasty hamburger toppings? Cast iron skillet cheeseburgers are a great meal, because they are super easy to personalize. Popular burger toppings include cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, pickles, caramelized onions, hamburger sauce, ketchup, mustard or mayonnaise. 5 from 1 vote How To Make Perfect Cast Iron Skillet Burgers Author Andrea + Stef Course Main Dish Cuisine American Prep Time 5 minutes minutes Cook Time 10 minutes minutes Total Time 15 minutes minutes Print Pin Rate 4 burgers There is no need to heat up a grill for these juicy and delicious cast iron skillet burgers. They cook to perfection on the stovetop in only 15 minutes and can be garnished with all your favorite burger toppings! They are so much better than take-out! Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark Equipmentmixing bowlscast iron skilletkitchen spatulacooking spoon or whisk Ingredients 1x2x3xBurger Patty Ingredients:▢ 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil vegetable, avocado or grapeseed oil▢ 1 lb ground beef 85% lean/15% fatHamburger Seasoning Ingredients:▢ 1 teaspoon sea salt▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper▢ ½ teaspoon onion powder▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder▢ 1 tablespoon paprikaSpecial Sauce Ingredients:▢ ¾ cup mayonnaise▢ 1 tablespoon yellow mustard▢ 2 tablespoon dill pickles finely chopped▢ 2 teaspoon pickle juice▢ 2 teaspoon sugar▢ ½ teaspoon white wine vinegar▢ ½ teaspoon paprika▢ ¼ teaspoon garlic powder▢ ½ teaspoon onion powderToppings:▢ 4 brioche burger buns toasted▢ 4 cheese slices optional▢ 4 tomato slices optional▢ lettuce optional▢ sliced onion optional▢ sliced pickles optional▢ special sauce or desired condiments InstructionsSpecial Sauce Instructions:In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, yellow mustard, chopped pickles, pickle juice, white wine vinegar, paprika, garlic powder and onion powder. Stir until well combined. Set aside until ready to use. Burger Instructions:In a large bowl, combine 1 lb ground hamburger and hamburger seasoning. Gently mix together with your hands. Divide the meat mixture into 4 equal parts. Then roll each piece into a ball and flatten with your hands into a patty. Patties will shrink in size when they cook, so make sure you make them a bit bigger than the burger buns. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan. Use a spatula to spread the oil evenly around the pan.Add each hamburger patty to the pan. If your pan is not large enough you might have to cook them in batches. Cook for 4 minutes on the first side, until the underside of the hamburger is beginning to become a nice golden brown. Flip the hamburger patties and place a piece of cheese on top. Cheese will melt as the patty cooks. Cook for about 4 more minutes, until the patty is golden brown on the bottom.When cheese is melted and hamburger patty is cooked to desired doneness, remove from the skillet. Place the hamburger patty on a toasted bun. Add special sauce, sliced tomatoes, sliced onions, sliced pickles, lettuce and any other favorite toppings. Enjoy! NutritionCalories: 814kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 65g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 21g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 1415mg | Potassium: 497mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 529IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 243mg | Iron: 4mg Did you create this? Share it on Instagram and follow us on Pinterest for more cleverly simply recipes. Email Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe PinShareTweet