Making your own burgers instead of buying preformed patties has many advantages. You can choose the ground meat you prefer — beef, turkey, lamb, pork, venison, or plant-based alternatives — and you’ll likely work with fresher meat. Homemade patties can be made to the exact size, shape, and thickness you want, and you can season them however you like. Hand-formed burgers tend to be more tender and can be thicker than most store-bought patties.
Plant-based options and meat substitutes, such as soy-based or other vegan blends, can be shaped the same way. Those products won’t swell like traditional ground meat, so the center indentation isn’t necessary. The same goes for bean-based burgers and other vegetarian patties.
Once your patties are formed, heat your grill or pan and cook them to your preferred doneness. Top the burgers as you like — grilled onions, chipotle mayo, sriracha mayo, or a simple herb dip are all great choices.
- How to Shape Burgers
- Tips for Forming Hamburger Patties
- Burger Recipes
- How to Make Hamburger Patties Recipe
How to Make Hamburger Patties: The easiest way to end up with perfect burgers, however you choose to cook them.
How to Shape Burgers
- Form the patties: With a light touch, divide the meat into portions and gently shape each into a patty about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Avoid overworking or compressing the meat so the finished burgers stay tender and juicy.
Kitchen Smarts
Perfectly round edges look nice but don’t affect flavor. Focus on a consistent thickness so the patties cook evenly.
- Depress the center: Press a shallow depression in the center of each patty to prevent it from bulging while cooking. Use your thumb to make a circle roughly 1 inch in diameter and press about halfway through the thickness. Season the patties with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Cook and serve: As the patties cook, the center will rise and the depression will even out, leaving a nicely shaped burger. This helps keep toppings level and in place when you assemble the finished sandwiches.
Kitchen Smarts
While grilled burgers are classic, you can also bake patties in the oven or cook them on a stovetop griddle with excellent results.
Tips for Forming Hamburger Patties
- Portion the meat before shaping to ensure uniform burgers. A kitchen scale makes this easy: the average burger is about 1/4 pound (roughly 1/2 cup) before cooking.
- For a larger, juicier burger use 1/3 pound (about 2/3 cup) of ground meat per patty.
- Remember that burgers shrink during cooking, so plan portion sizes accordingly.
- Wash your hands thoroughly with hot, soapy water before and after handling raw meat.
- If you add mix-ins like onions, garlic, or peppers, mince them finely (no larger than about 1/4 inch) so the patties hold together.
- Keep meat and formed patties refrigerated until you’re ready to cook to reduce bacterial growth and make handling easier.
- Handle the meat as gently as possible; excessive pressing or compacting will create denser, tougher burgers.
- Many cooks prefer 80/20 ground beef for juiciness; 90/10 is an option if you want leaner patties.
- Avoid forming patties with a press or mold that crushes the meat; hand-formed patties retain a better texture.
- When making sliders, make a proportionally smaller indentation in the center of each tiny patty.
Burger Recipes
Asian Beef Mushroom Burgers
Southwestern Vegan Black Bean Burgers
Also, see How to Grill the Perfect Burger and How to Grill the Perfect Turkey Burger.
How to Make Hamburger Patties
Equipment
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Grill
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef (80/20%)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
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Gently mix the ground beef with salt and pepper by hand. Don’t overwork or press the meat.
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Divide the meat into four equal portions (about 1/4 pound or 1/2 cup each). Form each portion into a patty 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick, keeping the thickness consistent without compacting the meat.
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Press a 1-inch depression in the center of each patty with your thumb, pressing about halfway through the thickness.
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Grill or cook the patties as you prefer. During cooking, the depressions will fill in, leaving a nicely shaped burger.
Notes
- To make evenly sized burgers, portion by weight with a kitchen scale or by volume (about 1/2 cup per burger).
- For larger burgers use about 1/3 pound (2/3 cup) of meat per patty.
- Expect shrinkage during cooking; size your patties accordingly.
- Wash hands thoroughly before and after handling raw meat.
- When adding chopped ingredients to the meat, mince them finely (no larger than 1/4 inch) so the patties hold together.
- Keep meat and formed patties refrigerated until ready to cook to reduce bacterial growth and to make handling easier.
- Handle the meat gently to avoid tough burgers.
- 80/20 ground beef will yield juicier burgers; 90/10 is a leaner option.
- Avoid using a mold that crushes the meat — hand-formed patties have a better texture.
- Make a proportionally smaller indentation when shaping sliders.
Nutrition
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