When people make burgers, a patty recipe is one of the three things they search for most. In this video I explain what a burger patty should be like and how to prepare one. Below are my two recipes, one simple and one professional:
The short answer
- How heavy? 150 g (⅓ lb). Make it 1 cm wider than your bun; it shrinks as it cooks.
- What meat? The fatty middle-upper part of beef brisket, ground once through the coarse plate.
- Should you knead it? No. Don’t press, knead or mix salt in; the meat loses its juices and turns springy.
- When to salt? Right before cooking, on the surface only.
- How long? In a very hot pan, 6 minutes per side for medium. Chart below.
Recipe
Burger Patties
- Makes10 patties, 150 g each
Ingredients
Simple recipe
- 1,450 g beef brisket, from the fatty middle-upper part
- 30 g fine sea salt
- 20 g freshly ground black pepper
Professional recipe
- 500 g beef brisket, from the fatty middle-upper part
- 500 g beef neck
- 300 g beef rib meat from the lower side, not the ribeye
- 150 g beef bone marrow
- 30 g fine sea salt
- 20 g freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Have the butcher grind the meat once through the coarse plate; for the professional recipe, grind all the cuts together.
- Don’t press, knead or mix salt into the ground meat once you get it home.
- Divide it into 150 g portions. Use a ring, or a clay yogurt pot, 1 cm wider than your bun to shape each into a cylinder without pressing.
- Right before cooking, sprinkle salt and pepper on one side of each patty.
- Get a cast-iron or carbon steel pan, or a grill, very hot (surface around 230°C). Put the patty in seasoned side down and season the top while it cooks.
- Cook 4–8 minutes per side depending on the doneness you want; see the chart below for times and internal temperatures.
Notes
- Ideally, have all the meat ground once through the coarse plate of the grinder.
How long should you cook a burger patty?
You’ll find your own timing after a few tries, but here’s a starting chart for a 150 g patty in a cast-iron or carbon steel pan, or on a grill, with a surface temperature of 232°C (450°F).
| Doneness | Per side | Internal temperature |
|---|---|---|
| Rare | 4 min | 49–52°C (120–125°F) |
| Medium-rare | 5 min | 54–57°C (130–135°F) |
| Medium | 6 min | 60–63°C (140–145°F) |
| Medium-well | 7 min | 66–68°C (150–155°F) |
| Well-done | 8 min | 71–74°C (160–165°F) |
Check the internal temperature at the thickest part of the patty with a kitchen thermometer. One note: unlike a whole cut, in ground meat the surface bacteria get mixed throughout; the USDA recommends 71°C (160°F) for ground beef. If you want it rare, have a butcher you trust grind it that day.
What kind of ground beef for burgers?
For the simple recipe one cut is enough: the fatty middle-upper part of the brisket. In the professional recipe four parts work together: brisket brings fat and flavor, neck brings texture, the lower rib meat brings depth, and bone marrow adds extra fat that melts as it cooks. Have them ground together, once, through the coarse plate.
Frequently asked questions
How much should a burger patty weigh?
150 g, or ⅓ lb. For a smash burger, two thin 80–100 g patties work too.
How long does a burger patty take to cook?
In a very hot pan, 6 minutes per side for medium, 12 minutes in total. Rare is 4+4, well-done 8+8.
Do you add egg, breadcrumbs or onion to a burger patty?
No. Those belong in meatballs, not burger patties. Good ground beef, salt and pepper are enough.
When should you salt a burger patty?
Right before cooking, on the surface only. Salt mixed into the meat tightens it.
Keep reading and listening
- Burgers: smashed burger, burger with chipotle mayo, caramelized onions, legendary french fries
- Buns: Japanese milk bread, brioche, sourdough
- Why the crust matters: What is the Maillard reaction?
- Burgers on our podcast YBYK (in Turkish): episode 9, Burger 101
- Burgers in Tokyo: the burger spots in my Japan guide
