This is the best hamburger seasoning recipe. It’s full of flavor and easy to make with basic pantry ingredients. Take your burgers to the next level with this easy burger seasoning mix!

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It’s grilling season! And that means it’s time to talk burgers and hamburger seasoning.

Our favorite hamburger seasoning is full of flavor and uses basic ingredients that you already have in your pantry: paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, brown sugar and cayenne pepper.

Good hamburgers are an art. In our opinion, they need to be hot of the grill with a slight char-grilled outside and juicy inside. Plus, they must be easy to throw together.

Why easy? Because half the time that we grill hamburgers, we’re having a party with friends. When having a party, we’d much rather be talking to friends than slaving away making a burger. Easy is a must.

That brings us to the perfect hamburger seasoning. If you get the beef and the hamburger seasoning right, you end up with an amazing burger. Every. Time.

What’s the best ground beef ratio for a hamburger?

If you want a rich, juicy burger, choose ground beef with a higher fat content, such as ground chuck that’s about 80% lean.

As a side note, the terms ground beef and hamburger may be used interchangeably, but technically, there is a difference. Ground Beef can only be made using meat, trimmings and fat from primal cuts. Hamburger can have extra fat added to it, such as beef shank, to create the desired fat content. Both hamburger and ground beef may have no more than 30 percent fat by weight.

What’s in the hamburger seasoning spice blend?

Paprika
Ground Black Pepper
Kosher Salt
Paprika
Dark Brown Sugar
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Ground Cayenne Pepper

The Best DIY Hamburger Seasoning Recipe

How much burger seasoning mix per pound of beef?

Typically, we use 2-3 teaspoons of seasoning per 1 pound of meat. If you’d like a little more flavor, you can always add more.

What’s the shelf life of hamburger seasoning?

This recipe makes approximately 6 teaspoons of seasoning, which is enough for 2-3 pounds of beef. We often double the recipe and store any leftovers for future use. You can store any leftover seasoning in an air tight container for 6 months.

How to make the perfect hamburger patty (so it isn’t tough and doesn’t ball up)

Don’t overwork the beef! If you do, you’ll have tough burgers. Leave the ground beef in the refrigerator until you’re ready to season it and form patties. When ready, gently fold the hamburger seasoning into the beef. This should only take about 30-45 seconds. Then, form patties and place back in the refrigerator until it’s time to grill.

To make a hamburger patty that won’t puff up when cooked, use your thumb to create a wide shallow indention in the center of the hamburger patties. Make patties about 1 inch thick at the edges and about 1 inch larger in circumference than the bun you plan to use.

How to grill the burger

Place patties on a hot grill for equal lengths of time on each side.

When flipping burgers, use a spatula, and only flip. Don’t press. If you press down on the patties, you’ll lose the juices that make the burger moist.

When to remove hamburger from the grill?

The only way to tell the internal temperature of beef is to take the internal temperature with a digital meat thermometer. (We love this one.)

When checking the temperature, remember that beef’s temperature will continue to rise as it rests. Remove beef from heat when the thermometer reads about 5-10°F lower than the desired doneness, and let them rest for 5-10

Here are the temperatures you’re looking for:

Rare burgers, cook for 4 minutes total (125°F)
Medium-rare burgers, cook for 5 minutes total (135°F)
Medium burgers, cook for 6 to 7 minutes total (145°F)
Well-done burgers, cook for 8 to 9 minutes total (160 °F)