This is the best hamburger seasoning recipe. This simple blend is full of flavor and easy to make with basic pantry ingredients. Take your burgers to the next level with this easy homemade burger seasoning!
We love a good burger. We think there’s an art to making them. There is just nothing like a juicy, well-seasoned, flavorful burger fresh off the grill. When it’s grilling season, they need to be hot of the grill with a slight char-grilled outside and juicy inside. When it’s not grilling season, the homemade spice blend needs to be tried-and-true so that you can still create restaurant burgers on the stovetop the whole family loves.
That brings us to the perfect burger seasoning recipe. If you get the beef and the seasoning blend right, you end up with the best burgers. Every. Time.
Our favorite hamburger seasoning spice mix is full of flavor and uses basic ingredients that you already have in your pantry: paprika, ground black pepper, kosher salt, dark brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, and ground cayenne pepper. One of the many reasons we think this is the best burger seasoning is because it still lets the natural flavor of the ground beef shine through. It doesn’t overpower the beef.
What’s the secret to a great burger?
The secret to a good hamburger is the meat. That’s it.
If you want juicy burgers, choose ground beef that has a slightly higher fat content. We recommend 80/20 ground chuck. The 80/20 fat-to-lean ratio will help keep the hamburger patties moist and juicy, without being greasy or causing flare-ups. We don’t recommend ground sirloin or ground round because they are leaner, which means they will create drier and less flavorful burgers.
If you choose a leaner ratio, the hamburger will likely be dry. If all you have on-hand is 90/10, you can add a teaspoon of olive oil to the meat.
You do not need fillers or extras in your burger patty, like egg or bread crumbs. The juicy flavor of beef is the star of the show, and that’s what needs to shine through.
What’s the best ground beef ratio for a hamburger?
If you want a rich, juicy burger patty, 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
How much burger seasoning mix per pound of beef?
Typically, we use 2-3 teaspoons of seasoning per one pound of ground beef. If you’d like a little more flavor, you can always add more.
What’s the shelf life of hamburger seasoning?
This homemade burger seasoning recipe makes approximately 6 teaspoons of seasoning, which is enough for two to three pound of ground meat. We often make a big batch by doubling the recipe, and store any leftovers in an air-tight container. Any extra seasoning can be stored in an airtight 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)
Best Hamburger Seasoning
Ingredients
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp dark brown sugar
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well until combined. When ready to use, mix in 2-3 teaspoons per 1 pound of meat.
- Create hamburger patties and grill hamburgers as usual.
More Favorite Beef Seasoning Recipes
More Favorite Hamburger Recipes
Must have kitchen tool when grilling burgers
ONE MORE THING!
Do you want to learn more about beef? Join our weekly e-newsletter where we share farm happenings, recipes and beef availability. Sign-up and get a cheat sheet with 9-must-ask questions before buying beef directly from a farmer. Or, we have an entire ebook about beef that goes through purchasing and preparing beef from a cattle farmers perspective.
Here are a few other links you may like:
- What everybody ought to know about beef cuts
- Buying a Cow. How Much Beef Is It?
- 7 Steps to Grilling a Steak to Perfection
- How We Raise Our Grass Fed Beef
- Bonfire Burger
- Prime Rib Roast with Garlic Herb Butter
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I’ve been grinding my own meat lately for burgers. That way I don’t have to wonder what’s in it, and I can include seasonings (usually just salt and pepper for me) as I grind it. Love your seasoning mix, though — I should try this.