Even if your grill is put away for the winter, you can’t stop thinking about a delicious hamburger. You have a nice stove in your kitchen, but how can you use it to make the burgers you want? The good news is that it’s easy to cook juicy, delicious hamburgers right on your stovetop. In this article, we’ll give you all the instructions you need to make delicious hamburgers on the stove. You may even find that your stovetop burgers rival their grilled counterparts. Read on for cooking!

[Edit]things you should know

• Separate 80/20 ground beef into 6 oz (1.7 hg) pieces. Use your hands to flatten beef into 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick patties.
• Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Then, season the patties with salt and add them to the pan while they’re hot.
• Cook the patties over medium-high heat for 2-4 minutes. Then, flip each patty and cook them for another 2-4 minutes.
• In the last 1 minute of cooking time, top the patties with a slice of your favorite cheese. Cover the pan with a lid to melt the cheese.

[Edit]Component

• ground beef
• Salt
• 4 buns
• cheese, optional
• toppings, optional

Servings: 4

[Edit]step

[Edit]make bandages

1. Buy quality beef with a meat-to-fat ratio of 80/20. Beef with a slightly higher fat content does not cook as well as cooks more than 90% lean meat. It’s okay to go a little leaner with beef than 80/20 with 85/15, but 80/20 usually gives you the tender, juicy burgers you’re looking for.^[1]
   
   • For the best quality meat, buy fresh ground beef from the butcher counter.
2. Separate the beef into patties that are about 1 cm each. Use a kitchen scale to measure the beef to equal sizes. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, divide the beef into even-looking sections based on the amount of meat.^[2]
   • For example, about 4 patties are usually made from meat.
3. Form the meat into 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick patties with your hands. Handle meat gently, the less you mess with it, the more tender it will be.^[3] To form patties, simply roll the meat into a light ball with your hands. Then, flatten it into a circle on a plate or by pressing it between your hands.^[4]
   • You don’t need to mash the patties or knead the meat. This makes the meat tough.^[5]
4. Press a dimple in the center of each patty with your finger. The patties rise and form a dome shape when cooked. To flatten them, push your thumb into the center of each patty, making a dimple.^[6]
   
   • However, if you prefer your patties to be fluffier, simply skip this step.
5. Put the patties in the fridge for 20 minutes. Cover the patties with plastic wrap and let them cool in the fridge. Chilling the patties after you cook them helps them stick together. It also prevents the center from cooking too quickly.^[7]
   • Don’t leave the patties out at room temperature, as this encourages bacteria growth.

[Edit]Preparing the Skillets and Patties

1. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Place the skillet on the stove and turn the burner on medium-high. Allowing the pan to heat up before placing the burger patties in helps prevent them from sticking and gives your burgers a beautiful sear. To check if the tawa is hot enough, sprinkle a little water. If the water sizzles immediately, the pan is ready for your patties.^[8]
   
   • A cast iron skillet is generally best for cooking burgers, but a griddle or other nonstick skillet works well.
2. Apply salt to the patties before placing them on the pan. Salting your patties when you initially form them draws out the moisture, which can cause the hamburger to dry out. So, sprinkle a pinch of salt on each side before you put your patties in the pan. This gives them a nice spice and helps retain their juiciness.^[9]
   • If you want more flavor, season your hamburgers with black pepper, paprika, garlic, cumin, or whatever your heart desires.
3. Put the patties on the hot tawa. Slowly and carefully set each patty into the skillet, being sure to avoid any popping grease as you do. If your griddle is hot enough, the patties will start to crackle and make noises as soon as they go in. They’re already starting to form a nice, fried crust.^[10]
   • If your patties aren’t hot as soon as you put them in your skillet, increase the heat.
   • Use a splatter screen or drop the patties into the pan with long tongs to avoid grease popping from the pan.

[Edit]cooking

1. Cook the patties over medium-high heat for 2-4 minutes, then turn them over. Cook the patty quickly using crisp on high flame. After cooking the first side for 2-4 minutes, turn the patty over. When you flip it over, you’ll see that it has a nice, golden-brown crust. It’s that delicious crunch you’re aiming for, regardless of whether you prefer the inside of your patty to be rare to medium.^[11]
   • Use a thin spatula to flip. A thin spatula makes it easy to get under the baked crust.^[12]
2. Cook the patties for no more than 10 minutes. Your hamburgers will usually be well done after 10 minutes of cooking, or 5 minutes on each side. If you want medium or medium-rare patties, cook them for about 6 to 8 minutes, or 3 to 4 minutes on each side.^[13]
   
   • Use a meat probe to check the internal temperature of the hamburger and make sure it’s done to your liking.
   • The Food and Drug Administration recommends cooking ground beef until it is well done. This kills the bacteria present inside the burger. If you like your burgers rare, medium-rare, or medium, there is a risk that bacteria like E. coli haven’t been killed (although, it is rare).^[14]
3. Push the broken patty pieces back together. Sometimes your patties fall apart during cooking. If your doing this, use a spatula to take and squish the broken pieces back together. Let it cook like this for a few minutes, this helps keep the pieces intact.^[15]
   • Putting cheese on top of your patties is a delicious way to help your patties stick together.
4. Add cheese slices on top of your patties in the last minute of cooking. If you want to make cheeseburgers, just cut a few thin slices of your favorite cheese. With 1 minute left for your patties to cook, place the cheese directly on top of the burgers. Cover the pan with a lid or aluminum foil to reflect the heat back onto the cheese and help it melt.^[16]
   • Many types of cheese work well with hamburgers. American cheese, Cheddar, Gouda, Monterey Jack, blue cheese, and Swiss are all delicious options.
   • Add some water to the pan to melt the paneer faster. The water will instantly turn to steam, which helps melt the cheese.
5. Remove patties from heat and serve on buns. Switch off the gas and take out the patties from the pan with the help of a spatula. Put them on a plate to cool for a minute, or put them directly on the buns. Add any additional toppings you like, and dig in!^[17]
   
   • Spice up your burgers with condiments such as mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, or BBQ sauce.
   • Toppings like raw or grilled onions, lettuce, tomatoes, grilled mushrooms, cooked bacon, and avocado slices add extra flavor and texture to your burgers.
   • Make your hamburgers even tastier by toasting the buns in a skillet, in the oven, or in the toaster.

[Edit]Video

[Edit]Things you’ll need

• thin spatula
• cast iron skillet
• skillet lid or aluminum foil
• plate

[Edit]Related wikiHows

• Make Baked Hamburgers
• make a hamburger

[Edit]Reference

[Edit]quick summary