Can you make hamburgers on the stove

It should be messy! I think this burger is pretty great in its classic form, but if you wanted to experiment, there is nothing wrong with that. You could add bacon, mushrooms, or caramelized onions , or experiment with other cheeses.

For my money, American cheese is as good as it gets on a burger like this, though! A cast iron skillet is ideal for cooking burgers on the stove, but if you don't have one, you can use one of these other frying pans. Stir together the burger sauce ingredients, and adjust the flavors to your liking.

Some people like more ketchup or more relish. Measure out ground beef into eight 3-ounce patties for double cheeseburgers or four 5- to 6-ounce patties for single burgers.

Some people even prefer a single, thin 4-ounce patty. Be gentle with the ground beef. Keep it in loose balls for now.

Season the outside of the balls with salt and pepper. Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil.

Add the beef balls one at a time, pressing each one by covering it with foil and pressing down to flatten with a second small pan or skillet. Try to get the patty as even as possible. For double burgers, you are looking for a very thin patty. Repeat with pressing each of the patties in the pan, reusing the same piece of foil.

Cook patties for 2 minutes for the thinner double patties, or 3 to 4 minutes for the thicker single patties. Flip, top with cheese, and cook until the cheese is melted, another 2 to 3 minutes.

The patties will shrink a bit as they cook. When your burger patties are cooked through and the cheese is very melted, smear the bottom bun with 1 to 2 tablespoons of burger sauce and top with lettuce. Add your burger patty or patties and top with sliced tomato and red onion. If you are making your own burger patties, make them all similarly sized.

Otherwise, the cooking times for each patty will vary quite a bit, and you will risk over- or under-cooking. Also, make sure to not to press your patties too much, or else they will have a hard, rubbery texture.

Lightly form your patties to ensure they hold their shape but aren't packed too tight! You can defrost your patties or toss them in the pan frozen. Just make sure you add additional cooking time for the frozen patties. This will give your meat time to thaw before it begins cooking. The cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your burgers. Make sure to pull your hamburgers from the skillet once they are done. This will help keep them from drying out. Using a cast iron or other high-quality skillet is key.

High-quality skillets will cook all of your burgers evenly. Lower quality pans and skillets can have hot spots that either burn or undercook your burgers in different areas. Keep it in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook, and try not to handle it with your fingers — use an ice-cream scoop or spoon instead.

Plop down a few ounces in the pan, smash it with a spatula, salt it, let it go crisp and flip. Add cheese and get your bun toasted.

The process moves quickly. Featured in: Deconstructing The Perfect Burger. Sometimes, your patty will fall apart. If it does, just use the spatula to move them back together. If it cooks that way for a few minutes, it should stay together.

Add cheese in the last minute of cooking. If you want cheese, place the slices on the patties at the end. Cover the pan with a lid or aluminum foil, which will reflect the heat back down to melt the cheese.

American cheese melts well, but cheddar, Gouda, Monterrey jack, blue cheese, or Swiss are also be delicious. It can help to add a small dash of water to the pan. The water will instantly turn to steam under the lid, and the steam will help melt the cheese. Remove the patties and serve them. Use the spatula to take the patties out of the pan. Place them on a plate, or move them directly onto toasted buns. Add in extras you like, and dig in!

You can use condiments like mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, or bbq sauce. For toppings, try raw onions, grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, grilled mushrooms, cooked bacon, or avocado slices, just to name a few.

Did you make this recipe? Leave a review. Not Helpful 18 Helpful It's best to add toppings like barbecue sauce to your burger once you've taking it off the grill and placed it on a bun. Not Helpful 4 Helpful Add it 30 to 45 seconds before taking the burger off the grill. Not Helpful 22 Helpful Ground meat doesn't have pure blood in it, if it's been prepared properly. Seasoning the beef will not harm the meat or the final product. Not Helpful 9 Helpful The fat from the meat itself provides oil as well.

Remember to begin hamburgers in a cold skillet. Not Helpful Helpful You could fry it on the stove on high heat for minutes. Check if the center is cooked properly. Not Helpful 17 Helpful 6. I would recommend using a mixture of milk and cubed bread. Work this into your ground beef, along with your preferred spices, making a juicy, pan-fried hamburger.

Not Helpful 12 Helpful 3. Die-hard cast-iron aficionados would say this is optional - but everyone else would say yes, add a little olive, sesame, or rice bran oil to the pan first. Not Helpful 17 Helpful 8. That depends on a few different things, like the size of the hamburgers and the oven temperature you're using. Not Helpful 13 Helpful 7.

Stovetop temperatures can vary wildly, but I've found that medium is the best bet for cooking hamburgers.