Classic Juicy Cheeseburger

Name: Classic Juicy Cheeseburger
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 22 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1.5 lbs ground chuck (80/20); 1 tsp kosher salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper; 4 slices cheddar cheese; 4 hamburger buns, toasted; Lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, condiments

Published by Fork Around & Find Out Kitchen — presented in the Lila editorial voice. Editorial standards

Quick Answer

A simple, perfectly seasoned 80/20 chuck cheeseburger with melted cheddar. No gimmicks, just done right.

Jump to Recipe

A great cheeseburger does not require seventeen toppings, a brioche bun with a résumé, or a steak knife driven through the middle like a warning. It needs beef with enough fat to stay juicy, a hard sear, melted cheese, and restraint. This one starts with 80/20 ground chuck formed loosely into four patties, each slightly wider than the bun because burgers shrink as they cook.

Press a shallow dimple into the center, season immediately before cooking, and leave the patties alone once they hit a medium-high skillet or grill. Not pressing them is important; smashing a standard burger after it begins cooking squeezes out the fat and juices you bought 80/20 beef specifically to keep. Flip once the first side has a deep crust, finish the second side to 160°F, then add cheddar for the final minute.

Two minutes of rest is enough time to toast the buns and organize lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and condiments. Build it however you like. The useful part happened before the toppings: loose handling, hot surface, actual browning, and nobody attacking the patty with a spatula because they saw somebody do it at a cookout in 1997.

Prep10 min

Cook10 min

Total22 min

Serves4

DifficultyEasy

Instructions

1Divide beef into 4 equal portions. Loosely form each into a patty slightly wider than your buns. Press a shallow dimple into the center with your thumb.

2Pat patties dry. Season both sides with salt and pepper immediately before cooking.

3Heat skillet or grill to medium-high. Place patties on hot surface without pressing. Cook 3–4 minutes until bottom is deeply browned and crust forms.

4Flip and cook 3–4 more minutes. When internal temperature reaches 160°F, add cheese and cook 1 minute more to melt.

5Rest 2 minutes. Toast buns and assemble with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and condiments of choice.

Nutrition Information

Estimated per serving: 1 of 4 servings.

690Calories

40 gProtein

30 gCarbohydrates

44 gTotal Fat

18 gSaturated Fat

2 gFiber

4 gTotal Sugars

1130 mgSodium

145 mgCholesterol

Estimated from the ingredients and quantities in this recipe using standard food-composition values. Brand choices, trimming, cooking loss, optional ingredients, and actual portion size can change the numbers. How we calculate nutrition estimates.

Pro Tips

80/20 is not negotiable. Leaner beef dries out; fattier beef is greasy.

Dimpling the center prevents a puffy dome and ensures even cooking.

Do not press while cooking. This releases juices and makes them dense.

Add cheese at the very end so it melts into warm meat, not a cooling patty.

Toast the bun. A lightly toasted bun has structure; soft buns fall apart.

Substitutions

ground chuck (80/20) → 90/10 ground sirloin with 2 tablespoons cold butter worked inSirloin alone cooks dry and tight. The butter puts back the fat you removed.

cheddar cheese → American, Swiss, or provoloneAmerican melts the most evenly. Swiss and provolone melt slower — add them fifteen seconds earlier.

hamburger buns → potato rolls, brioche, or English muffinsToast whatever you use. An untoasted bun under a juicy patty goes soggy in about ninety seconds.

kosher salt → table salt, about half as much by volumeTable salt is far denser. Measuring the same volume will oversalt the patty noticeably.