Smoked Paprika Butter Burger
A simple seared cheeseburger finished with a smoky paprika compound butter.
A burger does not need seventeen toppings to have a personality. Sometimes it needs one tablespoon of butter with a point of view. Here, softened butter gets mixed with smoked paprika and salt, then spooned onto hot ground-chuck patties just before they finish cooking. The butter melts over the crust and brings smoke and richness without turning the burger into a sauce-delivery vehicle.
The patties are formed about ¾ inch thick with a shallow dimple in the center, seasoned right before cooking, and left alone long enough to brown properly. No pressing. No poking. No flattening them with the spatula because somebody on television once looked confident while doing it. Cook to 160°F, add cheddar if you want it, then let the paprika butter begin melting over the top before a short rest. Toast the buns and keep the rest restrained. This burger is built around beef, browned crust, melted butter, and smoke from the paprika. Once those four things are working, adding half the refrigerator is less customization and more witness protection.
