This is it, the killer burger sauce recipe. If you don’t want dry, stale burgers look no further for the best classic hamburger sauce.
I’ll make this short and sweet since we’ve already talked about our two secrets for the perfect burger. We live by those secrets and sure enough our burger turns out every time.
There are just a few other things we thought we would share. First, burgers don’t want to be slow cooked so crank up the heat and quickly cook on each side. We do medium high heat for 2-3 minutes per side.
Why do Hamburger Pattys Fall Apart?
It’s not about the fat content, honestly.
Just make sure you don’t have too many liquidy things in there, like too much Worchestershire sauce or onions, but whats also important is to make sure they are cold when you put them on the grill, AND do not keep flipping them.
That will make the burger fall apart for sure.
I know we’ve all been taught to send back a pink burger but at a good restaurant or at home you actually should have a slightly pink center. Why? Well eating out you can’t control that’s it’s fresh, good meat being ground and that it’s been carefully prepared and cooked so it’s too risky. But when you use our special meat blend from our 2 secrets post you’ll have a perfect burger if you don’t cook it to well done. I know, it’s a little scary the first time but trust us. An over cooked burger is the same as an overcooked steak.
Can Hamburgers Be Pink In The Middle?
Yes, a hamburger that is pink in the middle can be safe to eat if it has reached an internal temperature of 160 degrees. If my friend is doing it and I don’t know where the meat is from or it’s a basic store-bought prepared burger someone is cooking always go with well-done. Again, reading our post about the best burger is helpful.
What Is The Difference Between Yellow Mustard and Dijon?
Dijon mustard has a sharper, tangier flavor than yellow mustard.
Burger Sauce. Forget the ketchup and mayonnaise and go for a really good burger sauce. Now, Cade loves pickles on a burger and I generally don’t add them, but in a sauce they add just the right somethin’ somethin’ and you don’t even know that’s what’s in there. I am a huge fan of sauces and condiments but in the case of the burger, keep it simple, burger, sauce, cheese, lettuce and tomato.
A little butter on the burger is always a good thing. Culvers butter burger converted us and we hardly ever make it without butter. AND salt and pepper folks. I cringe a little every time I see a burger get plopped on a grill without seasoning. Do you like your french fries without salt? Well meat needs seasoning as well.
Finally, always toast your buns. Always. Whether or not you use butter brushed on the inside and outside is up to you, but always toast those babies.
The Perfect Sides for the Killer Burger
I know you want the burger to be the star of the show, but a good side or two is always a good thing! Try our grilled corn or baked beans! If you want some extra flavor, go for our Elote grilled street corn or Elote corn salad!
And you can’t ever forget fries when you have a burger! Go for our perfect French fries with special sauce!
More Homemade Condiment Recipes You’ll Love:
- Red Enchilada Sauce
- Tomatillo Cilantro Ranch Dressing
- Taco Seasoning
- Classic Pesto
- Pizza Sauce
- BBQ Rub
- Authentic Salsa Verde
- Restaurant Style Salsa
- Nacho Cheese Sauce
- BBQ Sauce
- Spaghetti Sauce
- Ham Dipping Sauces
- All CONDIMENT RECIPES!
More Easy Burger Recipes:
- Pimento Cheeseburger
- Teriyaki Burger
- Pepperoni Pizza Burger
- Hawaiian Turkey Burger Sliders
- Cheesy Lasagna Burger
- Oprah’s Favorite Turkey Burger
- Hamburger with Egg on Top
- Fajita Burgers
- ALL OF OUR GROUND BEEF DINNER RECIPES!
Killer Burger Sauce
Killer Burger Sauce Recipe
Description
Ingredients
- Brioche Buns
- 1 Pound [Special Meat Blend]
- Butter, or Green Leaf Lettuce
- Vine Rip Tomato, sliced
- American Cheese, sliced
- 2 Tablespoons Butter, divided between 4 burgers, plus more for buns if decided
- Salt and Pepper
For the Sauce
- 1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons BBQ Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Ketchup
- 1/4 Teaspoon Mustard or Dijon Mustard
- 2 Tablespoons Sweet Pickle Relish
- 3 Teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/4 Teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1/4 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Sauce
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, bbq, ketchup, and mustard.
- Stir in the relish, Worcestershire, and seasonings.
- Set aside until you're ready to assemble.
- Prepare the tomatoes and lettuce, set aside.
For the Burgers
- Heat the grill to high heat.
- Brush the grates with a little oil.
- Separate the meat into four patties and press out flat, making an indentation right in the center to promote even cooking and less shrinking.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place a dollop of butter on top.
- Place each patty on the grill and turn to medium high.
- Cook on one side for about 2-3 minutes, if the burger is ready to be flipped it will release from the grates, if not allow it to cook a moment more.
- Flip and season the other side, adding your cheese, shutting the lid and cooking for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Meanwhile, brush a little butter on the inside and outside of the buns.
- Place bottom down on the grill and toast only until grill marks appear.
- Remove from grill, slather each bun with sauce, lettuce, tomato, and finally the patty, the center should be slightly pink when done.
- Top with the other half of the bun and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Recommended Products
2 Secrets for the BEST Hamburger
2 secrets for the best hamburger! Are you still buying ground beef in the package and pressing the meat out into a disc? Stop! Let’s try a new way.
Teriyaki Pina Colada Burger
this teriyaki pina colada burger is thanks to our 2 secrets for the best hamburger and I can’t stop making it.
Keri Dodero
Yum!!! Just yum! Best burger we ever made! This sauce will be on every burger from now on!
Sweet Basil
Yessss! Love to hear this Keri! Thank you so much!
Pam Hartman
This burger sauce was delicious! We made Jucy Lucy burgers and served this sauce on the burgers. This is sauce is our new favorite burger sauce. Thanks for another great recipe!
Sweet Basil
Yay!! Thank you so much Pam! It is one of my absolute favorite recipes to use all summer long!
Sean Carson
So good. If you like similar and simpler, mayo + Sriracha + worchestershire + relish
Sweet Basil
Oh that sounds yummy! I’ll have to try it! Thanks Sean!
Suzanne McCurry-Scull
Who was ever taught to send back a pink burger? We eat it’s rare to medium rare.
Sweet Basil
Some people just don’t know!
Courtney
YUM!!!!!! Very tasty sauce !
Sweet Basil
Thank you Courtney!
Allie
Quick, easy, delicious crowd pleaser.
Sweet Basil
Thank you Allie!
Dana Halopoff
I loved this sauce! Thank you! And if you want to step it up a bit on flavor try dipping Rosemary fries in it. OMG a mouth fullof flavors!
Sweet Basil
oooohhhhh yesssss! What a great suggestion! Love rosemary fries! I’ll be trying that next time!
CL
The sauce was amazing! Will be my go-to burger sauce from now on!
Sweet Basil
That is what I love to hear! Thank you so much for the support!
Craig
Can you please provide more detail on “its not about the fat content, honestly”? Because it is literally all about the fat content. A true fresh burger has nothing in it except for possibly one egg for every 2 pounds of ground meat. A burger with a 95-5 ratio is going to be completely different than a burger with a 73-27 ratio. Must places famous for their burgers not only claim the grind as their success but also the balance of meat to fat ratio. Also a slow cooked burger is amazing if you sous vide a burger at 135 degrees for about 40 minutes, cool it and then finish it on a very hot grill the protein is going to be more relaxed and hold on to more of the fat and liquid in the meat protein and with the combination the Maillard reaction you have created on the surface with the very hot grill I guarantee you it will be one of the best burgers of your life. There are way too many personal opinions in here and not enough backed by facts. Also it is clear to me that you do not understand where e-coli comes from. It does not matter how old the meat it is. E-coli is found around the stomach of the cow and that area is scrap that is often tossed into ground meat and if the stomach is ever so slightly penetrated with the knife it could contaminate the batch with e-coli. But when you are using meat you have ground yourself or by a butcher like chuck, brisket etc there is no e-coli in that part of the cow. If a piece of protein is not fresh and has turned there is no safe temperature to cook it too. You cannot cook out time and temperature abuse. Also adding an indentation to the center of your burger is going to do absolutely nothing except frustrate you and waste your time.
Kelsey
It’s not that serious dude. Relax…
Kelsey
Recipe is amaaaaaaaaazing. So delicious!
Sweet Basil
Thank you so much Kelsey!
Stephanie
I appreciate Craig’s comment. I learned a bit and it is important to put the correct information out there, even if some don’t think it is a big deal.
Sweet Basil
Hi Stephanie, Craig is a great source of information! So glad he’s here to help. I do think there is a little misunderstanding though, so just in case anyone else reads who is required to be on a lower fat diet I have added a response as you can still keep a burger together even with lower fat, so they don’t have to miss out. 🙂 XOXO!
Sweet Basil
Hi Craig!! You clearly love food like we do. Thank you so much for your information. There might be a small misunderstanding though. We are discussing why a burger falls apart, and while I ABSOLUTELY agree that fat content makes a HUGE difference in the quality of burger, from flavor to texture, caramelization to binding it is not all about the fat when only talking about structure. Which is what I was stating. I’ve cooked enough burgers for those who need to keep things as low fat as possible and you can absolutely keep a low fat burger together. Lots of people say it is impossible because you’re using lower fat and this was merely to point out that’s not the case. Have you read our post on the best burger? I’m not exactly sure what has led you to talk about e-coli but I am very up to date on the facts about it. I went ahead and added a touch on temperature in case that’s what you are referring to. In fact, I’ve been lucky enough to travel the states and learn straight from the top chefs and beef council, we even work with beef, it’s what’s for dinner. 🙂 But I am glad you left this all here for anyone interested and so I could make that update. We can all learn from each other, and I’m all about a good environment where such respectful discussions can happen if we all breath out humility, kindness, and fact-based information. 🙂 Thank you!
Shannon
I have made this recipe many times- enough that I really don’t have to reference the recipe any longer. It is very, very good. I love it on my burgers and dipping my fries in it. So tasty!
Sweet Basil
Yesssss it’s so good on fries too! So glad you love it! Thank you, Shannon!
Angie Morris
Looks fabulous! Just have to correct one statement on this post. A pink burger will not reach the temperature of 160 degrees. 160 is a well-done burger. If you want it pink in the middle, you need to aim for medium-rare to medium, which falls in the range of 130-145.
Sweet Basil
Thank you Angie!
Renee
This really kicked our burgers up a notch last night and my husband used it again on his roast beef sandwich today and liked it on that too. Great recipe that we’ll use on our burgers from now on so thank you for it.
Sweet Basil
Yay! Love to hear that! Thank you Renee!
Youssef Mansour
This is the art into the chaos of taste.
Sweet Basil
Thanks!
John
Too many pictures before the actual recipe. 0 stars.
Sweet Basil
Feel free to use the “Jump to Recipe” button!
Adam
You completely lost me by saying forget mayo and then including it, but also saying use American cheese. Crap recipe.
Sweet Basil
The post is saying to forget the tradition mayo and ketchup on your burger and upgrade your burger with this delicious sauce instead. And you can feel free to use whatever cheese you enjoy best. I love a good swiss cheese on mine occasionally.
Suzs
Adam, You’re an idiot.
Xyz
Ure so rude man, like wth
Yvonne
Delicious burger sauce… This will become an instant family favorite! thank you!
Sweet Basil
Yessss! Love to hear that!
Mohamed Munir
Good Recipes
Sweet Basil
Thank you!
Jayne Z
Being “fresh” has nothing to do with e-coli! Ground meat has more chance of carrying this bacteria since it is blended — unlike steak. If you brown the outside of steak you can kill the e-coli since it is only on the surface. But with hamburger, the e-coli is spread throughout the meat so if you don’t cook it all the way through you run the risk. This is nothing to play with — it is a deadly bacteria.
The sauce looks great and even though I definitely not a sweet pickle relish person, I’ll give it a try.