Cheddar Burger

5 from 2 votes

It doesn't get much more classic, or more satisfying, than a beautifully calibrated cheddar burger. Here's how to make a great one.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Burgers

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cheddar burger

Author: Carolyn Gratzer Cope

Ingredients

1 pound (454 grams) 80-85% lean grass-fed ground beef
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 brioche hamburger buns
3 tablespoons (42 grams) butter
3 ounces (85 grams) extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded or sliced
1 ripe plum tomato cut into 6 thin slices (ends reserved for another use)
9 dill pickle chips
3 leaves soft lettuce
¼ cup (68 grams) ketchup
1 tablespoon (15 grams) yellow mustard
¼ cup (60 grams) Kewpie mayonnaise

Instructions

Divide the beef into three equal portions and shape into patties. Sprinkle on both sides with the salt and pepper.
Butter the inside faces of the buns.
Heat a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium for two minutes.
Place buns buttered sides down and toast for a few minutes, until light golden brown on the undersides.
Transfer buns to serving plates and raise heat to medium-high.
Place patties onto skillet and use a sturdy metal spatula to firmly smash each one until it grows in diameter by about an inch. After this, absolutely ignore the burgers for about three minutes, until the undersides are brown and crisp at the edges and any juices on the surface are hot and bubbly.
Flip each burger and top with one ounce of the cheddar.
Cover skillet and continue cooking for another minute or two, until cheese is almost melted.
Remove from heat and place burgers onto buns.
Stack each burger with two slices tomato, three pickle chips, and one leaf lettuce, torn to fit, if necessary.
Divide ketchup, mustard, and mayo among top buns and spread to the edges. Close each burger and serve right away.

Notes

I apply the same sourcing standards to these burgers as I do to all meat. Start with great-tasting, good-quality ground beef. For me that means 100% grass-fed and grass-finished meat. For burgers, 80-85% lean works beautifully.
A soft, rich brioche bun is my favorite for most burgers, including this one. But you can buy any good-quality soft hamburger buns — or even level it up and make your own with my favorite recipe.
Use a really good-quality butter if you can. Here and virtually everywhere, I start with a cultured, salted butter from grass-fed cows. This sounds fancy but doesn't have to be. Kerrygold, for example, is sold in most supermarkets at a reasonable price.
Extra-sharp cheddar melts well but still packs a super-savory, creamy punch. I prefer the semi-controlled chaos of shredding it on the large holes of a box grater and letting it melt over the sides of the burger. Or you can slice it fairly thin and tile the slices over the burger's surface.
If it's tomato season, any sliceable type will work beautifully. During the rest of the year, a nice ripe plum tomato will give you well-behaved, consistent results.
Dill pickle chips are the classic move. I also adore full-sours for a slightly different flavor profile. You can't go wrong with either.
For the lettuce, I recommend a nice soft leaf with a bit of crunch, such as butterhead, little gem, or baby romaine (pictured).
We'll make full use of the holy trinity of classic burger condiments: good old ketchup (I use Heinz), yellow mustard, and mayo. My strong preference for burgers is the umami-forward Japanese-style Kewpie mayo, but you can use regular mayo if that's what you've got.
These burgers are quick and easy to make and are really at their best right after cooking, so I don't recommend making them in advance.
That said, sometimes I'll make a double batch of the cheeseburgers themselves. Patties can be stored, tightly wrapped, in the fridge for a week. Toast buns and assemble burgers right before serving, even the second time around.

Nutrition