Skillet Burgers

Cast Iron Skillet Burgers are a most delicious alternative to the summer grill!  The burgers hit the hot skillet and start to sizzle.  The fat comes out, and instead of it dripping down into your grill, gone forever, it settles around the burger, cooking it in its own lovely juices!  A crispy crust forms making the burgers melt-in-your-mouth amazing, never dried out, and smothered with melty cheese and caramelized onions!

Ingredients & Substitutions

• 80/20 Ground Beef - Ground beef with 20% fat ratio is perfect for cast iron burgers. The fat sizzles out when it hits the hot skillet and cooks the burger and onions in its own juices. The fat amount gives you a perfectly juicy, never dried out burger! I use somewhere between 1 and 1.5 pounds of ground beef for 4 burgers, depending on how big I want them. For 4 adults, go for 1.5 pounds. For 2 adults and 2 little kids, 1.25 pounds is probably enough.

• Dijon Mustard - Dijon mustard gives the burgers a little kick of flavor.

• Worcestershire Sauce - Always a favorite flavor in these sizzle burgers!

• Salt & Pepper - Don't skip the salt! This is your basic seasoning for the meat! A pinch of salt when adding the onions is good too.

• Onion - I use 1 small yellow onion, or a half of a larger one, cut into slices. Add it to the hot skillet right after flipping the burgers so they can caramelize while the burgers cook on the second side. Pan fried hamburgers with caramelized onions are seriously delicious!

• Cheese - We love big slices of cheddar cheese, but any sliced melty cheese will do!

• Burger Buns & Toppings - Warm the buns in the oven as you cook the burgers in the cast iron skillet. The cheese and onions can be condiment enough, or top it with your usual suspects ~ lettuce, tomato, refrigerator pickles, ketchup, mustard, mayo, avocado, whatever you like!

Variations

• Bacon Cheeseburgers - If you want a big cheeseburger with bacon, cook a few slices in the cast iron skillet first. Remove the bacon to a plate, discard most of the extra fat in the pan, and then cook your burgers in the same skillet.

• Mushroom Swiss Burger - Add sliced cremini mushrooms to saute along with the onions.

• Any kind of Cast Iron Burgers - Use the skillet burger method to cook any type of burger, turkey burgers, bison burgers, lamb burgers or even veggie burgers. A cast iron skillet doubles as an indoor grill, perfect for any burger recipe!

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1 - In a large bowl, mix the beef, dijon, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper well with your hands and form into patties.

While the burgers cook, warm the buns in the oven at 350°.

Step 2 - Preheat your cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add the burgers to sear on the first side, about 4 to 6 minutes. Use your judgement, cooking time can vary depending on how large the burgers are and how rare or well done you like them. 

Flip them, and add your onions down into the grease along the sides of the burgers, season them with a pinch of salt.

Add your slices of cheese right away after flipping, the more time to melt the better.

Step 3 - Cook the burgers another 5 to 6 minutes on the second side.

When the burgers are cooked to the desired doneness and the cheese is melted, pile the onions on top with tongs and assemble on buns with your favorite toppings.

Chef Tips

• Make sure your skillet is preheated and nice and Hot! - Like an outdoor grill, you want your skillet preheated and HOT! This gives your cast iron burgers a nice sear, sealing in the juices and giving you a crispy crust!

• Storage and Leftovers - Leftover cast iron burgers can be stored in the fridge and reheated in the next day or two for lunch.

• Best Onions for Burgers? - For a cast iron burger with caramelized onions, I like to use your basic yellow onion. The natural sugars in the onion caramelize when cooked in the fat from the beef in the hot skillet. If I'm serving raw onions on burgers, I go for thin slices of red onion.

• Don't press on your burgers with a spatula! - This will cause the juices to run out and dry out your burgers.

Cleaning A Cast Iron Skillet

• And now that you have a dirty skillet on your stovetop, with caked on greasy onions and crusty cheese, find out How to Clean Your Cast Iron Skillet!

• If you Love Cooking in a Cast Iron Skillet, try these other recipes!
  • Cheesy Honey Skillet Cornbread
  • Italian Sausage Gnocchi with Spinach and Cherry Tomatoes
  • Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Breast (great for chicken sandwiches on buns topped with burger fixings, or any recipe that you need cooked chicken!)

If you made this recipe, I'd love to hear how you liked it!  Be sure to leave a star rating by clicking the stars in the recipe card, or leave a comment below!

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