Hamburgers (Tavern Style) Recipe (2024)

Don't think "oh, it's just another burger recipe" and ignore this. Sam Sifton saved our burgers. They've gone from wishy washy and uninspiring to juicy and delicious...all because we learned not to touch the meat. You too can achieve burger perfection; just follow Sifton's tips to the letter (and watch the video).

I don't see the need for oil or butter. If you sprinkle salt on your cast-iron pan, fire it up and put in the raw burgers, they immediately render enough fat/juice to start sizzling and form a nice carmelized crust too. I use 85% lean beef.

Magnificent! Bought a cast-iron skillet especially to try this approach to burgers. Used the skillet on our gas BBQ grill outside. The reward - the best burgers we have ever made. Would never cook a burger any other way now. Thanks Sam!

Good technique here, but one crucial step missing: putting a thumb print in the burger before setting in pan. The thumbprint keeps the burger from turning into a self steaming dome (hence the terrible gray meat effect). Because SCIENCE! I also (gently) mix a small amount of Duke’s mayo (high egg content) and fish sauce into the meat for extra fat, and a deep, rich umami taste. I know fish sauce sounds weird, but it really works with small amounts. No one knows it’s there but you!

The purpose is to allow the juices to settle back throughout the meat. During its cooking the moisture in any meat moves toward the heat source, i.e., the surfaces where it's hottest. So if you cut the meat immediately after cooking, all those juices that are sitting right at the surface will quickly run out and your meat or chicken will be drier than it would otherwise be if you let it rest.At least this is what I learned in culinary school.

Better method: get your broiler red, scary hot. Put gently hand-formed patties in an oiled skillet you get super hot on the stove - cast iron is good, but so is a heavy bottomed All-Clad aluminum. Stick your pan under the broiler and watch those patties char and plump up like ground beef souffles.Flip after a few minutes and cook on the other side.You can deglaze the pan with sherry or cognac, add some worcestershire sauce and a dab of butter and pour that over the burgers before serving. Great.

Ever notice how your burgers 'shrink' around the edges, bulge in the middle and get smaller than the circumfrence of your buns? Well, after you form them to the basic size you want make a thumb sized depression in the middle. Pop em on the grill or in your hot pan and go. They will cook more evenly too.

The transition from cooking smash burgers to tavern ones is sometimes rocky. It's a different process. Use a little less meat next time, maybe?

What about the timing for medium?

Best way to also enjoy your burger with a char broiled grilled flavor is to put the skillet directly on your outdoor grill, instead of your stove top burners. Put the burgers in the skillet, and then on the grill, set on high and close the lid and cook accordingly. Love the flavor and crustiness of the exterior.

These burgers were absolutely marvelous. My only recommendation: To prevent the smoke alarm from causing more excitement than cooking really needs, open the windows.

At the Clover Grill in New Orleans, they cover their burgers with a hubcap while also doing everything else you say. They do start with a frozen patty (!). Those burgers have always been the best of the "tavern burger" style. I firmly believe in covering the burger.

I agree, no need for oil or butter, even using 7% fat ground beef as I do. In addition to coarse salt in the pan, I grind peppercorns into the pan. I also add salt and pepper to the top, uncooked side as the bottom cooks.

Made this exactly as written. Fabulous, was my husband’s reaction. I will need to adjust time a little for myself for medium rare. Used Bison — so lean.

6oz patty and room temperature beef (I missed the note about leaving it in the fridge) still took more than 6-7 minutes to cook. And the smoke was crazy. I have a newer range with 3000 watts on its larger burners. Maybe the excessive smoke was because of that heat? But the burgers still needed at least three to four more minutes than the recipe called for.

We followed had about 4oz of meat per patty. We even added some cook time, but our patties were raw in the middle. Unsure what we are doing wrong.

I have never made hamburgers before, Sam Sifton. You do not say to add oil to the pan but it looks if you did. Please advise.

Stellar. I used brisket chuck and I think it may be the best burger I've ever tasted.

Ahh.. the crunchy kinda burnt cheese that melts down the burger is da best!

BIG PROBLEM: I've now made the "tavern" version of this recipe multiple times and the center of the burger was not just undercooked, but almost completely uncooked even after I cooked the burgers for longer than the recipe describes, which is 3 minutes on side A and 3-4 minutes on side B. What seems to happen is the outer .5 centimeter forms a crisp layer, but that layer then insulates the center. Amend the recipe to include a broiling/baking/cooking time adjustment for the "tavern" version.

De-lish, in spite of the smoke detector going off.

It may seem like a no-brainer, recipe for burgers? Trust me, if this recipe is followed to a T you will end up with the best burgers. It’s like they were cooked on a flattop grill in a diner in NJ, or a Howard Johnson’s on a family road trip. I cook mine rare, white American Cheese, & Bacon on a toasted English Muffin.

3 1/2 inches thick? Still raw in the center

Takes a lot more time than listed on a grill pan. Double it

temp to 130 then rest

This recipe is phenomenal. It is the closest I have ever come to making a restaurant burger. We've tried all sorts of burger recipes and they have all been disappointing until this one.

I was going to make meatballs, yet ran out of time and decided to make burgers instead. This recipe, honestly, is magic: in record time I managed to cook four burgers just right (medium rare). Never before have I spent so little time and effort on a home-cooked meal that my kids ate so readily (and they asked for more!). I recommend using the best quality meat you can get, yet Sam Sifton totally nails it with this recipe. No more meatballs (that I always overcook anyway) in our home!

Made this evening on the stove in a cast iron pan and they turned out perfectly. A little taste of summer in the cold Canadian winter.