lori1329 on How to Cook a Hamburger in a Frying Pan

Considering that I enjoy a good burger from time to time, I take my chances with cooking them on the stovetop. They don’t turn out bad at all and definitely satisfy a burger craving.

I’m relatively creative with my food, and while I do make beef burgers, I enjoy turkey burgers, as well. Whatever meat I choose, my burger mix stays relatively the same. With a half a pound of ground meat (I only cook for two people), I mix in a fourth of a cup of finely chopped onion, about 2 tablespoons of bread crumbs, a half teaspoon of garlic powder, a half teaspoon of salt and a fourth teaspoon of black pepper.

I add moisture by including one of three things in the mix. If I have beer on hand, that works great. I add about 2 tablespoons of beer, mix up the ingredients, and if it still needs moisture, I’ll add a bit more until it all sticks together nicely.

I also sometimes use 2 tablespoons of barbeque sauce. This gives the burgers some added smoky flavor while providing moisture at the same time. If I don’t have beer or barbeque sauce, I’ll replace them with water as a last resort, just to help the patties stick together well.

I split the mix into two portions. I like a thin burger, so I smash mine into a patty about one-half-inch thick and rounded evenly. You can use a fancy hamburger press for this, but I just use my hands.

Sometimes, if I’m feeling really adventurous, I like to put fillings inside my burgers. When I do this, I split the two patties in half so that I have four small patties.

I lay a piece of cheddar cheese on two of the patties and sprinkle them with garlic powder. I then place the other patty on top and flatten and seal the meat well around the cheese. This also works well with a blue cheese inside the burger instead of cheddar.

I preheat the skillet, then lay the patties down in it. They should sizzle when they hit the pan. I cook them on one side for three minutes and then flip them over and cook for another three minutes.

I place the lid on the pan and cook them for another two minutes and then take one patty out. That one is for my husband because he likes them medium to medium well. I continue to cook my burger another two minutes or so because I like mine well done.

Once the burgers are cooked, I lay a paper towel on a plate and transfer the burgers to the paper towel. This soaks up some of the grease. Next, they are ready for the bun and whatever toppings I choose, such as lettuce, tomato, ketchup and relish.