Cast Iron Skillet Burgers

Juicy, flavorful, and easy, you can have perfectly cooked cast iron skillet burgers any night of the week!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword burgers in cast iron skillet, cast iron skillet burgers, cooking burgers in cast iron skillet, skillet burgers

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings people

Calories 328kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

2 lbs. ground beef (80/20 mix or 85/15 mix)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
Optional, for serving: buns and other toppings such as sliced cheese, lettuce, tomato, sliced onion, ketchup, mustard, and cooked bacon

Place beef, Worcestershire sauce, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper in a large bowl. Use a fork (or your fingers) to gently, evenly distribute the seasonings. Be careful that you don’t overwork the meat, which can result in a dry, dense burger.
Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions. Use cupped hands to gently toss one portion of meat into the shape of a loose ball. Flatten into a ¾-inch thick patty, pressing a small dimple in the middle. This small indentation will prevent the burgers from “puffing up” during cooking. Repeat with remaining beef to shape 5 more patties.
Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Add patties, and cook until they reach the desired level of doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium well (about 160°F). Top each hot patty with a slice of cheese, if desired (the cheese will melt on the hot burger).
Serve on buns with desired toppings.

Use either “ground chuck” (80/20 mix) or “ground round” (85/15 mix). Any leaner ground beef will result in a tough, dry burger.

Keep the meat cold. Shape the patties quickly, and then give them time to chill in the refrigerator for about an hour before cooking (if time allows, this is not mandatory). If the meat gets too warm while you’re forming the patties, the fat may melt and smear. This causes the fat to separate from the lean meat, so that more fat drips off during the cooking process and yields a dry, dense burger. The chilling time also helps the meat hold together so that your patties don’t fall apart (since we’re not using any binders like egg or bread crumbs).

Add seasoning before cooking. Season the meat before you form the patties. This will ensure that your hamburgers are evenly seasoned all the way through — rather than just sprinkling some salt on top at the end.

Don’t over-mix. Be gentle when combining your ingredients and shaping your patties. Over-mixing the meat will yield a dry, dense burger.

Make indentations in the patties. This small dimple in the middle of the hamburger patty will prevent the burger from puffing up into a round ball when it cooks.

Don’t press down on the burgers while they’re cooking (unless you're making a thin smash burger). It might be tempting, but pushing down just squeezes out the fat that you want to keep inside for juicy, flavorful hamburgers.

Allow the burgers to rest. Don’t cut or bite into the hamburgers as soon as they come out of the skillet. Resting gives the juices time to redistribute through the meat so that you end up with a nice, juicy burger!