Fire up your grills, we've reached Memorial Day Weekend! Three days off work (for many), and the unofficial kick-off to summer. Pools start to open, boats go into the water and friends and family get together for drinks and some good food. Unless you live somewhere warm year round in which case carry on as usual. We'll personally be cooking out a lot over the weekend, and if you plan to as well I have the perfect Memorial Day recipe for you!
I love to grill out burgers, because you can make them so many different ways. Beef burgers, cheeseburgers, turkey burgers, lamb burgers... the list goes on. And don't even get me started on the versatility of toppings. The possibilities are endless. This is one of my favorite versions though. I call it the Big Juicy Cheeseburger, because as you can see she's stacked to the sky. What. a. beaut.
How to make this Big Juicy Cheeseburger:
Start by grabbing a bowl and mixing together your ground beef with some minced onion, fresh parsley, fresh dill, ground mustard, garlic powder, chili powder, salt and pepper. I typically use ground beef that is 90% fat free for this burger. If you like it a little more greasy drop down to 85% or even less. To me at 90% I still get a deliciously juicy burger though, so that's what I use. I mix with my hands (or make my husband do it) until all is well combined. Then form into patties for the grill. Not many ingredients, but definitely lots of flavor!
How to grill this Big Juicy Cheeseburger:
My favorite way to prepare burgers is on the grill of course! If you don't have a grill though, don't worry. You can cook them on the stove as well. Heat your grill to high, brushing grates with some oil (or spray with Pam). We have a Big Green Egg grill and love it! This smaller version is great for anyone who doesn't have a lot of backyard space. It came in handy back when we had an apartment. I just love the taste of food prepared on the Big Green Egg, or charcoal grills in general. Grill for about 3 minutes per side or until it reaches desired temperature. Add cheese and cook another minute. I used sharp cheddar cheese for this burger. We also love to grill our hamburger buns.
How to stove cook this Big Juicy Cheeseburger:
As I said, no grill needed to make a juicy burger. Here's another option! Heat a large nonstick skillet, cast iron or griddle over medium high heat. Add some olive oil. Turn down to medium and add your burgers. Cook for about 3 minutes then flip and cook 3-5 more or until it reaches your desired temperature. Be sure to add the cheese in your last minute. You can heat buns on the stove or toss them in the oven to toast up.
How to top your Big Juicy Cheeseburger:
Now I'm not one to tell you what to put on your burger, but if you want to make it like this one here's what I did. Start with lettuce on the bottom, TWO cheeseburgers stacked on top, pickles, a slice of tomato, crispy bacon, my extra crispy homemade onion rings and some spicy sauce.
Here is my full onion ring recipe:
This spicy sauce is simply a mixture of some sriracha and plain Greek yogurt. Mayo also works, and don't forget ketchup and mustard too if that's your thing! It's definitely mine.
Serve hot with a side of fries, more onion rings or pasta salad! Some side dish recipes are linked below. Fair warning, this is one messy burger but that just means it's extra delicious. What are your MDW plans?!
Serve this Big Juicy Cheeseburger with:
You might also enjoy:
Cast Iron Short Rib Smash Burger with Best Burger Sauce
- 1 - 1½ lb ground beef
- 1 teaspoon onion, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh dill, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- sesame buns (or buns of choosing)
- sliced cheddar cheese
- toppings: lettuce, tomato, pickle, crispy bacon, homemade onion rings (recipe linked in post), spicy sauce (recipe in post), ketchup, mustard
- olive oil
- Mix together first 8 ingredients in a large bowl until fully combined.
- Press into 4-5 burger patties.
- Heat grill to high and brush grates with oil.
- Grill burgers 3 minutes per side or until desired temp.
- Add cheese and cook 1 more minute to melt.
- Remove to a place.
- Brush buns with olive oil and grill for about a minute or until toasted.
- On bottom bun add lettuce, two cheeseburgers, tomato, pickle, bacon, onion rings.
- Spread spicy sauce and/or ketchup/mustard on top bun.
Leave a Reply