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This single hamburger recipe is quick to make and packed with flavor. Made with one beef patty and a few simple ingredients, it’s perfect for a fast and satisfying meal.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to Make: Simple steps with basic ingredients.
- Full of Flavor: Minimal seasoning lets the beef shine for a juicy, flavorful burger.
- Even Cooking: Skillet method gives you a well-seared, evenly cooked patty.
- Customizable: Add your favorite toppings to make it your own.
When I want a quick, satisfying meal, this homemade hamburger is my go-to. It’s made with just a handful of ingredients and comes together fast, but tastes like something you’d get at a diner. It’s the kind of burger that hits the spot – juicy, flavorful, and easy to make anytime the craving strikes.
Enjoy your burger with any of our single serving sides like small batch baked french fries, small batch sweet potato fries, single serving german potato salad, single serving macaroni salad, or mac and cheese for one.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this classic hamburger recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Ground Beef: Use 80/20 ground beef for the juiciest burger. 85% lean works too, but avoid anything leaner than 90% or the burger may be dry. For a different option, use ground chicken, turkey, or a plant-based meat alternative. Extra beef? Use it in a single burger bowl a small batch of lasagna rollups, or our single serve chili mac.
- Cheese (Optional): Cheddar, Swiss, American, provolone, or any favorite cheese works well. For dairy-free, use a plant-based cheese or skip it. Leftover cheese? Use it in single serving crack chicken or small batch jalapeño poppers.
- Toppings (Optional): Tomatoes, avocado, onions, lettuce, pickles, ketchup, mustard, bacon, homemade BBQ sauce – add what you like.
- Bun: Use a white bun, whole wheat, gluten-free, or swap in lettuce wraps.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Recipe Variations
Here’s a quick look at easy ways to change up your hamburger:
- Extra Toppings: Try avocado, bacon, or a fried egg for added flavor and texture.
- Cheese Options: Swap in blue cheese, smoked gouda, or pepper jack for a bold twist.
- Add Heat: Use jalapeños, spicy pickles, or your favorite hot sauce.
- Vegetarian Version: Replace the beef with a plant-based patty or a grilled portobello mushroom.
How To Make A Hamburger
These photos and instructions help you visualize how to cook a single hamburger. See the recipe card below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Shape the Patty: Place the ground beef on a plate and gently form it into a 1-inch thick disk, slightly wider than your bun. Press a small indentation into the center with your fingers. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat the Pan: Add oil to a medium skillet and heat over medium-high. A cast iron skillet works well, but non-stick or a griddle are also fine.
- Cook the Burger: When the pan is hot (you should hear a sizzle), place the patty in the skillet. Cook for about 3 minutes until browned on one side. Flip and cook another 2 to 5 minutes, depending on your preferred doneness. The FDA recommends an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C).
- Add Cheese (Optional): Transfer the patty to a plate and top with cheese, if using. Cover loosely with foil and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Assemble the Burger: Place the patty on the bun, add your favorite toppings, and top with the other half of the bun.
Burger Cooking Times
- Medium-Rare (red center): 6 minutes total — 125-130°F / 51-54°C
- Medium (light pink center): 7-8 minutes total — 135-140°F / 57-60°C
- Medium-Well (mostly brown with a hint of pink): 9 minutes total — 145-150°F / 62-66°C
- Well Done (fully brown, no pink): 10 minutes total — 150-160°F / 66-71°C
Expert Tips
- Handle Gently: Form patties with minimal handling to keep them juicy. Slightly uneven edges help create a better sear.
- Expect Shrinkage: Burgers shrink about 20% when cooked, so shape them slightly larger than the bun.
- Check Temperature: Use an instant-read thermometer. Cook to 160°F and let rest 5 minutes before serving.
- Toast the Bun: After cooking the burger, toast the bun halves in the same pan to add crispiness and flavor.
- Scale the Recipe: Double or triple the ingredients to make more burgers.
- Storing Leftovers: Store cooked burgers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezing Patties: Shape unused ground beef into patties, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, burgers can be baked in the oven. For a great oven-baked version, see our Juicy Lucy recipe.
Preheat the grill to 375°F (medium-high). Shape and season the patty, then grill for 4-5 minutes per side, or until it reaches your preferred doneness. Add cheese during the last minute, then let the burger rest for 5 minutes before serving.
It’s best to thaw the patty first for even cooking and better texture. If you must cook it from frozen, expect a longer cook time and less juicy results. For best flavor, use fresh or fully thawed ground beef.
RELATED: Easy Ground Beef Recipes
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this stovetop hamburger recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
If you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Hamburger For One
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 ounces ground beef (Use 80/20 ground beef for the juiciest burger. 85% lean works too, but avoid anything leaner than 90% or the burger may be dry.)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- ½ tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1 hamburger bun
- Burger toppings: Sliced tomatoes, sliced onions, lettuce, pickles, ketchup, mustard, bacon, BBQ sauce.
Instructions
- Place the ground beef on a plate and gently form it into a 1-inch thick disk, slightly wider than your bun. Press a small indentation into the center with your fingers. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Add oil to a medium skillet and heat over medium-high. A cast iron skillet works well, but non-stick or a griddle are also fine.
- When the pan is hot (you should hear a sizzle), place the patty in the skillet. Cook for about 3 minutes until browned on one side. Flip and cook another 2 to 5 minutes, depending on your preferred doneness. The FDA recommends an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C).
- Transfer the patty to a plate and top with cheese, if using. Cover loosely with foil and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Place the patty on the bun, add your favorite toppings, and top with the other half of the bun.
Notes
-
- Handle Gently: Form patties with minimal handling to keep them juicy. Slightly uneven edges help create a better sear.
- Expect Shrinkage: Burgers shrink about 20% when cooked, so shape them slightly larger than the bun.
- Check Temperature: Use an instant-read thermometer. Cook to 160°F and let rest 5 minutes before serving.
- Toast the Bun: After cooking the burger, toast the bun halves in the same pan to add crispiness and flavor.
- Scale the Recipe: Double or triple the ingredients to make more burgers.
- Storing Leftovers: Store cooked burgers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Medium-Rare (red in the middle): 6 minutes total – 125-130 degrees F / 51-54 degrees C
- Medium (light pink in the middle): 7 to 8 minutes total – 135-140 degrees F / 57-60 degrees C
- Medium-Well (brown with a hint of pink in the middle): 9 minutes total – 145-150 degrees F / 62-66 degrees C
- Well Done (brown center, no pink): 10 minutes total – 150-160 degrees F / 66-71 degrees C
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Previously I thought anybody could fry a burger, what’s the big deal? Then I followed your instructions: weight of hamburger, time on each side, and what I believe was the best and should have been the most obvious instruction “let the burger rest for 5 minutes!” I set the timer to insure I waited because, you know, it’s not easy when you’re hungry. But the same principle that applies to a juicy steak applies to a juicy hamburger as well. Why didn’t anyone tell me this sooner? Patience! Thank you❤
Love your recipes bought your cookbook cooking for one enjoyed watching your videos
Thank you so much, Susan!
Stellar recipe.
Thank you for the wonderful adaptation of recipes – very useful, flavorful, and quick for those late nights. I have to add a funny story though – I grew up in a cafe/service station/motel on the side of the interstate in Wyoming that my grandparents started in the mid-50’s. All our burgers were pan-fried, the sheet grill vanished decades before I was born. My mom, who passed two years ago, made the very best cheeseburgers (we flipped the bun so the bottom was on the meat, the outsides of the bun met, then the cheese was melted on the top bun). How can I guarantee that? My best friend’s husband, my husband, and her best friend repeatedly requested that she make them – it became something of a running joke with her friend. It amazes me that people disdain burgers made this way, as they rarely dry out or get crispy-crittered.
I live alone and like to have my own beef patties ready-to-go, in the freezer.
I spread plastic wrap over an upside-down jar lid of the desired side. I press ground beef lightly into the lid and close the plastic wrap snugly over the beef. I set the wrapped patties on something flat and set them into the freezer. When they are frozen I can bag or box them for convenient storage, and take out one at a time. It will thaw enough while I prepare the toppings.