Ground Beef
$2.29per plate
Prep
15 min
Dinner · Ground Beef
How to Make Burger Patties
Pre-made frozen patties cost more and taste like less. Shaping your own from a pack of ground beef takes about fifteen minutes and turns a pound and a half of meat into six juicy quarter-pound patties for roughly $1.54 each. This is how to pick the beef, season it right, and shape a patty that stays flat and juicy instead of puffing into a meatball, with the cost worked out per patty.
$1.54per plate
Estimated recipe total
$9.22 · serves 6
Cook
10 min
Total
25 min
Serves
6
1 How to make it
1
Start with 80/20 beef
The 80/20 label means 20 percent fat, and that fat is what makes a burger juicy. Leaner beef costs more and cooks up dry, so for patties this is the blend to buy. Keep it cold until the moment you shape it.
2
Season gently, mix less
Scatter the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and Worcestershire over the beef in a wide bowl. Fold it together with your fingertips just until the seasoning is spread, no more. Overmixing squeezes out the fat and gives you dense, bouncy patties.
3
Divide evenly
Split the meat into six equal portions, about a quarter pound each. A quick way is to press the beef into a flat square and cut it into six pieces so every patty is the same size and cooks at the same rate.
4
Shape wider than the bun
Roll each portion into a loose ball, then press it into a patty about half an inch thick and a little wider than your bun. Patties shrink in width and puff up as they cook, so starting wide and thin keeps them bun-sized.
5
Dimple the center
Press a shallow thumbprint into the middle of each patty. As the burger cooks the center swells, and that dimple fills in to give you a flat patty instead of a dome that slides your toppings off.
6
Chill, then cook or store
Rest the shaped patties in the fridge for at least ten minutes so they hold together. Cook them in a hot skillet 3 to 4 minutes per side to 160 F, or stack them with parchment between each and freeze for later.
2 Cheaper ingredient swaps
- Ground turkey for beef. Saves about three dollars on the batch. Add a tablespoon of oil to the mix because poultry is lean and needs the extra fat to stay moist.
- Stretch with breadcrumbs and an egg. Work half a cup of breadcrumbs, an egg, and a splash of milk into the meat to pull eight patties from the same beef. Drops the cost near $1.20 a patty and no one will notice.
- Skip the Worcestershire. Plain salt and pepper make a great patty on their own. Use a splash of soy sauce or a pinch of beef bouillon if that is what the cupboard has.
- Fresh onion for onion powder. A couple tablespoons of very finely grated onion adds moisture and flavor. Grate it fine so it disappears into the meat instead of making the patty fall apart.
3 Budget tips
- Buy the biggest pack of 80/20 that fits your freezer. The 3 pound family packs almost always beat the small trays on price per pound, and patties freeze perfectly.
- Shape the whole pack at once. Freezing formed patties with parchment between them means a two minute dinner later and zero waste from a half-used pack.
- A quarter pound is the value sweet spot. Bigger patties feel generous but push the cost per plate up fast, and thinner patties dry out.
4 Storage, freezing & reheating
Fridge
Keep raw shaped patties in the fridge, covered, for up to 2 days. Once cooked, store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freezer
Stack raw patties with a square of parchment between each, bag them flat, and freeze for up to 3 months. Cook straight from frozen, adding a couple of minutes per side.
Reheating
Warm a cooked patty in a covered skillet over medium-low with a few drops of water for about 3 minutes, or microwave at half power so the edges do not toughen.
5 Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
280
Protein
20g
Fat
22g
Carbs
1g
Estimates per plain quarter-pound patty, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not a substitute for medical advice.
6 Frequently asked questions
What is the best ground beef for burger patties?
80/20 ground beef, meaning 20 percent fat. That fat keeps the patty juicy and helps it brown. Leaner blends like 90/10 cost more and cook up dry, so they are a worse deal for burgers.
Why do my burger patties puff up in the middle?
The center cooks and swells while the edges hold their size. Press a shallow thumbprint dimple into the middle of each raw patty and it will cook up flat instead of like a ball.
Should I put egg or breadcrumbs in burger patties?
A pure beef patty does not need a binder if you do not overmix it. Egg and breadcrumbs are a budget move that stretches the meat into more patties, closer to a meatloaf texture, which is a fair trade when you are feeding a crowd cheaply.
How is the price per patty figured?
About $9.22 for a pound and a half of beef and seasonings, divided into six patties, which is roughly $1.54 each. Store-bought frozen patties usually cost more per patty and give you less control over the blend.
Helpful Tools for This Recipe
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- Chef's knife. One sharp chef's knife handles almost all the chopping, from onions to chicken, and replaces a drawer of gadgets. Best for all-purpose prep in essentially every recipe on the site.
- Cutting board. A large, stable cutting board makes prep faster and safer, which matters when you cook most nights. Best for everyday chopping of onion, garlic, and vegetables across nearly every recipe.
- Mixing bowls set. A set of nesting bowls handles prep, mixing, and marinades without dirtying every dish in the house. Best for mixing meatball and patty mixtures, tossing ingredients, and holding prepped components.
- Measuring cups and spoons set. A basic set of measuring cups and spoons keeps amounts consistent, which keeps budget recipes reliable. Best for rice, liquids, and any recipe where the ratio matters.
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