Steak ‘n Shake is known as the original steak burger restaurant, creating a steak burger recipe for its customers back in the 1930s. Made with real, delicious steak cuts full of flavor and a more tender texture than regular burgers. Today, thousands of restaurants have created their own steak burger recipes for patrons to enjoy.
A Steak Burger, also known as steakhouse burger, is a cross between a beef burger and a steak. Chefs use a steak patty for the meat. Burgers made from steak can take on a variety of flavors and are typically leaner than hamburger patties. So, not only do they taste great, but they’re a bit healthier, too.
Now you can make delicious steakhouse-style burgers in your own backyard. You already know how to make hamburger patties, so steak burgers are a simple transition to your existing grilling skills.
Steak Patties vs Beef Patties
A hamburger consists of ground beef using various meats from a cow. Although steak comes from the same animal, you get a better grade of meat with a steak patty.
Steak is usually ground with a grinder or chopped using a food processor to form the patty. But the patty comes from a specific steak cut, much like you’d order from a restaurant. A ground steak burger is usually more expensive than a hamburger because you’re getting an actual cut of steak in patty form rather than the leftovers you get in a beef patty.
The grade of meat keeps a steak patty super juicy and flavorful if cooked correctly. Most steak patties are leaner with a lower fat content than beef patties, and they will dry out quickly if you don’t cook them properly.
Steak burgers are usually made in the same way that ground beef hamburger patties are with a grinding process that chops up the meat to make it easily moldable into a patty. However, this isn’t the only way that you can make patties from steak to create your perfect burger.
Some restaurants and people who enjoy steak burgers at home have adopted a different technique: Adding steak in its whole form to a toasted bun instead of a ground patty. In other words, you cut the steak from the bone to make a boneless portion, cook it to your desired level of doneness, and add it to the bun with your favorite toppings. It’s like a burger steak that combines everything you love about hamburgers and steak.
Pick Your Steak
Buy the highest quality ground beef, which is sirloin. It will have the most steaky, beefy flavor. Other common steaks to use are beefsteak, Angus, and prime rib. Chuck steak is a good choice because it has a decent amount of fat content to keep the burger juicy in addition to its bold flavor.
Grind Your Own Steak
Grinding your own steak burger patties can be a great way to ensure that you’re getting exactly what you want in your burgers. You can keep as much fat content as you want or go for a leaner patty by trimming the fat before grinding. Grinding your steak also gives you the freshest meat, unlike buying it from the grocery store or butcher, where it could be sitting for hours before your purchase.
Other options would be to ask a butcher to grind your choice pieces of steak. Some butchers may already have ground steak available for purchase. Chicago Steak Company offers ground steak burger patties that are already prepared with award-winning meat and ready for you to cook and serve.
If you choose to grind your own steak, here are a few tips:
- Wash hands before and after touching the steak. Clean and sanitize grinder as soon as possible after use.
- Grind the meat when it’s cold to prevent turning mushy in the grinder. This ensures meat stays at a safe temperature.
- Keep your grinder cold, which helps the meat stay cold as it grinds.
- Cube steak first, breaking into small, 1-inch chunks to help it move through the grinder.
- If using two types of steaks, add them together in the grinder to ensure an even mix.
- When shaping the ground meat into patties, try not to overpack them. Keeping them a little loose allows the natural juices to move through the steak for better flavor and texture.
Steak burger Spices
Add a little spice to the mix, even if it’s just with kosher salt and black pepper. Or use steak seasoning for an extra kick into every bite. Add your choice of spices to a bowl with the ground steak. Use your hands to combine the ingredients thoroughly. You might also add a little steak sauce, Worcestershire sauce, or even a little beef broth or mushroom gravy to kick up the flavor profile a bit.
Preparing Steak burgers
Use hands to shape the meat into patties. Generally, make four patties from 2 pounds of ground steak, but the patty size you make is up to you. Avoid going too big, or you may end up with some overcooked outsides and undercooked insides.
Pack the patties until they’re slightly loose to keep them juicy as they cook. Make a small imprint with your thumb in the middle of each patty to keep them from being too thick. This allows the center to cook evenly with the rest of the patty.
If you’re using pieces of whole boneless steak instead of ground steak, you can simply mix your chosen spices together in a bowl and rub the mixture into all sides of each piece of steak.
Cooking Steak burgers
Oven. Cook your patties on a non-stick baking sheet in a preheated 375-degrees oven. Cook between four to six minutes on each side, depending on your desired level of doneness. Optionally, sear burgers in a pan on the stove before putting them in the oven.
Grill. Since steak burgers don’t have a lot of fat content, grilling is a safe way to cook them for a smokier flavor. Place burgers on the high-heat part of the grill for two to three minutes per each side. Then, move them to the low-heat part of the grill for an additional two to six minutes to reach desired level of doneness.
Pan. It’s best to use a cast iron skillet if you’re cooking patties on the stove. Brush patties with a small amount of oil and cook over medium-high heat for about three minutes on each side, or a bit more for extra doneness.
Steak burger Inspirations
You can grill burgers and pile them with traditional toppings like onion, lettuce, and tomato. Use these recipe inspiration guidelines to create one-of-a-kind steak burgers that will totally have you rethinking the beef patty and your traditional toppings.
Steak burger with Herb Butter: Herb butter compliments regular steak, so why not try it on a steak burger. Add your favorite herbs to the butter and spread onto both sides of the bun. Spread a little on the tops of the buns and toss them on the grill with your steak to crisp them before adding the patty.
Spicy Bacon Steak burger: Add your favorite spices – like chili pepper flakes or cayenne pepper – to the ground meat before forming it into patties. Top with hot sauce or buffalo sauce and a few strips of crispy bacon. Pepper Jack or mozzarella cheese also add a little flavor. Add pickles, lettuce, and tomato to balance the heat.
BBQ Grilled Steak burger: During the last five minutes of cooking the burgers, spread your favorite BBQ sauce on each side. Assemble burger with a little more sauce, cheese, and grilled onion. If you are feeling bold, add some barbecue baked beans on top!
Smothered Steak burger: Mushrooms, onions, and mozzarella cheese are excellent toppings for a bold, flavorful steak burger. Sauté mushrooms and onions in butter until tender and slightly browned. Add mozzarella cheese to the burger in the last couple of minutes of cooking to get it melting. Top burger with plenty of mushrooms and onions.
Hawaiian-Style Steakburger: Bring together savory and sweet flavors. Use Hawaiian-style buns and top them with a sweet chili or spicy mango sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion, and thinly sliced pineapple rings. Add a kick of heat to the burgers with some red pepper flakes before forming them into patties. Top off burgers with a few jalapeno slices.
Salisbury Steak burger: Season burgers to your preference. Slice mushrooms and onions, sauté with butter in a hot pan. Add brown gravy to the mixture. Top burgers with Swiss cheese slices and the mushroom and onion mixture.
Steak burger with Gravy: Feel like skipping the bun? These patties are so flavorful they stand alone just fine with your favorite toppings. Try drizzling a little gravy on top. The Salisbury steak burger or smothered steak burger recipes make great bun-less burgers.
Steak burger Sliders: Turn your favorite steak burger recipe into sliders when you’re feeding the family or the tailgate party crowd. Section off each ½-pound patty into four parts, making them mini patties perfectly sized for quick bites. Prepare several different toppings and sauces for a build-your-own-slider vibe.