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I don’t think burgers ever get tiring! They’re a timeless classic and always a favorite among teens, potlucks, guests, and kids!
I developed this recipe when I was desperate to have burgers but didn’t have a grill. I used my favorite burger recipe, smashed them on parchment paper, put them on a sheet pan, and cranked up the oven.
If you put these under the broiler, they give a grill-charred effect and cook speedily!
To my surprise, my boys told me they tasted like Restaurant burgers (and they were the easiest thing to make)!
I then wrote down the recipe “oven burgers” and have been making them ever since!
Because these are the way I’ve been making burgers, I thought it was time to share it with other folks. Maybe you don’t own a grill but crave burgers?
These are it! Everything burgers in the oven should be! Savory and perfectly browned! Seasoned just right. Smokey-charred flavor. Easy. Served on homemade hamburger buns and layered with all the sandwich toppings?! Come on!
Are you not craving a burger by now? I am…
How To Cook Burgers in the Oven
You can cook burgers on a cookie sheet and you probably didn’t even know that! They don’t take long at all under the broiler! Let’s walk through how to make sheet pan burgers step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch my reel on Instagram!
Make Hamburger Buns
I have been making hamburger buns for years! Many store-bought packs are loaded with ingredients I can’t even pronounce and contain soybean oil! If I were to buy buns they’d need to have cleaner ingredients like these hamburger buns from Azure or certain brioche buns.
These are fantastic homemade options! Try our multi-grain or whole wheat buns! And if you prefer feather-light buns these have received many rave reviews, over the years! I like to make these ahead of time and freeze them for burger nights!
Make the Hamburger Patties
The first step in making these easy sheet pan burgers is to make sure you’re starting with thawed ground beef. You don’t want your fingers to be like icicles trying to break up partially frozen meat!
I like to keep a baking dish of meats I’m planning to use throughout the week in the fridge. This gives them time to thaw. One-pound packages are the best! They thaw quickly and help calculate how much meat I need to pull out of the freezer.
Next, combine the ground beef with an egg, crushed garlic cloves, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. I use my hands to mix the hamburger. Keep mixing until the meat mixture gets sticky (about 5 minutes). Sometimes, I pound the meat against the bowl so that the mixture binds and sticks together better. It’s really amazing what this will do.
Pat the meat mixture evenly across the bowl. Score and make indents in the meat like you would cut a pie. Cut into the pieces using your hands.
Shape each piece into a ball and place over a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
How To Make Oven Baked Burgers
I like to use this extra large 21×14 pan. All eight burgers fit perfectly inside, once smashed. Alternately, you could use two 18×13 pans, too.
Set the oven to broil, over high. Place the oven rack in the middle of the oven.
Place the sheet pan of smashed burgers into the oven and broil for 8-10 minutes. The hamburger patties will release a gelatinous juice and the meat will be browned in some spots. Flip onto the other side and broil for an additional 5 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. This will take quick and the patties might even look like they are barely done so, use a meat thermometer.
Turn off the oven and put a slice of American cheese over each hamburger patty. Put the burgers back in the oven for 1 minute for the cheese to melt. I like to use American Deluxe cheese slices, they seem more durable for burgers and melt beautifully.
Remove the sheet pan burgers from the oven.
Assembling Burgers
I keep my burgers simple. We usually smear the buns with homemade mayonnaise and add a squirt of homemade ketchup. Then we layer lettuce (I’ve been loving the baby crisp green leaf lettuce from Walmart), tomatoes, and thinly sliced onions. That’s it!
Sometimes I like to serve potato chips on the side or make a veggie tray with ranch dressing. It’s really that simple! And you can still eat these outside and arrange everything on a picnic table to enjoy the greater outdoors!
Storing
If I have leftover hamburger patties I usually make them into sandwiches and wrap them up with ceramic wrap. Then put them in the fridge to keep for up to 3 days. This is because most of the toppings are out when we’re eating burgers so, it only makes sense to use up the fixings, then and there.
To reheat, I remove the plastic wrap and wrap each burger (with the fixings) in foil. Put them in the oven and bake them at 350°F for 15-20 minutes. They come out of the oven, all hot and fresh. And I don’t mind one bit if the tomato or lettuce is warm, the burgers are still good!
If that bothers you, by all means keep the lettuce and tomatoes off and add them to the burgers after they heat in the oven. That works, too.
Assembled and ready burgers (or sandwiches) make a great “make-ahead” meal that you can grab for hikes, park dates, and so much more. You can even eat these burgers cold (they are that good).
FAQ’s about Oven Baked Burgers
How long to cook burgers in oven if baking at 400?
I have tested this recipe baking it at 400°F for the first 8 minutes and then switching it to broil for the last 5 minutes or so. I find that the broil setting works best as the burgers cook rapidly. However, you need to watch the burgers in the oven as they can over-cook and dry out.
My hamburger meat has this gelatinous layer?
This jelly-like layer is 100% normal and will happen with oven baked burgers! On a grill, burgers would typically render fat and drip out onto the flame. However, on a sheet pan there is really no place for the fat to go so, it renders to the surface.
You can wipe it off with a paper towel but often after flipping the patties to the other side and topping it with cheese, that gelatinous substance is just part of the meat. Some of it does stay on the sheet pan and if you see it on the burgers it is totally fine and won’t affect the flavor.
I don’t have Worcestershire sauce?
Worcestershire sauce adds umami and savory flavor to the hamburger meat. If you don’t have it on hand, substitute with soy sauce or coconut liquid Aminos, with a 1:1 ratio.
Mise En PlaceEverything You Need! :
Equipment
The Best Oven Baked Burgers Ingredients and Substitutes:
- Ground beef- I like to stock my freezer with leaner grass-fed ground beef (85% lean/15% fat). If you use beef with more fat (73% lean/ 27% fat) the burgers will shrink further after the fat renders. You might to count on more grease, too.
- Egg- is to bind the hamburger patties well. These burgers can be made without it but if you can just add one, it’s so much better with an egg.
- Garlic- fresh garlic adds so much flavor to these burgers!
- Worcestershire sauce- adds that burger umami flavor we all love! You can use soy sauce or coconut liquid Aminos if you’re out.
- Salt & Pepper- don’t under season burgers. Go a little more than you think you’ll need. Most of flavors come from salt and pepper so sprinkle liberally. I measured it out for you so, you can get accurate results every time!
My Tips For Making The Best Oven Baked Burgers!
- Use brioche buns if you want restaurant-style burgers! So yum!
- Try not to over cook the burgers, they will get hard and chewy if you over do it.
- Switch up the cheese to cheddar, pepper jack, Colby. The possibilities are really endless!
- Use lettuce greens that you have on hand. I’ve made these with arugula, baby crisp green leaf, and romaine lettuce.
- If you use a sharp serrated knife you can make very thin tomato slices and stretch the servings. I can slice 8-9 thin slices of tomatoes from a medium sized tomato!
- Make your buns and condiments before hand for convenience. Sometimes I’ll get the buns going early in the morning so I can have them in time for lunch.
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Sheet Pan Burgers
Equipment
- 21×14 sheet pan
- 1 large sheet of parchment paper
Ingredients
Hamburger Patties:
- 2 lbs ground beef , (I used 85% lean/15% fat)
- 1 egg
- 6 small cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Burgers:
- 8 hamburger buns
- 8 slices American cheese
- 1/2 head Romaine lettuce
- 2 tomatoes
- 1/2 onion
- Additional Toppings: mayonnaise, ketchup, pickles
Instructions
- Line a 21×14 sheet pan with parchment paper or grease it with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Make the hamburger patties: In a large mixing bowl combine 2 pounds ground beef, 1 egg, 6 cloves crushed garlic, 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp black pepper. Mix well with your hands until the mixture gets sticky and holds together.
- Pat down the beef mixture in the bowl. Score and indent the top with your hand to resemble 8 pie slices. Shape each piece to make balls.
- Evenly space the balls over the sheet pan and smash each burger with your hand. Fix and flatten the sides with your fingers to make a round patty about 4-5 inches wide.
- Put the pan of burgers on the middle rack of your oven and set the broil on high. Cook for 8-10 minutes, then flip and broil for 3-5 minutes more. The internal temperature should read 165°F.
- Once the burgers are done, turn off the oven and place a slice of American cheese over each burger. return the burgers back to oven and allow the cheese to melt for 1 minute.
- Serve each burger in a hamburger bun with lettuce, tomatoes, and sliced onions. Top with mayonnaise, ketchup, or pickles if desired.
Notes
- These oven baked burgers have been made multiple of times. I have some photographed in brioche buns and others in homemade hamburgers buns made with sourdough and freshly milled flour.
- I recommend a larger 21×14 pan to fit all the hamburger patties. Patties take up more space once flattened.
- If you prefer to oven bake the hamburger patties you can do that at 400°F for 8 minutes, then flip them and finish them under the broiler for 4-5 minutes.
- Feel free to omit the cheese and wrap the hamburger patty in lettuce for a gluten-free and dairy-free option.
Nutrition (per serving)
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