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These are the BEST homemade hamburgers!! This cheesy Ranch Burger is complete with the most delicious secret sauce!
While we love a Classic Hamburger, this is the recipe we use most often for summer BBQ’s! If we’re trying to eat a little leaner, we’ll opt for our Turkey Burgers, but these ranch burgers are they way to go for big juicy flavor!
We love to Barbecue!
It’s a summertime favorite, and we love nothing more than the smell of steaks or burgers on the grill.
I think we’re especially more likely to get out and grill on holidays like Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day. Do you guys do the same thing?
If you’re hamburger fans like we are, then you’ll definitely want to try this ranch burger recipe (that comes with a special sauce too)! It’s really quite simple, but it’s far from ordinary!
This uncomplicated combination of cheddar cheese and ranch mix will make your burgers taste delicious!
How to Make Homemade Hamburgers
Once you realize how easy it is to make hamburger patties, you will never purchase pre-made patties ever again.
PATTIES. Put the raw ground beef in a bowl and mix in the ranch seasoning and cheddar cheese. Use your hands to form the ground beef into patties.
When forming your patties keep the thickness to about ¾ inches. Make a slight indentation with your thumb in the center to prevent the burger from bulging while they cook.
Note: Keep in mind that you can get at least 4 patties out of 1 lb of meat and that the patties will shrink a little bit when they cook.
GRILL. Grill the burgers to your liking. If you don’t have a grill, you can use other cooking methods (listed below).
SAUCE. While those patties are on the grill, mix all of the ingredients to make the secret sauce. A whisk works just fine for this.
Ways to cook a burger
Whichever cooking method you choose, be sure that your burger reaches an internal temperature of 160° F.
Outdoor grill. (Our favorite method) Add the burger to a preheated grill (375-400°F). Cook on a grill grate over high direct heat and watch for fire flair-ups.
- Medium-rare: Cook for 3 minutes flip and cook for 4 minutes more.
- Medium: Cook for 3 minutes flip and cook 5 minutes more.
- Medium well: Cook for 3 minutes flip and cook for 6 minutes more.
- Well done: Cook for 3 minutes flip and cook for 7 minutes more.
Pan fry. (Cast iron skillet works the best) Heat a little oil in the pan over high heat. When you put the burgers in, they should immediately sizzle. Cook until golden brown about 3-5 minutes on each side.
George Foreman Grill. Cook for 7-8 minutes.
Broil in an oven. Turn the broiler to HIGH. Evenly space the patties onto a broiler pan. Broil for 4-6 minutes on each side.
Oven bake. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake on an ungreased sheet for 8-10 on each side.
Recipe Tips
Tips for a juicy burger.
- Choose freshly ground meat when possible.
- Choosing ground beef with higher fat content, such as 80/20, will produce a juicy burger. Lean meats make a tough drier burger.
- Don’t over-mix the meat.
- Keep the meat mixture cold until you’re ready to cook. The fat in the burger will keep it from cooking out creating a flavorful and juicy burger. Keep in mind the more fat there is the more the burger will shrink.
Keep the patties from falling apart. There can be all sorts of reasons why a patty didn’t keep its shape. I’ve listed a few common ones here:
- When the meat gets warm the juices inside start to break it down. Keeping the meat cold will help it keep its shape.
- Don’t overwork the raw meat while seasoning and shaping it. Do not flip the patties too many times as they cook.Â
- Adding liquids to flavor the meat can cause it to become too wet to stick together.
- Adding too many chopped ingredients like onion or peppers can keep the meat from sticking together.
- Cooking them at a temperature that is too low can also cause them to fall apart. You want the burgers to form a nice crisp crust pretty quickly.
Serving Suggestions
Once your ranch burgers are done, serve them on buns with the secret sauce and your favorite burger toppings which might include:
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- A slice of cheese
- Pickles
- Onions
- Bacon
- Avocado
What to serve with hamburgers. There are SO many options, but you can find some great recipes in these collections:
Storing Info
Make ahead of time. Pre-make the patties and store them, uncooked, in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months. Be sure to separate the patties with freezer paper. Thaw in the fridge.
STORE. Leftover Ranch Burger recipe can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
FREEZE them for up to 4 months.
Reheat in the microwave, on the stovetop, or bake/broil in the oven.
Recipe FAQ
Our top tips are to keep the meat cold, don’t overwork the meat when forming patties, and don’t flip too many times on the grill. Adding too many chopped ingredients like onion or peppers can also keep the meat from sticking together.
Make a slight indentation with your thumb in the center of each patty to prevent the burger from bulging while it cooks.
For more burgers and sandwiches, try:
Ranch Burger Recipe
Ingredients
For Burger Patty
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- 1 package Hidden Valley ranch mix or 3 tablespoons
For Secret Sauce
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup relish
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Other Topping Ideas
- lettuce
- tomato
- onion slices
- pickles
- avocado
- bacon
Instructions
- Mix cheese and ranch into your hamburger meat and form into patties. Grill to your liking.
- Combine all sauce ingredients and mix well with a whisk.
- Top with this delicious sauce for a fantastic restaurant style burger.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My husband loved the change up from a regular grilled burger and the sauce was excellent!
The burgers were great, but I REALLY loved that secret sauce! We will be making often!
Our go-to for summer BBQs, these juicy ranch burgers are so good! The family loves them! They ask about the ‘secret sauce’ 😀
My ranch loving family went crazy for these!! I can’t believe how yummy they turned out. I will double the recipe next time to make more.
If you don’t like a bland burger like me this is a great recipe. This recipe is easy and your end product is a flavorful burger.
My family loves this recipe and I love that it’s so easy to put together. It’s in my meal rotation all year, not just summer!
I found your website looking for a ranch burger recipe. I don’t have any Hidden Valley packets but do have powdered ranch in a jar. Thank you so much for giving me a conversion to tbsp. I decided to check out some of your other links. I’ve come to the conclusion that I found a nice little jem here.
That secret sauce made an already great burger simply devine. My new favourite.