Why you will love these Luke’s diner burgers
So it’s been two weeks since the Gilmore Girls revival premiere on Netflix. We made a huge deal of it. We had Luke’s Diner cheeseburgers for dinner with fries (with a salt & pepper dip!).
I did a bit of internet research about what makes really good diner cheeseburgers, but I didn’t really find one specific answer. So I decided to go with what I like best. Classic burger sauce and loads of caramelized onions. You could add other toppings if you want, but I went with cheddar, lettuce, tomatoes and pickles.
The recipe makes enough burger sauce for at least 8 burgers, but I only made 6 patties so you’ll probably have extra sauce. That’s not a bad thing though, right? We used some of the extra on our fries, and it was great. You could even make double the amount of burgers and still be ok. It’s up to you.
More sandwich recipes: BBQ pork banh mi sandwich / ultimate turkey club sandwich / sausage and peppers sandwich / chipotle chicken avocado melt
Ingredient notes:
- Ground chuck – Ground chuck is probably the perfect meat choice for burgers, it has the perfect amount of fat content – the patties form well and you will get a nice juicy, diner burger. If you aren’t using ground chuck it’s best to use a ground beef that is 80/20, the leaner versions of ground beef tend to leave you with a dry burger.
- Mayonnaise – If you want to make this recipe egg free, swap the mayo in the burger sauce for some vegan mayo.
- Dairy free cheese slices – You should use your favorite dairy free or plant based cheese slices. Take a look at my guide to dairy free cheese if you are having a hard time deciding.
- Burger toppings – We topped these classic burgers with caramelized onions, tomatoes, pickles
- Hamburger buns – Swap these out for a gluten free burger bun and this recipe is gluten free!
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
The following is a detailed overview of the recipe steps with added tips and tricks for recipe success. For a simplified and printable version, including ingredient amounts and more formal instructions, see the recipe card below.
How to make these diner burgers at home
Make the sauce. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients and set aside. You can also make this ahead of time and keep it in the fridge you are ready to make the burgers.
Form the patties. Combine burger ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Gently mix until ingredients have been well incorporated. Be careful not to over mix, this will make the burgers tough.
Cook the burgers. Heat a large skillet or griddle to medium high. Cook the burgers for 3-5 minutes per side. When there is 1 minute remaining on the second side, top each burger with a dairy free cheese slice, allowing it to melt before removing the burgers from the skillet.
Assemble. Starting with the bottom bun, spread a layer of burger sauce followed by pickle, tomato, and the burger pattie. Finish the burger off with caramelized onions and additional burger sauce, and of course, the top bun.
More burger recipes: grilled bison burgers / spiced lamb burgers / baked hamburgers
Luke’s Diner Cheeseburgers
Ingredients
Burger Sauce:
- 1 cup mayonnaise, or vegan mayo for egg free
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup dill pickle relish
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Burgers:
- 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck, 8020
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Toppings:
- Dairy free cheddar slices
- 1 large sweet onion, caramelized
- 2 roma tomatoes, sliced
- Pickle slices
- 6 hamburger buns, or gluten free hamburger buns
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- In a large bowl, mix together burger ingredients until incorporated. Form into 6 1/4-pound patties, about 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick.
- Preheat a skillet or griddle to medium-high heat. Cook patties for 3 – 5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Melt cheese onto burgers with about 1 minute before fully cooked.
- To assemble, top each bottom bun with burger sauce, pickle, tomato, lettuce, a burger, onions and additional burger sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
I was searching Pinterest recently to find a good burger recipe to make for my oldest son’s birthday. I found this recipe, and thought it looked really good for a more traditional-type burger, since that’s what he wanted. These were amazing! And that sauce is incredible! It’s a great sauce to dip fries in as well. We don’t eat burgers very often, but I was in heaven last night! We added bacon to our burgers, and we also had them on homemade buns. Thanks so much for this delicious recipe!
I love dipping fries in the sauce, too! It’s amazing. I’m totally adding bacon to my burger next time. That sounds so good that I think I’m adding these to the menu for this week. Thanks for the idea 🙂 I’m so glad you liked the recipe!