Why you’ll love this baked hamburgers recipe
The big game is right around the corner, and I’m dying to know what everyone is planning to eat. I could care less who’s playing. It’s all about the food for me. We all know there will be snacks, but when I’m hosting I always try to serve something filling – and these perfectly cooked burgers are my go-to choice.
This recipe makes 12 burgers, which makes it perfect for hosting, and you can cook them in the oven, which means you won’t miss any of the game and there won’t be any running out to the grill in the snow.
The key is cooking them in the oven is cooling rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. This lets the air circulate all the way around each patty so they cook evenly while allowing the grease to drip below, just like a grill.
More game day favorites: dairy free potato skins / quick & easy beer chili / fried onion strings
Ingredient notes:
- Ground chuck (80/20) – The fat content here matters. 80/20 keeps the burgers juicy as they bake. Anything fattier might cause a buildup of grease.
- Granulated garlic – I find it easiest to just use granulated or garlic powder to make burgers, but you can use fresh minced garlic if you want.
- Mustard – I always add a little bit to my burgers. It adds a subtle tang and helps bind the patties.
- Hot sauce – This is totally optional, but it adds a nice kick without making the burgers really spicy.
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.
Melissa’s tips & tricks
- Make sure your rack is oven safe. Not all cooling racks are safe to put in the oven. If your rack has a non-stick coating, make sure it’s safe to use in the oven (not all of them are) or opt for a stainless steel or aluminum rack instead.
- Weigh your patties. Use a kitchen scale to make sure your patties are the same size for even cooking. You want each patty to be 4 ounces or ¼ pound.
- Use a meat thermometer. The easiest way to check for doneness is to use a thermometer. 155˚F–160˚F is medium. 165˚-170˚F will be well done.
- How to serve: I like to create an assemble your own bar so my guests can choose their own toppings – starting with burgers and buns on one side, leading through the different toppings and, on the other end, condiments and napkins.
Frequently asked questions
Yes — and they turn out great. Baking at a high temperature (425˚F) gives you a nicely browned, juicy patty without any flipping required. The rack setup is the key to making it work.
For medium, take the burgers out of the oven when the center reaches 155˚F–160˚F. This should take about 15 minutes. For well done, the center should be 165˚F, so you’ll need to add a few minutes of cook time – about 5 more minutes.
The patties can be formed and refrigerated up to 24 hours before baking — just keep them covered and separate with pieces of parchment paper if you need to stack them.
More beef recipes: shredded beef tacos / grilled beef satay / bolognese sauce / Guinness braised beef / Greek meatballs / diner style cheeseburgers
Baked Hamburgers
Ingredients
For the burgers:
- 3 pounds lean ground beef, 80/20
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic, or garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 – 2 teaspoons hot sauce, such as Tabasco
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425˚F and place an oven-safe cooling rack into a cookie sheet. This allows the air to circulate under the patties, and lets them cook more evenly.
- Make your burger patties. Mix the ground beef with the yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, granulated garlic, hot sauce and salt & pepper until evenly combined.Then, divide and shape into quarter pound burger patties.
- Bake your burgers. Place the patties onto the rack and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 155˚F – 160˚F for medium or 165˚F – 170˚F for well done.* Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.If you want to add cheese, do this with about 2 minutes left in cooking time to give it time to melt.Remove burgers from oven and allow them to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More things to cook in the oven: how to broil steak in the oven / crispy baked chicken wings / baked chicken fajitas / baked scallops / baked chicken kabobs
This a good “base” recipe for beef Patties for a crowd for entertaining purposes.
Thank you for sharing your recipe and the ideas therein.
I tend to cook my burger patties at 450 degrees F. But that is merely My own preference because I like to make sure they are cooked through.
I use fresh diced onions, minced garlic, salt/black pepper, ketchup, and a few shakes of Lawry’s.
Keep cooking.
Thank you Melissa! This guide really saved my life and improved my cooking skills even though it is really, really easy.
“Great article! I found your insights really valuable and informative. Your writing style is engaging, making it easy to follow along and understand the topic. Keep up the excellent work, and I look forward to reading more from you in the future!”
I am happy to find this recipe and have hopes of a cleaner kitchen now. Tonight’s attempt didn’t produce what I was hoping for, but it did get me researching and I’m hopeful for the next attempt. I have learned alot about hamburgers now! I read through the various comments and related to the “setting off all the smoke alarms” group tonight, though. This website helped give some hints as to why: https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/4496/why-do-my-hamburgers-smoke
I was cooking other things in the oven which blocked heat from the burgers and made them take longer. I think I poked them too many times because it was only at the very end that they started smoking. I’m also wondering if I should use a smaller pan so it fits my burgers better as this site suggested in some of the fine print responses. Hope this helps some of you to try again even if the smoke alarms went off.
People – pic clearly shows that the rack goes into the cookie sheet, then burgers are placed on top. It also mentions it in the directions.
Wonderful, time saving recipe! I followed your directions and the hamburgers turned out perfectly (medium) as promised.
Didn’t see popups, but burgers were way under cooked.
use dawn power wash on the rack. It’s a miracle cleaner.