How to Cook Burgers in the Oven

If you ask my oldest child what he wants for dinner, 10/10 times he’ll say “burgers“.

That said, we have burgers for dinner a lot and, while I’ve mastered pan frying burgers, I dread cooking them. It’s SUCH a mess! Between the five of us we go through at least eight patties and by the time they’re all cooked, the stovetop, counters, and floor are slick with splattered grease. Plus I’ve got a giant cast iron skillet to let cool down before hand scrubbing.

Luckily, there’s an easier way — Baked Burgers!

Baked Cheeseburgers have completely changed burger night at our house. Not only is there ZERO mess but I have my hands free for the 20 minutes they take to bake to whip up a side dish and gather burger toppings. Plus my entire family likes these baked burgers better than pan fried, which is saying a lot because we really love our pan-fried burgers!

Watch How to Make Them

Oven Baked Burgers

The first time I made baked burgers I fully anticipated them coming out of the oven soggy and grey, but that’s not the case at all. These burgers are super tender, juicy, and again, HANDS OFF. No need to flip the patties, no cooking spray — just place them onto an aluminum foil and parchment paper lined baking sheet then send them off into the oven.

Goodbye. Don’t call me I’ll call you.

I like to season the ground beef burgers with an easy homemade seasoning blend using ingredients I bet you’ve already got on hand. I’ll share the recipe below, but know that you can use whatever seasonings or blend you like best.

How Long Do Burgers Take to Cook in the Oven?

I use 2lbs ground beef to create eight burger patties, so each burger is 1/4lb. That said, eight 1/4lb burgers only take 20 minutes to reach 160 degrees in a 375 degree oven.

This a true 30 minute meal: 10 minutes to season then shape the burgers and 20 minutes to cook.

What Kind of Ground Beef to Use

It’s true that fat = flavor, but I prefer to use lean ground beef for oven baked burgers. The patties don’t shrink and there’s less mess. Actually there’s zero mess, like I mentioned!

I tested these burgers with 90/10 and 97/3 ground beef, and preferred 90/10. Both fat blends came out extremely tender and juicy, but the 90/10 had a bit more flavor.

If you decide to go with a fattier ground beef, I’d place the burger patties on a wire rack on the baking sheet so they don’t sit in grease.

Our Favorite Toppings

Like I said, I like to spend the 20 minutes the burgers take to bake to prep the burger toppings and make a side dish — usually a fresh and healthy veggie salad or big fruit salad — although frozen french fries hit the spot too!

Here are our favorite burger toppings:

• Sauteed garlic butter mushrooms
• Oven Bacon
• Sliced white onion or red onion
• Fresh tomato
• Fresh lettuce
• Pickles
• Ketchup
• Mustard
• Mayonnaise

How to Soften Gluten Free Buns

Let’s be real, gluten free buns are usually lacking in the soft and squishy department, but I have two tricks to make them more appetizing:

1. Toast them: Toast the buns cut side up under the broiler until they’re golden brown and softened. Top with a cheeseburger patty and toppings then eat immediately.
2. Wrap them. Place a baked burger patty onto the bun then wrap in foil and place inside the hot oven for a few minutes. Softens them right up! We do this with both with my gluten free bun and the regular hamburgers buns my kids and husband eat. Such a game changer!

Or you can always wrap the oven burgers in iceberg lettuce for a low carb / bunless burger. It’s actually really good.

How to Cook Burgers in the Oven

Step 1: Season the Beef

Start by adding ground beef to a large bowl with my easy burger seasoning blend, or whatever your favorite seasoning blend is. Here’s what’s in my mix:

• Dried minced onion
• Dried minced garlic
• Fennel seeds that have been crushed (I place them inside a small baggie then crush with a meat mallet).
• Salt
• Black pepper

Mix the beef and seasonings with your hands until just combined.

Step 2: Shape the Mixture into Patties

Divide the seasoned beef mixture into quarters then each quarter in half. Use your hands to shape 8 burger patties then place them on a sheet pan that’s been lined with foil and a piece of parchment paper which helps prevent splatters.

Step 3: Bake the Burgers then Top with Cheese

Bake the hamburgers for 20-25 minutes, or until they register 160 degrees as read by a digital meat thermometer. Place American cheese slices (or whatever you like best — cheddar cheese is great too!) on top of each patty and slide the pan back into the oven until melted —just a minute or so.

Step 4: Toast Hamburger Buns then Add Toppings

Transfer the cheeseburger patties to toasted hamburger buns, or try that foil-wrapped warming trick I mentioned, then top with all the fixins and dig in.

I hope you love these EASY, tender, and totally delicious baked cheeseburgers! Enjoy!

More Easy Family-Friendly Recipes

• Crispy Gluten-Free Chicken Cutlets
• Cheeseburger Bombs
• Ground Beef Stroganoff
• Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Rice
• One Pot Chicken and Rice
• Baked Chicken Thighs
• Creamy Ham Peas and Pasta
• Oven Baked Burgers
• American Goulash
• Easy Chicken Fried Rice

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