Oven-baking is the easiest way to cook hamburgers. Simply press the seasoned ground beef into the pan, then bake it for about 15 minutes in a 400°F oven.
Once the meat is cooked, you can add some cheese, cut it into squares, and serve! It's so much easier than pan-frying.
Ground beef is so convenient, versatile, and affordable. I almost always have a package or two of vacuum-sealed ground beef in the fridge (or in the freezer), so I use it quite often when cooking for my family.
My go-to recipes used to be juicy bunless burgers and cheese-stuffed meatballs. But lately, I've been gravitating towards cooking burgers in the oven instead. It's just so easy - way easier than frying them in a pan or even grilling them.
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Ingredients
Baking burgers in the oven requires a fairly short list of ingredients that you probably have on hand. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's a general overview of what you'll need:
- Ground beef: I like to use lean ground beef (85/15). Leaner than that doesn't work in this recipe. I've tried using a 90/10 mix, and it turned out extremely dry.
- Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you might want to reduce the amount you use, or the burgers could end up too salty.
- Spices: I use onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and chili powder.
- Sliced cheddar: I like to use sharp cheddar or even extra sharp for the best flavor. Other cheeses that work well are provolone and Swiss cheese.
Instructions
It's so easy to cook burgers in the oven! There's no need to form the meat into patties or to keep an eye on the burgers as they fry or grill. And just as important - no grease splatters to clean up!
See the recipe card below for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
- Your first step is to combine the ground beef with the spices.
- Now, gently press the mixture into a glass square 8-inch pan. There's no need to grease the pan.
- Bake the meat until cooked through. This should take about 15 minutes in a 400°F oven. Carefully drain.
- Top the cooked meat with the cheese slices, as shown in the image below. Return the pan to the oven and bake just until the cheese is melted, about 2 more minutes.
- Allow to rest for 5 minutes, then cut into four squares and serve.
Expert tip
When mixing the spices into the beef, you want to spread the spices evenly into the beef mixture, but you don't want to overwork the mixture.
It's a fine balance, for sure. But a gentle touch will help ensure that the burgers come out light rather than dense.
Frequently asked questions
They are. The only issue is that the meat does tend to come out a bit drier compared to frying or grilling since some juices are lost while baking. So they are not as good as, say, broiled burgers.
Still, these burgers are delicious, and my family requests them often. I would say their main advantage is that they are very easy to make.
It should take about 15 minutes. The best way to ensure they're done is to use an instant-read thermometer.
I aim for an internal temperature of 155°F since I then return them to the oven to melt the cheese, at which point they should reach 160°F.
No, there's no need to flip. I simply season the meat, press it into the pan, and bake until the meat is done.
Variations
I love this recipe as is and almost always make it as written. But in case you'd like to vary the basic recipe, here are a few ideas for you:
- You can experiment with different spices. A pinch of thyme is good, and I also like to add a pinch of cumin.
- You can use different cheeses too - whatever you like as long as it's a relatively melty cheese. I like to use Swiss cheese, gruyere, and sometimes brie.
Serving suggestions
What to serve with baked hamburgers? Anything you would serve with regular burgers! I especially like to serve them with any of the following:
Storing leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in a sealed container, for 3-4 days. You can reheat them gently in the microwave at 50% power.
I actually love them best cold, straight out of the fridge! I make myself a lunch plate of these burgers, Dijon mustard, fresh-cut veggies, and quick pickles. It's one of my favorite lunches.
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Recipe card
Oven-Baked Hamburgers
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb. lean ground beef (85/15)
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 4 slices sharp cheddar
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, kosher salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and chili.
- Gently press the beef mixture into an ungreased glass square 8-inch pan.
- Bake until cooked through, 12-15 minutes. A meat thermometer should read 160 degrees F.
- If there's a lot of cooking liquid in the pan, you can drain some. I like to keep it and allow some of it to get absorbed back into the burgers as they rest.
- Top the cooked meat with the cheese slices, as shown in the video below. Return the pan to the oven and bake just until cheese is melted, 1-2 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow the burgers to rest and set for 5 minutes. Cut into four squares and serve.
WATCH THE VIDEO:
NOTES
ADD YOUR OWN NOTES
NUTRITION PER SERVING
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 