These butter burgers are easily in my top 5 favorite burgers that I’ve ever made! A roasted garlic and Worcestershire compound butter gets grated and mixed in with ground beef for smashed butter burgers that are full of flavor and beefy goodness!
I’m just going to say it… Smash burgers are probably the greatest burgers of all time. If you’ve never made a classic smash burger, or even a fried onion burger, then you’re definitely missing out.
But what happens when you take a flavorful compound butter and you grate it into the ground beef balls for your smash burgers? Pure perfection!
In fact, I’ve never seen my wife devour a burger as fast as she did this one. And that speaks volumes because she typically isn’t the biggest burger fan! Here’s how to make this easy butter burger recipe with a homemade compound butter:
What is a Butter Burger?
A butter burger is a decadent twist on the classic hamburger, made by incorporating butter into the ground beef before cooking or slathering butter on top of the burger after it’s cooked.
The butter burger originated in Wisconsin in the 1930’s, though the burgers have been made popular by national restaurant chains such as Culver’s and Steak ‘n Shake. And while everyone makes their butter burgers slightly differently – Culver’s butters the top of the hamburger bun, for instance – these burgers prove the popular saying, “Everything is better with butter”.
What Type of Butter and Ground Beef to Use
Butter: For the best butter burgers, use unsalted butter to have better control over the level of seasoning. Many people suggest using a high quality European-style butter, but I have had fantastic results using regular unsalted butter. But definitely don’t use margarine… ever.
Ground Beef: Opt for ground beef with a higher fat content, such as 80/20 or 85/15. The fat not only adds flavor but also keeps the burgers juicy.
Tips for Making Butter Burgers:
- Use frozen butter – After making the compound butter, freeze it for at least 2 hours so that it is easier to grate.
- Don’t overwork the meat – The more you handle the ground beef, the warmer it will become due to the heat of your hands. That could cause the butter to melt, which isn’t what you want. Overworking the ground beef can also make your burgers tough.
- Keep the prepared burger balls in the fridge until ready to grill – Preheating your griddle or skillet can take anywhere from 5-15 minutes. If you keep your burger balls outside during that time, the compound butter could melt in the beef.
More of a visual learner? Watch me make these fantastic butter burgers on my YouTube channel:
How to Make Butter Burgers
Step 1: Make the Compound Butter
For this butter burger recipe, we used compound butter for extra flavor. So the first step is to mix and freeze the compound butter.
Start by roasting a head of garlic to add to the softened butter. If you’ve never roasted garlic before, then not to worry – it’s super easy and the flavor is amazing! Just follow these steps:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the top 1/4 off the head of garlic, exposing the cloves.
- Drizzle a bit of olive oil or avocado oil on top of the exposed garlic cloves.
- Wrap the garlic in aluminum foil and bake in the oven at 375°F for about 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, remove the foil pouch from the oven and allow the garlic to cool in the foil until it’s cool enough to handle.
When the head of garlic has cooled, add the roasted garlic to a bowl with the butter, Worcestershire sauce, and prepared horseradish. The great thing about roasting garlic is that you don’t have to worry about peeling and mincing the cloves. Just squeeze on the bulb and the garlic will come right out in a paste-like consistency:
Mix the garlic, butter, and other ingredients until well combined. Then, add the compound butter to plastic wrap, roll up tightly in a log shape, and freeze for at least 2 hours.
Step 2: Mix the Butter and Ground Beef
When the butter is cold and hardened, grate it into a large bowl with the ground beef. I used the large holes on my box cheese grater. I find that this works better because the shreds of butter are thicker and, therefore, don’t melt as quickly.
Mix the butter into the ground beef, just until incorporated.
*TIP – I suggest using a spatula or spoon and making the butter burger balls indoors to help keep the butter cold. The heat of your hands will melt the butter more quickly, and then you won’t have those incredible ribbons of flavored butter throughout the burger.
Next, roll the beef mixture into balls that are about 3 to 3.5 ounces each, or about the size of an egg. Again, try to be quick when handling the ground beef to keep the butter cool.
Your burger balls should look something like this, very similar to making smash burgers:
Step 3: Cook the Smashed Butter Burgers
From this point on, the process of making these butter burgers is exactly the same as making classic smash burgers on the griddle. Whether or not you add onions is up to you, and you can choose your favorite cheese.
We used deli deluxe American cheese for our burgers, and we also smashed thinly sliced onions into the beef as it cooked, just like we do with Oklahoma onion burgers.
When the burger patties are cooked through, your butter burgers are ready to serve! As with most homemade burgers, these delicious butter smash burgers are best when they’re served hot off the grill.
I suggest stacking two patties on top of each other for a double burger. Then, as you’re removing the burgers from the griddle, tilt your spatula a bit to let some of the excess grease drain off before transferring the patties to toasted buns.
Serve your butter burgers with a bit of mayonnaise and dill pickles, or they’re also great as is without condiments!
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Butter Burgers (with Roasted Garlic Compound Butter)
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef *80/20 or 85/15 is preferred
- salt and pepper
- 8 slices American cheese
- 4 hamburger buns *we like brioche buns for this recipe
- thinly sliced onions optional, for onion-style butter burgers
- 2-3 tablespoons butter *for toasting the buns
- mayonnaise, mustard, or your favorite burger toppings
For the Roasted Garlic Butter:
- 1 medium head of garlic
- 1 tablespoon oil *like olive oil or avocado oil
- ¾ stick unsalted butter softened
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
Instructions
- Roast the garlic for the compound butter. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the top 1/4 off the head of garlic, exposing the cloves. Drizzle a bit of olive oil or avocado oil on top of the exposed garlic cloves. Wrap the garlic in aluminum foil and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes. Then, remove the foil pouch from the oven and allow the garlic to cool in the foil until it’s cool enough to handle.
- Make the compound butter. When the head of garlic has cooled, add the roasted garlic to a bowl with the butter, Worcestershire sauce, and prepared horseradish. Mix together well. Wrap the butter mixture tightly in a piece of plastic wrap, forming it into a log shape. Freeze the butter for at least 2 hours.
- Make the butter burger balls. Add the ground beef to a large mixing bowl. Grate the frozen butter directly into the bowl with the beef. Mix the butter and the beef gently so as not to melt the butter. Then, roll the beef mixture into balls that are about 3 to 3.5 ounces each, or slightly larger than the size of an egg. Refrigerate the butter burger balls until griddle or skillet is preheated.
- Heat griddle or skillet on medium heat. For griddle cooking, the griddle should be about 400-425°F.
- Cook the smashed butter burgers on the first side. Place the ground beef balls on the preheated flat top grill or in the skillet. Top each beef ball with a handful of sliced onions (if using). Use a stiff spatula or a burger press to smash the ground beef balls down on the cooking surface, until about 1/4 – 1/3" thick. Sprinkle the top with salt and pepper. Allow the burgers to cook untouched until the outside edges of the sliced onions are lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes.
- Flip and continue to cook the butter burgers until done. Flip the burgers to the second side, so that the sliced onions are now in contact with the cooking surface. Immediately after flipping, top each burger patty with a slice of American cheese (if using). Cook the butter burgers an additional 2-3 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Butter and toast the buns. Spread about ½ tablespoon of butter on the cut side of the hamburger buns. While burgers are cooking, place the buttered buns on the griddle to toast. When buns are done toasting, remove them from the griddle.
- Serve your butter burgers. When burgers are done cooking, stack two burger patties on top of each other to make a double butter burger. *TIP – As you're removing the double burgers from the griddle, tilt the spatula a bit to allow some of the excess grease to drain off before adding the burgers to the bun. Place the burgers on the bottom bun, and top with your favorite burger toppings and the top bun. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- To save time, you may prepare the roasted garlic compound butter the day before. Freeze until ready to grate into the meat mixture.
I’m looking to purchase a griddle. I think I’m going with the Weber slate 36. My question is, it will be out on my deck all year long, I leave in Maryland so we do get some wintery weather. What would be the best way to help keep it from rusting. I see some people use a silicone mat. what would you recommend. Thanks Scott!!