Skip the mess of pan frying burgers and bake them instead! I’ll show you how to cook burgers in the oven for the perfect burger, every time.

If you ask Lincoln what he wants for dinner, 10/10 times he’ll say “burgers“. (ICYWW, Gwen will say “pasta” and Cam will say “I don’t know“. Guess which child is my most easy going when it comes to dinner? HA! 😉 )

That said, I make burgers for dinner a lot, and while I’ve mastered pan frying burgers (we don’t grill a ton), I dread making them. It’s such a mess! Between the five of us we go through at least seven patties and by the time they’re all cooked up, the stove top and counters are slick with splattered grease and I’ve got a giant cast iron skillet to let cool down before hand scrubbing. Which, let’s be real, isn’t going to happen until the following day.

FRIENDS THERE’S AN EASIER WAY! BAKED BURGERS – WHEE!!!!

Ahem. That is to say, 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!

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 and 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 blend below, but know that you can use whatever you like instead.

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 make a side dish – usually a fresh and healthy salad, although these french fries and sweet potato fries are pretty irresistible – and prep the burger toppings. Here are our favorite toppings:

• Sauted garlic butter mushrooms
• Oven Bacon
• Sliced white onion or red onion
• Fresh tomato
• Fresh lettuce
• Pickles
• Ketchup
• Mustard
• Mayonnaise (TRY IT!)

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 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. 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 the kids and Ben 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 you can use whatever your favorite 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. The parchment paper helps prevent splatters, in my experience.

Step 3: Bake the Burgers then Top with Cheese

Bake the hamburgers for 20-25 minutes, or until they register 160 degrees with a meat thermometer, then 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

That’s all she wrote! Transfer the cheeseburger patties to toasted hamburger buns, or try that foil-wrapped warming trick I mentioned (DROOL), then top with all the fixin’s and dig in. I hope you love these EASY, tender, and totally delicious baked cheeseburgers – enjoy!

More Tasty Burger Recipes

How to Cook Burgers in the Oven

Description

Skip the mess of pan frying burgers and bake them instead! I’ll show you how to cook burgers in the oven for the perfect burger, every time.

Ingredients

• 2lbs ground beef, 90/10 or 93/7 fat recommended
• 8 buns
• 8 slices American cheese
• For the burger seasoning:
  • 2 teaspoons dried minced onion
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed finely

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees then line a half sheet pan with foil and place a piece of parchment paper on top. Set aside.
2. Add ground beef to a large mixing bowl then sprinkle burger seasoning ingredients on top and mix to combine (alternatively you could use your own burger seasoning). Divide the mixture into quarters then divide each quarter into two to create a total of eight burger patties. Place patties onto prepared baking sheet then bake for 20-25 minutes or until burgers reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
3. Place a slice of cheese onto each burger patty then return to the oven for 1 minute to let the cheese melt. Transfer cheeseburgers to buns then serve.

Notes

• I like to toast gluten free buns under the broiler for a few minutes to soften before placing a burger patty inside, OR place the baked cheeseburger patty onto a bun then wrap in foil and place inside the oven to soften for 3-4 minutes.

This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.