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    Home » Recipes » Stove-Top

    How to Cook Burgers on the Stove

    By: Jessica · Posted: Oct 22, 2023 · Updated: Dec 19, 2024 · This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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    Jump to Recipe 9 comments
    4.96 from 21 votes
    how to cook burgers on the stove

    Cooking burgers on the stove-top in a frying pan can be a quick and easy way to get an easy dinner on the table, FAST! Cook from fresh OR frozen with this easy recipe!

    Hamburger recipes are a great, easy dinner recipe, especially when you can mix things up with toppings, ways to cook them, and more! You can even make them for a burger bar and let everyone create their own!

    Burgers cooked on the stove

     

    Baking burgers in the oven is our favorite way to cook cheeseburgers… but sometimes cooking them in a frying pan is must faster and a little more convenient. (Especially when you don’t want to heat up the kitchen with the oven – which, is when we may also make some of these delicious sloppy joes that we love so much.)

    So whether or not you have fresh ground beef patties or you have frozen burgers on hand (such as Bubba’s Burgers) here is how you can easily make a juicy burger on the stove!

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Step by Step Instructions
    • Substitutions
    • Burger Topping Ideas
    • Storage
    • More Burger Recipes
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    Ingredients

    All it takes for a standard burger on the stove is ground beef (or pre-made hamburger patties) and a little salt and pepper.

    raw burger patty - Bubbas frozen burger
    • 3 burger patties (or 1 lb. ground beef, shaped in to 3 patties)
    • salt
    • black pepper

    See the full recipe card at the bottom of the post for ingredients and measurement suggestions.

    You can also add your favorite toppings after cooking as well! (See the list below of our favorite burger topping ideas.)

    Step by Step Instructions

    Cooking burgers on the stove-top can be done with fresh or frozen burger patties.

    For Fresh Hamburger Patties

    1. Season fresh hamburger patties, on both sides, with salt and pepper.
    2. Over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet large enough to hold all of your burger patties.
    3. Place seasoned burgers in skillet and cook for 3-5 minutes and then flip.
    4. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes or until the juices run clear.

    Remove from skillet and place on buns and top with your favorite ingredients.

    For Frozen Hamburger Patties (Like Bubba’s Burgers)

    Steps 1-4 of how to cook burgers on the stove.
    1. Over low-medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet big enough to hold all of your burger patties.
    2. Place frozen patties in skillet and after a couple of minutes, season with salt and pepper. (You wait just a bit so the burger thaws some, so it can soak in the salt and pepper seasonings.)
    3. Cook on first side for about 5-6 minutes and then flip.
    4. After flipping, flip again when red juices have formed at the top.
    5. Continue flipping every couple of minutes for about 15 minutes or until the juices run clear.

    As you can see in photo #3 above, there are still red juices forming at the top. When they are “clear” your burger is ready to pull off of the frying pan.

    Hint: we love using a cast-iron pan to cook burgers in, like when we make our oven-baked steak but it’s not necessary. You can use a regular, non-stick skillet if that’s what you have on hand!

    burger cooked on stove - on bun with cheese and onions with pickle on top

    Substitutions

    This recipe is for ground beef patties but you can also cook turkey burgers or veggie burgers if you prefer. Here’s how:

    For baked turkey burgers, you will cook them for 5-6 minutes on each side, or until internal temperature reaches 155°.

    For veggie burgers, heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet and cook veggie burgers over medium-high heat for 4-6 minutes or until heated through.

    Kick things up a notch and make these donut burgers using glazed donuts or these waffle burgers for the buns!

    Want to substitute the red meat completely? Then try these crispy chicken burgers (or zinger burgers) next time!

    Burger Topping Ideas

    For the burger that you see here, we used:

    • nacho cheese (Rico’s canned nacho cheese)
    • sliced red onion
    • baby gherkin pickle
    • chopped fresh parsley

    Other burger topping ideas:

    We went wild on our cheeseburger subs with toppings, so you’ll want to check those out too! But here are other toppings you may like for these stovetop burgers:

    • mustard
    • ketchup
    • white onion
    • sliced cheese
    • sliced pickles
    • make this easy guacamole recipe
    • bacon – cooking bacon in the oven is a great way!
    • lettuce
    • pineapple (like we used on our Aloha Burgers!)
    Burger with nacho cheese, onion and pickle on bun

    Storage

    If you have leftover pan-fried hamburgers, you can store them in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

    To reheat, you can place them back in a skillet and reheat over low-medium heat for about 3-5 minutes or until heated through.

    Or, another great way is to reheat leftover burgers in an air fryer for 3-5 minutes!

    More Burger Recipes

    Love hamburgers as much as we do? You’ll love these ideas below, as well as our burger sliders that are super fun for parties or grilling frozen burger patties for a quick dinner!

    • Burger Bar Ideas for an outdoor party
      Burger Bar Ideas for Your Next Party
    • Smoked burger on a white plate, topped with pickles, cheese and tomato.
      Smoked Burger Recipe
    • Blue cheese burger on pretzel bun, with lettuce leaf, sitting next to french fries on plate.
      Blue Cheese Burgers
    • These were SO juicy and easy! Love what she uses. The BEST Cheeseburger recipe!
      Electric Skillet Hamburgers

    Did you make this? I’d be so grateful if you left a “star” rating below to let me know what you thought! Then, the next time you need a quick and easy recipe, come back to Fantabulosity to browse all of my easy recipes!

    Recipe

    burger on bun with melted cheese, and red onion

    How to Cook Burgers on the Stove

    Jessica Burgess
    Cooking burgers on the stove in a frying pan can be a quick and easy way to get an easy dinner on the table, FAST! Cook from fresh OR frozen with this easy recipe!
    4.96 from 21 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 15 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 3 burgers
    Calories 342 kcal

    Equipment

    • Stove Top

    Ingredients

    • 4 burger patties (frozen or fresh – see instructions for different times)
    • 1 tablespoon butter
    • ½ teaspoon salt or preferred amount
    • ½ teaspoon pepper or preferred amount

    Instructions
     

    For Fresh (Thawed) Hamburger Patties

    • For fresh burger patties, season each patty on both sides, with salt and pepper
    • Over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet large enough to hold all of your burger patties
    • Place seasoned burgers in skillet and cook for 3-5 minutes and then flip. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes or until the juices run clear.

    For Frozen Hamburger Patties on the Stovetop

    • Over low-medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet big enough to hold all of your burger patties.
    • Place frozen patties in skillet and after a couple of minutes, season with salt and pepper. (You wait just a bit so the burger thaws some, so it can soak in the salt and pepper seasonings.)
    • Cook on first side for about 5-6 minutes and then flip. After flipping, flip again when red juices have formed at the top.
    • Continue flipping every couple of minutes for about 15 minutes or until the juices run clear.

    Steaming the Buns

    • Place the burgers (or cheeseburgers if you prefer) on buns, and wrap individually in aluminum foil, as I did with my burgers in the oven, to send these over the top!

    Notes

    I love using a cast-iron pan to cook burgers in, like when we make our oven-baked steak but it’s not necessary. You can use a regular, non-stick skillet if that’s what you have on hand!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1burger | Calories: 342kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 532mg | Potassium: 411mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 118IU | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 3mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

    Keywords burgers frying pan, burgers in a skillet, hamburgers on the stovetop
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Comments

      4.96 from 21 votes (16 ratings without comment)

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    1. Sue says

      September 13, 2022 at 5:32 pm

      5 stars
      I am so glad I found your recipe because I just made the most AWESOME 1/2 lb. burgers with it! No kidding–I have never had such a tasty burger. So thank you!

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        September 13, 2022 at 6:31 pm

        This is so fantastic to hear, Sue! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a star review and let us know!

        Reply
    2. Di Lemberger says

      January 09, 2022 at 12:36 pm

      4 stars
      Great recipe but for rare burgers(just our preference) only sear 2nd side 60-90 seconds. Add butter just prior to flipping much better flavor. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    3. Melissa says

      September 15, 2021 at 12:43 pm

      5 stars
      A delicious burger is my favorite! Great recipe – my family was so happy!

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        September 15, 2021 at 6:42 pm

        Yay! That’s so great to hear Melissa! Thank you so much for sharing and for leaving a review!

        Reply
    4. Matt Taylor says

      September 14, 2021 at 6:18 pm

      5 stars
      While I prefer cooking my hamburgers on my grill outside, I don’t always want to fire it up, especially when it is 115 here in Phoenix! So this skillet method on the stove is perfect. That butter adds something extra too!

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        September 14, 2021 at 6:33 pm

        Yes! Pan-frying is so handy sometimes for sure! Oooh and butter is always nice, right? Haha! Thank you for your review!

        Reply
    5. Eden says

      September 14, 2021 at 5:37 pm

      5 stars
      These were the best burgers ever! Thanks for the tips, can’t wait to make them again!

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        September 14, 2021 at 6:32 pm

        Woo Hoo! I’m so glad you liked this easy burger recipe! Cooking them on the stovetop is so easy and it’s so fun to switch up the toppings!

        Reply

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    Jessica Burgess of Fantabulosity, slicing an avocado.

    Hi, I'm Jessica! - Owner and Creator of the blog and brand, Fantabulosity.

    I’m here to teach you how to make quick and easy recipes, using simple ingredients, that your family will love.

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