How to Cook Burgers on the Stove

burger on bun with melted cheese, and red onion

4.96 from 21 votes

How to Cook Burgers on the Stove

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!

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: burgers

Calories: 342kcal

Author: Jessica Burgess

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