Alton Brown’s Burger Recipe Blew My Mind

Cooking up some juicy, tasty hamburgers is one of the easiest things to do. That’s likely why they’re such a staple during grilling season. A meal you only have to flip once and doesn’t require babysitting? Why not make them every night?

Despite burgers being such a quick and simple food, it seems like there are thousands of ways to make them. One quick search for “burger” on Allrecipes and you’ve got dozens of recipes to choose from, all with slightly different ingredients and cooking methods.

Ask any chef—or even home chef—and they’ll likely have their own way of making burgers, too. So, that’s exactly what we asked Food Network’s Alton Brown.

At a recent event with Brown surrounding his partnership with the brain health supplement brand Neuriva, we got to talking with the “Good Eats” host about the perfect burger.

He shared that his go-to is traditionally a smash burger, which many people love for its crispy exterior and extra savory flavors.

“Most of the great burgers of my life have come off commercial griddles, where short-order cooks mash the patties thin with large spatulas to speed the process,” Brown wrote in “Good Eats: The Final Years Cookbook.”

Not only is the smashing key, but Brown explained that a good burger is really nothing without crunchy, tangy pickles. And they don’t just have to be dill pickles—Brown said a combination of dill and bread and butter pickles is just as desirable.

You might be thinking a smash burger with pickles isn’t that uncommon. And, sure, you’d be right, but it’s Brown’s cooking method that shocked me.

Alton Brown deep fries his burgers.

Alton Brown's Trick for the Best Burgers

“If I found out the world was about to end, I’d calmly walk into the kitchen and make this cheeseburger: a simple blend of beef, paprika, and garlic topped with pickles and sharp cheddar cheese,” Brown wrote on his site.

Instead of cooking the patties on the grill or griddle, Brown quickly fries his burgers in peanut oil. Because he smashes the burgers before dropping them into the oil, they’re extra thin so they only require one minute in the hot oil to cook through and get crispy.

“A fried burger can develop an even better crust because the hot oil can attack nooks and crannies more effectively than a hot slab of steel,” Brown wrote in “Good Eats: The Final Years Cookbook.” “With a large pot, a few quarts of oil, and a decent thermometer, you can crank out a dozen burgers quickly without having access to a commercial griddle.” 

So, the process is quick and creates an even crisper burger than a pan-fry, according to Brown, but does it make the burgers even greasier, too? Not according to Brown.

“As for the frying, believe it or not, as long as you keep the oil between 300 and 325ºF, this will be the most un-greasy burger you’ve ever enjoyed,” he wrote on his site.

The method of cooking is, of course, important, but Brown also has some thoughts about burger construction. After you drain the fried patties, Brown’s ideal build is “bread/mayo/cheese/meat/pickles/cheese/mustard/bread,” according to the recipe.

Hey, if this is the last recipe Brown’s savoring before the world ends, we’d just say trust the process and (hopefully) enjoy the best burger of your life.