Matthew McConaughey’s Go-To Burger Recipe Uses One of Our Favorite Tricks

Any home cook knows that building the perfect burger is an art form. Even Kraft has been in on the debate to tell us there is, in fact, a right way to make a cheeseburger. So, once you find your perfect burger recipe and technique, you’re likely sticking to it. We know Matthew McConaughey is sticking to his. 

Cheeseburgers are one of the Oscar-winning actor’s favorite foods, so, of course, he has a very particular way of making them. 

“The man who invented the hamburger was smart, but the man who invented the cheeseburger was a genius,” McConaughey wrote in his memoir “Greenlights.”

Matthew McConaughey's Favorite Cheeseburger

McConaughey walked America's Test Kitchen through his ideal burger in a 2020 interview. And, seeing as we all know the saying everything’s bigger in Texas, it’s no surprise that the actor’s burger is piled high with delicious ingredients.

“The challenge with a great cheeseburger is that you can actually overdo it,” he says as he begins to describe his monstrous burger.

We’re sure McConaughey agrees; the most important part of any cheeseburger is the actual burger itself. That’s why McConaughey uses a high-fat content ground meat and seasons it with onion soup mix, which is actually a generational trick we’ve been using ourselves for years. The soup mix adds additional flavor to the patty, and the fatty meat keeps it extra juicy.

After you have a good burger patty down, then comes the fun part: the toppings. McConaughey opts for classic American cheese, pickled jalapeños, avocado, a thick piece of red onion, two slices of Texas Heat Pickles, and lettuce.

“I want iceberg lettuce, but I want it shredded—I don’t want a leaf—almost like a thin slaw,” he said.

He’s particular about his bun, too. It has to be a regular, round white bread bun—the kind that you’d find advertised as a generic “burger bun.”

“I like a small, soft white bread bun. I don’t want it toasted, maybe steamed [so it’s] a tad warm,” he said.

Alright, alright, alright, now that’s a delicious-sounding burger. We guess the only question that remains is what McConaughey serves with his burger. Fries? Onion rings? A glass of his new tequila, Pantalones Organic Tequila? Or does the burger just speak for itself? We guess we have to try it to find out.