Busia’s Sizzle Burgers
Stovetop Nostalgia
Busia’s Sizzle Burgers are classic Midwest comfort made with lean ground beef, garlic salt, black pepper, and plenty of butter sizzled together with Worcestershire sauce in the pan. Pressing the patties flat helps them cook evenly while soaking up all that rich, savory flavor before being finished with melty American cheese and piled onto soft buns for delicious and simple nostalgia.
This recipe takes me straight back to my childhood because these burgers were a regular dinner rotation in our house, the kind of meal you knew was coming the second you smelled butter and Worcestershire sauce hitting the pan. My cousin Kim actually still hates the smell of this meal.
When I shared the video of me making these, several people told me this was a recipe printed on the back of a Worcestershire sauce bottle, but I have absolutely no memory of that. If that’s where the recipe started, I’m sure that’s how Busia found it, but I didn’t learn it from a label or a card, I learned it by watching her cook.
This is a great recipe for a quick weeknight meal. It’s just one of those things that hits the spot when you are hungry.
Worcestershire Sauce For The Win
I am a Worcestershire Sauce addict. I just love the flavors of this sauce, so I use it for a lot of things as most of us old fashioned cooks do.
I also discovered Worcestershire Powder a few years back and I also now use this. The powder gives a stronger punch of the sauce flavor when you do not want to add more liquid to a recipe.
You can get the powder on Amazon. There are quite a few brands that are very good, but this recipe is not one you would use the powder in.
This recipe specifically needs the sauce for the burgers to sizzle in.
If you are interested in buying the powder, I have a list of recipes that use this powder below:
Always remember that you can search any ingredient here on my website and all the recipes that use that ingredient will come up that you can scroll through. For example, you can search Worcestershire Powder and then you will see the many recipes that you can use it.
Sizzle In The Sauce
These burgers specifically need to sizzle in the combination of the Worcestershire sauce and the butter. This is what gives them the great flavor.
You add very little seasoning to the meat because the sauce and butter packs such a punch. Any brand of Worcestershire sauce will do, but I do have to say that I prefer the Lea & Perrins brand the most.
I think that this brand packs the most punch for flavor. But I have also used the generic brands and they are just fine.
Cheese Fight
I know that I will end up arguing with some about the use of the Kraft Cheese Singles. I do not care.
Whatever they are made from, they are the most perfect, melty cheese for a burger. I won’t give away any trade secrets of the restaurant industry, but I know FOR A FACT that many of the top burger places in Chicago use this cheese on their burgers.
You can use any cheese you please, and I do think that there are some other cheeses that would be great with the flavors of this burger. A Swiss cheese with added bacon would be fantastic.
I also think a very sharp cheddar would be amazing.
Maybe Some Mushrooms?
If you want to make this burger a little bit extra, you can make my Sautéed Mushrooms to top it with. I think that my sautéed mushroom recipe is one of the best there is.
I am going to add them to this burger the next time I make these!
Busia's Sizzle Burgers Recipe
Busia’s Sizzle Burgers are classic Midwest comfort made with lean ground beef, garlic salt, black pepper, and plenty of butter sizzling together with Worcestershire sauce in the pan. Pressing the patties flat helps them cook evenly while soaking up all that rich, savory flavor. Finished with melty American cheese and piled onto soft buns, these burgers are simple, nostalgic, and delicious.
Ingredients
- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
- 2 to 3 teaspoons garlic salt, to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, or to taste
- 1 cup diced onions, optional
- Hamburger buns
- American cheese slices
- Ketchup and mustard, for serving
Instructions
- Form the ground beef into four large patties. Roll the meat into balls, place them between two sheets of parchment paper, and press them flat using a can of vegetables or canned potatoes. This creates a small indentation in the center which helps the burgers stay flat while cooking. You can also press the indentation in with your fingers. Each patty should be about 4 inches wide.
- Season both sides of each patty with garlic salt and black pepper.
- If using onions, add 1 tablespoon of the butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onions and sauté until soft. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside.
- Add the remaining butter and the Worcestershire sauce to the same skillet. Heat until hot but not smoking.
- Carefully add the burger patties to the pan. Cook to medium doneness, about 6 minutes per side. Flip the burgers gently and one at a time to avoid splashing the butter and Worcestershire sauce. Cooking times will vary depending on your pan and stove, so keep an eye on them, especially the first time you make these.
- Toward the end of cooking, you can return the onions to the pan and let them finish cooking alongside the burgers. Raw onions can also be used if preferred.
- Turn off the heat, place a slice of American cheese on each burger, cover the pan, and let the cheese melt for a couple of minutes.
- Serve the burgers on buns. You can toast the buns with butter if desired. Finish with ketchup and mustard.