Ten ingredients and forty minutes, on a skillet or a grill.
The ranch goes on the bun rather than in the meat, and the cheddar melts on the patty for its last minute.
Why This Recipe Works
- 80/20 beef has enough fat to stay juicy at 160°F.
- Handling the meat lightly keeps the patties tender rather than dense.
- Seasoning only the outside keeps the texture loose inside.
- Adding the cheddar for the final minute melts it without it running off.
- Toasting the brioche stops the ranch and tomato soaking into it.
Ingredient Notes
- 80/20 ground beef
- A pound and a half, formed into four patties. The fat is what keeps them juicy.
- Sharp cheddar and crisp bacon
- Four slices and eight. The cheddar melts on the patty; the bacon is cooked crisp before it goes on.
- Ranch dressing
- A third of a cup, spread on the bun. It's the thick white sauce on the finished burger.
- Lettuce, tomato and red onion
- Four leaves, four slices and eight thin rings. All three are part of the burger as the recipe defines it.
How to Make It
Beef formed into four patties and seasoned
Form beef into four patties without overworking. Season with salt and pepper.
Cooked to 160°F, cheddar melted on in the last minute
Cook on a hot skillet or grill until the centers reach 160°F, adding cheddar during the final minute to melt.
Brioche buns toasted cut-side down
Toast brioche buns cut-side down.
Built with ranch, lettuce, tomato, beef, bacon and onion
Build each burger with ranch on the bun, lettuce, tomato, beef with cheddar, crisp bacon and red onion.
Served immediately
Serve immediately.
One Burger, From the Bottom Bun Up
Six components define this burger - CHEDDAR, BACON, RANCH, LETTUCE, TOMATO AND ONION - and three of them aren't in the title at all. This is one burger, built in the order step 4 gives, so each layer ends up where it belongs.
What goes into one burger
Toasted BRIOCHE, ranch on the bottom
One of the 4 BRIOCHE BUNS, SPLIT AND TOASTED CUT-SIDE DOWN, with a quarter of the 1/3 cup of RANCH DRESSING spread on. Toasting first stops the ranch and tomato soaking straight into soft brioche.
LETTUCE and TOMATO
1 LETTUCE LEAF and 1 TOMATO SLICE. Under the patty, so the lettuce shields the bun from the meat's juices.
The PATTY with CHEDDAR - at 160°F
A quarter of the 1 1/2 lb of 80/20 GROUND BEEF, FORMED WITHOUT OVERWORKING, seasoned with salt and pepper and COOKED ON A HOT SKILLET OR GRILL UNTIL THE CENTER REACHES 160°F, with 1 slice of SHARP CHEDDAR ADDED DURING THE FINAL MINUTE TO MELT. For safety: COOK GROUND-BEEF PATTIES TO 160°F IN THE MEAT.
BACON - crisp
2 of the 8 slices of BACON, COOKED CRISP, laid over the melted cheddar.
RED ONION, then the lid
2 THIN RED-ONION RINGS and the top bun. SERVED IMMEDIATELY, while the cheese is still melted.
Four burgers, one per serving. The recipe name is deliberately plain, and no claim about testing or results is made for it.
Success Tips
- Press a shallow dimple into each patty so it cooks flat rather than doming.
- Check the thickest patty with a thermometer before adding the cheese.
- Have everything sliced and ready — assemble while the patties are hot.
Serving Ideas
Four tall burgers on toasted brioche with a seared beef patty under melted cheddar, crisp bacon, ranch, lettuce, tomato and red onion.
Frequently Asked Questions
How done should the burgers be?
160°F in the centre of the patty. That's the standard for ground beef, measured in the meat.
Is the ranch mixed into the meat?
No. It's spread on the bun. The patties are seasoned simply with salt and pepper.
Skillet or grill?
Either works. Use a hot surface and cook until the centres reach 160°F, adding the cheddar for the final minute.
