Southern Soul Food Homemade Burger Recipe

Beefy, savory, and flavorful. Everything you need all in one delicious package of goodness! 

And not just another hamburger. 

This ultimate Southern soul food homemade burger recipe offers a unique twist on the classic plain burger recipe of bland lump ground beef squeezed between two simple loaves. 

What ingredients are in the juiciest burgers?

This recipe is a legendary soul food burger recipe. 

80/20 ground chuck beef is seasoned with Famous Dave’s Steak & Burger Seasoning and then dressed with Worcestershire sauce, green bell peppers, and crunchy yellow onions, all on a fluffy toasted bun.

What is the secret to juicy hamburgers?

For the most tender, juicy homemade burgers, you want 80/20 ground beef – 80% lean beef and 20% fat.

What makes a soul food Southern burger?

A Southern burger goes beyond the bland basic recipe. And a Southern soul food burger steps it up a notch to focus on the seasoning and the flavor for the best burger recipe!

Is it better to cook burgers in the oven or on the stove?

The answer is whatever cooking method is best for you!

This Southern soul food homemade burger recipe combines delicious and flavorful ingredients, so whether you cook your burgers on the stovetop, in the Instant Pot, or you take ’em outside for grilled burgers.

One thing will remain a constant – seasoned to perfection! 

Love burgers with a healthy twist?

These Southern soul food homemade burgers incorporate vegetables, bell pepper, and sweet onion.

Imagine a thick, juicy, tender, well-seasoned homemade ground beef patty served on a soft sesame seed bun. 

The perfect combination of savory flavors and the sweet aroma of flavorful veggies will put a smile on your face with every bite!

Kitchen equipment for Southern soul food homemade burger recipe

• Smash burger press (optional)
• Instant electric pressure cooker (optional), stovetop, or grill
• Instant Pot trivet inner rack (comes with the Instant Pot)
• Aluminum foil (I’ve also heard of parchment paper used in the Instant Pot instead of foil, but I’ve never tried it to know if it affects the cooking time.)

Shop my kitchenware HERE!

Ingredients for Southern soul food homemade burger recipe

• 1 – 1 ½ pound of 80/20 ground beef 
• 1 ½ cups of water
• ½ a cup of green bell pepper, diced
• ½ a cup of yellow onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon of your favorite all-purpose seasoning salt (I used Famous Dave’s Steak & Burger Seasoning)
• ½ teaspoon of paprika 
• ½ teaspoon of black pepper
• 4 hamburger buns

Instructions for Southern soul food homemade burger recipe

1. You can cook these soul food burgers in the Instant Pot (directions below) on the stovetop or the grill!
2. Mix the ground beef, green pepper, onion, Worcestershire sauce, seasoning salt, paprika, and pepper in a medium-size mixing bowl.
3. Divide the burger meat into four and then smash the meat mixture to form 4 hamburger patties.
4. Wrap each patty in foil.
5. Pour the water into the Instant Pot stainless steel inner pot.
6. Place the Instant Pot trivet inner rack inside the inner pot.
7. Place the foil-wrapped burgers on the rack.
8. Close the Instant Pot lid (make sure the valve is in the sealing position – up) and pressure cook on high for 14 minutes.
9. When the cooking time finishes, allow a natural pressure release for at least 7 minutes.
10. To open the Instant Pot lid, move the valve to ‘venting’ and manually release any remaining pressure, if applicable.
11. Remove the burgers from the inner pot and unwrap the foil.
12. Place each cooked patty on a toasted burger bun, then serve this Southern soul food homemade burger recipe with your favorite condiments, and enjoy!

You may also love this juicy ranch burger recipe below!

What do you serve with a Southern soul food homemade burger?

Favorite soul food sides include:

• Fried onion rings
• Fried green tomatoes
• Southern soul food coleslaw
• Black folks’ Southern potato salad
• Soul food baked mac and cheese
• Southern tomato watermelon salad

Soul food burger condiments and toppings

Do you like simple burgers or burgers with lots of toppings? What can you add to this perfect hamburger patty recipe?

• Ketchup
• Mustard
• Burger sauce
• BBQ sauce
• Ranch dressing
• American cheese
• Pickle
• Lettuce
• Tomato
• Red onion (or white)
• Bacon

Southern soul food homemade burger FAQs

Why do homemade burgers taste so good?

What makes a homemade burger so irresistible?

Scientists (Yes, scientists!) say it’s the savory combination of the fat they’re cooked in, the spices, and the browning of the meat.

What makes burgers tender and juicy?

For tender, juicy homemade burgers, you want 80/20 ground beef – 80% lean beef and 20% fat.

80/20 ground chuck is from the beef shoulder and has an ideal lean-to-fat ratio of 80/20 for a super flavorful, juicy burger!

You can easily buy ground beef with this fat content at the grocery store.

Remember that the leaner the beef, the less juicy and flavorful!

So if you use a higher lean ratio (i.e., 90/10 ground beef), you’ll yield a burger that’s not so juicy.

Why do they call it a smash burger?

The name smash burger grew in popularity from the restaurant chain called Smashburger.

But, of course, the name came from pressing or smashing a hamburger patty onto a hot griddle.

What is the best smash burger press?

Amazon’s choice is this smash burger press HERE.

Should you mix seasoning into burgers?

Always yes – That’s the Black folks’ soul food way! 

In fact, for Southern soul food homemade burgers, African Americans mix seasoning and flavorful vegetables like onion and bell pepper for the perfect burger!

Should the seasoning blend be mixed into the ground chuck vs. sprinkling on top of each burger?

Yes, the seasoning should always be mixed in for maximum flavor and not just sprinkled on top.

Do you put onions in burgers?

The same as with the seasoning, mix the diced onion and bell pepper in the ground beef to form the hamburger patties.

How can you make burgers more flavorful?

With this Southern soul food homemade burger recipe! It includes a medley of seasoning, sauce, and veggies for the most flavorful burger experience!

What do you season burgers with?

I’ve used Famous Dave’s Steak & Burger Seasoning for a while. It’s a blend of herbs and spices like garlic powder and onion powder to enhance the burger’s flavor without overpowering it. The perfect amount of seasoning without making the meat salty or spicy.

Is Worcestershire sauce good on burgers?

Adding Worcestershire sauce to your hamburgers lends a sweet and salty flavor and a mild vinegary (and sometimes almost oyster-like) taste that goes well with other spices and condiments.

Worcestershire is a widely-used ingredient in recipes, from soups and stews to exotic entrees, fish, or Asian salad dressings. 

This savory sauce combines flavors like molasses, vinegar, and anchovies, making it perfect to use with different kinds of tomato-based recipes, pasta, and burgers. It gives them a bold, juicy taste!

Should I put breadcrumbs in a burger?

Breadcrumbs can aid in the ground beef patties remaining intact, like for meatloaf. 

However, this Southern soul food homemade burger recipe doesn’t need any help staying intact. So breadcrumbs are not needed.

What can you use to bind burgers instead of breadcrumbs?

So how do you keep hamburger patties from falling apart?

The best thing you can use to bind ground beef is an egg. Just crack an egg into the meat and mix it up (again, the same as you’d do with meatloaf). 

The egg will hold together a lot better than breadcrumbs or other binding ingredients like crackers, cornflakes, or oatmeal. 

Should you add egg to burgers?

An egg is the best ingredient for binding ground meat. However, an egg is not necessary for this soul food burger recipe.

Why are your homemade burgers dry?

So what makes the difference between a dried-out burger and a juicy burger? 

And how can you prevent your burgers from drying out?

Burgers typically dry out because they’re overcooked. It commonly occurs when a refrigerated or frozen burger patty is placed on the grill without allowing it to reach room temperature first. 

The meat cooks unevenly, and by the time the middle is cooked, the outside is already pretty tough.

Should you cook burgers in olive oil or butter?

You can cook burgers in olive oil or butter on the stovetop. Ever heard of a butter burger? 

You won’t need oil or butter grilling burgers or using an Instant Pot.

What beef makes the best burgers?

So what type of ground beef for burgers?

Different cuts of beef are used to prepare various types of burgers. However, ground chuck is the most commonly used. 

Ground chuck is the primary cut for burger blend recipes because of the reasonably proportioned amount of lean fat. 

Remember, 80/20 is the magic number for making the juiciest burgers!

What temperature is a hamburger done?

Use a food thermometer to ensure your burgers have reached a safe minimum internal temperature of 160 °F. 

Can you eat beef hamburgers a little pink?

In my opinion, the perfect burger is medium-rare. Even if they’re a bit pink inside, your burgers should reach an internal temperature of 160 °F.

What herb goes well with ground beef?

Many herbs go well with ground beef. For example, basil, parsley, thyme, sage, and oregano go well with ground beef. 

But this Southern soul food homemade burger recipe includes onion, bell pepper, a seasoning blend, and Worchester sauce, so extra herbs are not needed.

Can the meat mixture be prepared a day in advance?

And can you make burger patties ahead of time? Yes, and make sure to cover and refrigerate.

Can you freeze uncooked burger patties?

Or, once seasoned, can you freeze in a larger batch?

Yes, but make sure to allow them to thaw and reach room temperature when ready to cook.

How long can you freeze hamburgers?

Either beef burger, turkey burger, chicken burger, lamb burger, or veggie burger. You can freeze them in an airtight container or wrap them to freeze for up to 3 months.

What are some leftover hamburger recipes?

• Southern soul food Hamburger Helper
• Southern soul food meatloaf
• Soul food stuffed peppers
• Puerto Rican pastelón

What did you think about this Southern soul food homemade burger recipe?

When grilling season’s in full swing, what better way to celebrate than with a perfectly juicy burger recipe?

Have you had a soul food homemade burger?

Would you make it? 

Comment below and lemme know. Then subscribe HERE for all the soul food!

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