Southern Soul Food Homemade Burger Recipe

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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. 

 

Southern Soul Food Homemade Burger Recipe

 

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 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!

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! 

 

Black Folks Southern Soul Food Homemade Burger Recipe

 

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

 

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Shop my kitchenware!

Instant Pot electric pressure cooker  |  Instant Pot trivet inner rack  |  Famous Dave’s Steak & Burger Seasoning  |  The Pioneer Woman measuring bowls  |  Kate Aspen heart-shaped measuring spoons  |  Amazon cutting board  |  Amazon similar wood cutting board  |  Weber Summit Grill  |  The Pioneer Woman similar dinner plate  |  Williams-Sonoma salad plate  |  Target dish towel  |

 

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

 

What makes a soul food Southern burger?

 

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!

 

Southern Soul Food Homemade Burger

 

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

Favorite soul food sides include:

 

Soul Food Juicy Ranch Burgers
Juicy ranch burgers - Instant Pot burgers are effortless, like so many Instant Pot ground beef recipes.
Put 'em in the pot, walk away, and return to serve up major deliciousness! Perfect today for a dining-out-like experience served comfortably at home.
Check out this recipe!
What's the secret to juicy hamburgers?

 

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
  • Lettuce
  • Tomato
  • Red onion
  • Bacon

 

Homemade Burger

 

Southern soul food homemade burger FAQs

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.

 

Homemade Burger Recipe

 

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!

 

Soul Food Homemade Burger

 

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

 

Black Folks Southern Soul Food Meatloaf Recipe
A Black folks' Southern soul food meatloaf recipe is on the shortlist of official comfort foods of the South. A flavorful all-time favorite & classic meatloaf recipe!
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Southern Soul Food Meatloaf Recipe

 

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. 

 

Soul Food Southern Homemade Hamburger Helper
If you want to enjoy Hamburger Helper to the fullest of flavors, always opt for this soul food Southern homemade Hamburger Helper recipe!
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Soul Food Southern Homemade Hamburger Helper

 

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.

 

What is the secret to juicy hamburgers?

 

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.

 

Southern Style Burger

 

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!

 

Should you mix seasoning into 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.

 

Black Folks Burgers

 

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?

 

Soul Food Burger

 

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!

 

The Ultimate Soul Food Recipes Guide
What is soul food? Soul food recipes are African-American recipes full of flavor! A legacy of Southern cooking the Black way. Check out this collection of the best soul food recipes!
Check out this recipe!
The Ultimate Soul Food Recipes Guide

 

Southern Soul Food Homemade Burger Recipe

Southern Soul Food Homemade Burger Recipe

What makes a Southern soul food burger?
A Southern soul food homemade burger is made with savory bell pepper & sweet onion for a thick, juicy, tender, well-seasoned ground beef patty.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 14 minutes
Pressure Release Time: 7 minutes
Total Time: 31 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Soul Food, Southern Food
Keyword: Black folks burgers, homemade burger recipe, Instant Pot burgers, Instant Pot ground beef recipes, soul food, soul food burger, southern food, Southern soul food homemade burger recipe, Southern style burger
Servings: 4
Calories: 568kcal
Author: Shaunda Necole

Equipment

  • Smash burger press  (optional)
  • Instant Pot electric pressure cooker, stovetop, or grill
  • Instant Pot trivet inner rack (optional - 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.)

Ingredients

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

Instructions

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

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 568kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 2132mg | Potassium: 613mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 94IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 5mg
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Nutrition Facts
Southern Soul Food Homemade Burger Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
568
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
36
g
55
%
Saturated Fat
 
13
g
81
%
Trans Fat
 
2
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
15
g
Cholesterol
 
121
mg
40
%
Sodium
 
2132
mg
93
%
Potassium
 
613
mg
18
%
Carbohydrates
 
25
g
8
%
Fiber
 
2
g
8
%
Sugar
 
5
g
6
%
Protein
 
34
g
68
%
Vitamin A
 
94
IU
2
%
Vitamin C
 
18
mg
22
%
Calcium
 
108
mg
11
%
Iron
 
5
mg
28
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

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4 Comments

  1. Charlotte
    June 3, 2022 / 11:30 am

    5 stars
    Thank you for this flavorful recipe

    • June 3, 2022 / 12:21 pm

      5 stars
      You’re welcome – I hope this soul burger becomes a family summer tradition for you!

  2. Cyrene
    October 13, 2022 / 1:18 am

    5 stars
    A lot healthier burgers compared to those we buy at fast foods.

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