I’ve had the chance to interview Guy Fieri several times, learning the secrets of his “ultimate” grilled cheese sandwich and trying the most American dessert ever created.
So, when it came time to find the best burger recipe, I knew I had to ask the Mayor of Flavortown.
“This may be a more complicated answer than you bargained for because it’s not just about a burger recipe,” Fieri told me. “It’s about the execution of the whole deal. You can get down with whatever toppings you want, but the basics have to be covered.”
Intrigued by Fieri’s unique burger tips — including using a brioche bun and cooking with a bowl over my meat — I put his recipe to the ultimate test. Here’s how it went.
Most of Guy Fieri’s burger ingredients are standard, save for the bun.
To whip up Fieri’s burger at home, you’ll need:
I was surprised when Fieri told me he uses brioche instead of sesame-seed buns for his perfect burger. But I loved using brioche for Gordon Ramsay’s breakfast sandwich, so I was excited about the swap.
Fieri’s burger requires very little prep.
The Mayor of Flavortown told me it was important to “slice your tomato and cut those white onions so thin that they only have one side.”
Fieri also recommended that I shred my lettuce.
In just a few minutes, I had chopped the veggies for four burgers.
Then, I seasoned my ground beef and shaped it into balls.
I kept the seasoning simple with just some salt and pepper.
I also prepped my brioche buns so they’d be ready when the burgers were done cooking.
Per Fieri’s recommendation, I buttered the buns and popped them in the oven to get them nice and toasty.
It was time to get cooking! I dropped the first burger onto my griddle.
Fieri told me it was important to place my burgers “on the hottest griddle or cast iron pan you can get.”
Then, I smashed the burger with a spatula.
“You smash it down hard; we’re talking a half-inch thick,” Fieri told me.
Following Fieri’s advice, I let my patty crisp up to “get all that delicious caramelization going.”
Once the sides of my patty got crunchy, I flipped it over to let the other side brown up.
Every stove is different, so Fieri didn’t give me a specific timeframe for flipping the meat.
I waited until my patty reached 140 degrees Fahrenheit — which took around two-and-a-half minutes — since I wanted a medium burger.
After flipping the burger, I added a slice of American cheese.
Fieri told me he loves using American cheese slices on burgers because “they melt really well.”
Then, it was time to try Fieri’s special trick.
Fieri recommends squirting some water around your burger and then placing “some sort of dome or metal bowl” over it.
“That steam will melt your cheese before you overcook your burger,” he told me.
I didn’t have a metal bowl on hand, so I used an old Marie Callender’s pie tin that was still in my parents’ kitchen. MacGyver would be proud!
When I lifted the tin, the cheese looked perfectly melted.
It was time to build the burger!
I then plopped my patty on top of one of my toasted buns, along with all the fixings.
First, I added the tomato and onion slices before throwing the pickles on top. I placed my shredded lettuce on the burger’s other bun.
Once I put everything together, the burger looked impressive.
I’ve never made my own burger before (I know, I know, I’m learning!), and I was surprised by how easy it was.
Fieri’s recipe barely took me 10 minutes from start to finish, and the towering burger looked straight out of a restaurant.
But I’ve tried some of the best burgers in New York City. So how would Fieri’s recipe stand up to the likes of Peter Luger?
Fieri’s “perfect” burger lives up to its name.
The first thing I noticed was that the burger was perfectly cooked. It was juicy on the inside but nice and crisp on the outside. Fieri’s dome trick definitely paid off.
And I loved the brioche bun as a base. It carried the burger and all of its fixings well and added a little more flavor to every bite with that hint of signature sweetness.
“The brioche complements the burger. It adds another texture to it,” my dad said.
“The cheese is buttery almost, and I like the colors, too,” my mom added.
Fieri’s recipe might seem basic, but it delivers a delicious burger.
Fieri’s known for his wildly creative recipes, but his simple burger is my favorite yet.
It’s everything that a great burger should be — juicy, crispy, and cheesy. And the whole thing takes just 10 minutes to make.
I can’t wait to pay Flavortown a visit again and whip up Fieri’s burger for a holiday weekend.
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