World’s Best Butter Burgers

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If you’re looking for the world’s most delicious burger, packed full of flavor and loaded with buttery goodness, this is the recipe for you. These really are the world’s best butter burgers. . .we promise!

You know what it’s like. You’ve been asked to make burgers. Plain, simple burgers. But you’re not content with that. “Plain” isn’t in your grilling vocabulary. Simple, sure. Plain? Nope.

I needed to come up with a better plan. Or should I say a “butter” plan.

What is a Butter Burger?

Butter burgers (otherwise known as a Wisconsin Butter Burgers… go Green Bay!) are hamburgers that are topped with butter, either directly on the burger patty or the bun. And they’re one of my favorites.

They are believed to have originated in Wisconsin and have been made famous by restaurants like Solly’s Grill and fast food chain Culver’s. I mean… who doesn’t love Culver’s butter burgers?! (Side note: try their cheese curds and frozen custard too!)

But I wanted to create a burger that was more than just melted butter on a piece of hamburger meat. So I set out to create a new kind of butter burger. A better butter burger, if you will.

The World’s Best Burger

That’s pretty much what happened with these burgers. I wasn’t content to post the recipe for a plain, basic burger. I had my heart set on something over-the-top. As I said, something folks would talk about.

And that’s exactly what happened. I whipped together this homemade butter burger recipe and (if you don’t mind me saying so) it blew everyone out of the water. It was the juiciest burger I’ve ever eaten!

No, really.

I wish I had a video of everyone eating their burgers that night. I’ve never seen so many excited eaters in my life. And we had every age represented at the table, from very young to elderly.

Yep, it’s that good. And I promise, you’re going to think so, too. So, let’s get busy making these burgers!

Butter Burger Ingredients

You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here’s a quick look at what you’ll need. These are simple ingredients you can purchase at any grocery store.

• ground chuck (80/20)
• salted butter (frozen and grated)
• seasoning of your choice (we used Meat Church Holy VooDoo)
• cheddar cheese slices
• brioche buns

That’s it! Just a handful of ingredients!

How to Cook the World’s Best Butter Burgers

This is such a simple technique that produces so much flavor. You’ll make your burgers this way from now on! Here’s how you’re going to do it:

Preheat grill to 250 degrees.

Put one stick of butter (yes, that’s 8 whole tablespoons of butter!) in the freezer for at least an hour prior to starting (make sure that it’s solid).

Make sure your ground beef is good and cold.

Place ground beef in a large mixing bowl and break it up.

Use a cheese grater to coarsely grate the stick of butter over the ground meat.

Add one tablespoon of seasoning (we chose Meat Church’s Holy Voodoo).

Work the ground beef, butter and seasoning together really well.

Form burger patties approximately 4 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick. You can use a sheet of parchment paper to form your patties between, if you prefer.

Use your thumb to put a small divot in the middle of the patty so any butter that melts on top will gather in the middle of the patty.

Sprinkle a light layer of seasoning on the top of each burger patty.

Place burgers on the grill.

Cook burgers until internal temperature reaches 130 degrees f(do your first temperature check at the 15-minute mark, then every 5 minutes after by inserting a meat thermometer at the thickest part of the burgers).

Once the meat gets to 130 degrees, add a slice of cheese (cheddar or any other cheese of your choice) on top and let it cook for an additional 5 minutes until the cheese is fully melted.

Remove burgers from the grill and let them rest for 5-10 minutes (which coincidentally happens to be just enough time to butter your buns!).

Melt 1/4 cup butter in the microwave and use a basting brush to coat the inside of your top bun and bottom bun with the melted butter for extra flavor. (Have you noticed these burgers call for LOTS of butter?!)

Lay hamburger buns butter-side-down on a medium heat griddle or large skillet until golden brown. There’s nothing better than juicy burgers on a toasted buns!

Dress your burgers in their Texas finest (our favorite burger sauces are Whataburger brand spicy ketchup, mustard, spicy jalapeno ranch or creamy pepper sauce). Add your favorite toppings – caramelized onions, pickles, tomatoes, butter lettuce… whatever you like!

Now cut that perfect burger in half and get ready for a mouthful of bubbling, buttery goodness!

Store leftovers in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. Place them in the refrigerator (up to four days) or freeze them up to two months.

What to Expect from these Burgers

I don’t think I’ve ever made such a juicy burger, y’all. One bite, and I told my family I was going to name these “Bubbling Buttery Burgers, loaded with Buttery Goodness.”

Or something like that.

The point is, I felt like they were worthy of their own name, that’s how good they are.

The flavor was completely on point but the texture was the real star of the show. The meat was tender and juicy and that butter flavor came pouring through.

Literally. Pouring through.

I really do wish I’d videotaped everyone at the table, as I said above. Smiles. Contented expressions. Sheer joy. And lots and lots of “OMGs!”

This really is the best burger recipe I’ve ever tried.

I can’t wait to hear back with your comments on this one, friends. Let me know your thoughts about this burger in the comments below.

Make it Your Own

This burger was perfect just like it was, but it might be exciting to try this with a few variations. Here are some suggestions:

Seasoning: For a more traditional flavor, simply season your meat with kosher salt and black pepper along with the salted butter (or unsalted butter, if you prefer).

Onions: Add finely diced onion to the meat patties before cooking. Try sautéing them on high heat in a cast iron skillet first. (Delicious!)

Grated cheese: This is another great option. Choose from sharp, medium, or mild cheddar or even mild. The choice is up to you. Another fun option would be Bleu Cheese or feta.

Bison: Bison burgers are loaded with protein and easy to work with.

Turkey: I think butter would be the perfect complement to a turkey burger because turkey is a drier meat than beef. Adding butter will help with that. A lot.

Sides: Serve with baked beans, mac-n-cheese or onion rings for great flavor combinations!

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That’s it for this post! Don’t forget to pin these photos to your Pinterest boards. And let me know what you think after you make these great burgers.

See this recipe at

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About the Man Behind the Grill

Zach Morrow was born and raised in Texas and has always had a passion for great barbecue. 

He’s at home behind the grill and loves to feed his friends and family home-cooked favorites as often as he can. 

Zach especially loves trying new things and is excited to share his tips and tricks for Backyard Texas Grill.