Fried Egg Burger
When it comes to comfort food, the Fried Egg Burger is an absolute game-changer. This delightful creation takes the classic burger to new heights by adding a perfectly fried egg on top, resulting in a rich, creamy burst of flavor with every bite. With juicy beef, melty American cheese, and fresh toppings, this burger is…
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 pound80/20 ground beef
- 4 slicesAmerican cheese
- 2 tablespoonsunsalted butter
- 4 large eggs
- 4 red leaf lettuce leaves
- Peeled red onion slices
- 8 tomato slices
- Sliced pickles
- 4 toasted hamburger buns
- burger sauce
- Coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
- oil for frying
Instructions
Instructions
- Divide the 1 pound 80/20 ground beef into 4 equal-sized patties and season both sides with coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper.
- Heat a griddle or large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add a few tablespoons of oil for frying and heat for about 1 minute until shimmering.
- Place the patties on the hot surface and cook undisturbed for 2 minutes. Flip each patty, top each with one slice of American cheese, and cook 1 to 1½ minutes more (or until browned and cooked to your desired doneness). Cook in batches if there is not enough room.
- While the patties finish cooking, split the 4 hamburger buns and place them cut-side down on the skillet edges (or alongside patties) to toast in the rendered fat until golden. Remove the toasted buns and cooked patties to a plate and set aside.
- In a medium nonstick pan, add the 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and heat over medium until melted and slightly bubbling.
- Crack the 4 large eggs into the buttered pan and cook to your preferred doneness: 30–45 seconds per side for over-easy, add 30–45 seconds per side for over-medium, or about 2 minutes per side for over-well. Season the eggs with coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper while they cook. Transfer the eggs to a plate.
- Assemble each burger: place a toasted bottom bun, add one red leaf lettuce leaf, layer with tomato slices, peeled red onion slices, and sliced pickles, place a cheeseburger patty on top, add a fried egg, drizzle or spread burger sauce, and finish with the top toasted bun.
- Serve immediately.
Equipment
- Griddle
- Large Cast-Iron Skillet
- medium nonstick pan
Notes
Notes
When you want to fry an egg for a burger, the magic is in nailing the yolk consistency. For a runny, over-easy yolk, cook the egg for 45 seconds on one side, then 20 to 25 seconds on the other. A jammy, over-medium yolk, cook for 90 seconds per side. For a fully set, over-hard yolk, cook for 2 to 2 ½ minutes per side. Check out my guide on
How to Perfectly Fry an Egg Every Time
for even more tips on frying eggs.
Cook the burgers in batches:
If your pan doesn’t fit all four patties comfortably, cook them in two batches instead.
No-flip fried egg method:
If you’re worried about flipping the egg and breaking the yolk, I have a trick for you. Baste the egg with a spoonful of hot, melted butter and cover the pan with a lid during the last 20 to 30 seconds of cooking. This way, the steam will gently cook the top of the egg without flipping it.
For the juiciest
burgers:
Shape the patties gently and press your thumb into the center of each one to make a small dimple. This prevents tough or dense burgers from puffing
up as they cook. Also, do not press on the patties while cooking, or else all of the flavorful juices will leak out.
Assemble your burger strategically:
Start with lettuce on the bottom bun to prevent the bread from getting soggy. Then, layer on the tomato, onion, and pickles, followed by the cheeseburger patty, fried egg, burger sauce, and the top bun.
Make-Ahead:
I sometimes form and season the burger patties up to 24 hours in advance to streamline the assembly process. The burger sauce and toppings can also be prepped ahead. Keep everything in separate containers in the fridge until it’s time to eat.
How to Store:
Refrigerate any leftover burger patties for up to 3 days. Fried eggs are best served fresh but can be stored in a separate container for up to 2 days. Keep extra burger buns on hand and prepare fresh toppings as needed.
How to Reheat:
Reheat the burger patties in a skillet over medium heat until warmed. If you’re in a hurry, microwaving the patties in 20-second intervals also works. Leftover fried eggs are tricky to reheat without overcooking the yolk, but a quick 10-second zap in the microwave will warm them up.
When you want to fry an egg for a burger, the magic is in nailing the yolk consistency. For a runny, over-easy yolk, cook the egg for 45 seconds on one side, then 20 to 25 seconds on the other. A jammy, over-medium yolk, cook for 90 seconds per side. For a fully set, over-hard yolk, cook for 2 to 2 ½ minutes per side. Check out my guide on
How to Perfectly Fry an Egg Every Time
for even more tips on frying eggs.
Cook the burgers in batches:
If your pan doesn’t fit all four patties comfortably, cook them in two batches instead.
No-flip fried egg method:
If you’re worried about flipping the egg and breaking the yolk, I have a trick for you. Baste the egg with a spoonful of hot, melted butter and cover the pan with a lid during the last 20 to 30 seconds of cooking. This way, the steam will gently cook the top of the egg without flipping it.
For the juiciest
burgers:
Shape the patties gently and press your thumb into the center of each one to make a small dimple. This prevents tough or dense burgers from puffing
up as they cook. Also, do not press on the patties while cooking, or else all of the flavorful juices will leak out.
Assemble your burger strategically:
Start with lettuce on the bottom bun to prevent the bread from getting soggy. Then, layer on the tomato, onion, and pickles, followed by the cheeseburger patty, fried egg, burger sauce, and the top bun.
Make-Ahead:
I sometimes form and season the burger patties up to 24 hours in advance to streamline the assembly process. The burger sauce and toppings can also be prepped ahead. Keep everything in separate containers in the fridge until it’s time to eat.
How to Store:
Refrigerate any leftover burger patties for up to 3 days. Fried eggs are best served fresh but can be stored in a separate container for up to 2 days. Keep extra burger buns on hand and prepare fresh toppings as needed.
How to Reheat:
Reheat the burger patties in a skillet over medium heat until warmed. If you’re in a hurry, microwaving the patties in 20-second intervals also works. Leftover fried eggs are tricky to reheat without overcooking the yolk, but a quick 10-second zap in the microwave will warm them up.