Juicy Burgers and Special Sauce

Sometimes you have the craving for some juicy burgers. The con about living near a Shake Shack, is living near a Shake Shack. When we’re in the mood for a good, juicy burger, Fatima and I will find our way walking to Shake Shack or if we’re up to hating ourselves for the rest of the night, stopping at a Five Guys and pairing their burgers with some Cajun fries. The key to a good burger, is the juiciness. I hate biting into an over-cooked and overly dry burger. It ruins the whole experience.

And the key to a good, juicy burger? The seasoning. Burgers can be hard to season. Sometimes there’s too much, and when the burger is too dry, there’s not enough seasoning. I’ve made these burgers seasoned and unseasoned and it’s great either way. Now that summer is here and in full swing, make your guests mouth water with some delicious burgers you can make on the stove or the grill.

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Juicy Burgers and Special Sauce

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Dinner

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes – Cooking Time: 8 minutes – Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• Burgers
• 1/2-3/4 lb of ground beef chunk (80% lean)
• 2 dashes of cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• Shake Shack Special Sauce
• 2 tsp ketchup
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3/4 tsp yellow mustard
• 1 1/2 tsp pickle juice (bread and butter pickles)
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder

Instructions

Burgers

1

Heat cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.

2

Combine all ingredients above.

3

Divide meat into equal parts and form 3/4 inch thick patties.

4

Using your thumb push down a deep indent in the center of each patty. This is the key to making a juicy burger.

5

Spray skillet with canola oil.

6

Place patties on skillet and cook side for about 3 minutes or until one side is slightly charred.

7

Flip and cook for another 5 mins or until desired doneness.

8

About 1 minute before your burger is done, cover with a slice of cheese and cover the skillet with a lid for ultimate melting.

9

Remove from skillet, add to bun and top with condiments.

Shake Shack Special Sauce

10

Combine all ingredients.

11

Add additional quantities of ingredients above for desired taste.

12

Spread on burger buns and enjoy.

We found these delicious, french brioche buns at Whole Foods. They were super soft and light. I topped our burgers Shack style with lettuce, pickles, and Shack Sauce.

What I love about Shake Shack is their special shack sauce. It’s tangy, has a hint of spice, and a little creamy. It adds an overall great flavor to the burger that ketchup alone can’t deliver. After some changes, here’s our take on Shake Shack’s special sauce. While there is no replacement to their sauce, this comes pretty close.