Bring the flavors of the grill indoors with this smoky skillet cheeseburger featuring a quick and easy mustard sauce.
This burger was specially designed for those who love the flavor of a flame-grilled burger but don't quite have the desire (or possibly even skill-set) to man a grill. Smoky and tender, your taste buds won't miss a thing. This cheeseburger is just as satisfying as any grilled patty out there and requires about a tenth of the time and attention. It is quick and easy to prepare and would satisfy any appetite.
Up the ante with TAK's Smoky Mustard Sauce. Speckled with smoked paprika and tangy prepared horseradish for an instantaneous boost in flavor and heat. It's divine, and here is how it came to be:
Now, this isn’t something I necessarily go around boasting about and coming from a family of horticulturists, it’s honestly a little embarrassing to admit, but I am nothing if not an “indoors” kind of gal. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good scenic view, featuring the sounds of children giggling as they run to-and-fro across the yard, birds chirping and the feel of cool wind brushing across my cheeks. I adore the smell of fresh cut grass, even though it makes me sneeze like the dickens. Some of the things I don’t love about the great outdoors: sneezing like the dickens, running around hysterically whilst I am chased by insects with stingers, the sound of buzzing mosquitos threatening to release every histamine within my body, heat…oh man, I really don’t love the Texas heat. Plus, ya know, the kitchen’s inside, so there’s that.
As you can probably tell, air conditioning and bug-free environments are my friends. Maybe this has something to do with why I have yet to master the charcoal grill. Shhhhh. Don’t tell anyone. I’m a little ashamed of that one too. So what’s a gal to do when she’s got a serious hankering for a flame-grilled cheeseburger, yet just as strong of a hankering to stay indoors?
For the longest time, I had it out for liquid smoke, and it’s horrible pungent flavor. I wanted nothing to do with it because it couldn’t possibly impart the true essence a smoking, hot grill, right? Nope, wrong. Like most intensely flavored ingredients, if you use too much, it is purely a weapon of mass destruction: Your dish will end up overpowered, succumbed to desolation, and left untouched and unwanted. I found that using liquid smoke in very small doses, didn’t overwhelm my burger, it actually gave it an extremely satisfying and deceivingly similar result to those straight off the grill.
Now, I know one of these days I’m going to have to get out there and give the whole grill master thing a go, but until then, I’ll just keep on with this recipe when hankering strikes. Smoky and tender, your taste buds don't miss a thing. It’s guaranteed to satisfy any burger craving and was specially designed for those who love the flavor of a flame-grilled burger but don't quite have the desire (or possibly even skill-set) to man a grill. Please, enjoy.
A juicy cheeseburger topped with a delicious smoky mustard sauce and cheese!
- 1 ½ pound 80/20 ground beef
- 1 ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoon unsalted liquid smoke
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Canola oil
- ¾ cup freshly grated Cheddar or sliced American cheese
- 4 Kaiser rolls or high quality hamburger buns
- 1 cup shredded lettuce if desired
- 1 thinly sliced beefsteak tomato if desired
- ½ of a thinly sliced yellow onion if desired
- ½ c thick-sliced dill pickles if desired
- 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
- ¼ teaspoon unsalted liquid smoke
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Pinch of garlic powder
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Set the ground beef out at room temperature about 30 minutes prior to cooking. Place cast iron skillet over medium heat.
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In a large bowl season ground beef with salt, pepper, and liquid smoke. Gently mix with your hands to combine. Divide meat into fourths and form four large patties, just under 1” in thickness. Use your thumb make a small indentation/well in the center of each patty.
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Add oil to the skillet and allow to come to temperature. In batches, if necessary to prevent overcrowding, place the patties on the skillet and cook for 4 minutes. Do not jostle or move.*
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Turn patty over with a spatula and place a generous pinch of cheddar atop the seared side of the burger. Allow it to cook an additional 4 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the burger is cooked to your liking.
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For the sauce, combine ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. To assemble the burgers, smear a generous portion of smoky mustard sauce across the bottom bun and add burger patty. Top with desired vegetables and an additional drizzle of sauce. Cap with the top bun, serve and enjoy.
*Moving the patty around on the skillet will prohibit it from properly searing and browning.
Would pair well with:
Ice Cold Beer
