The secret to a juicy burger is to use high fat of 80/20 freshly ground chuck meat, and keep the meat cold and sear the meat over very high heat without overhandling the hamburger patty.
And season the burger patty with salt only right before you cook it, to prevent the burger patty from becoming tough, and avoid pressing the burger patty with a spatula and also toast the burger buns for a nice savory crusty and tender burger.
Another secret ingredient to make burgers juicy is to use evaporated milk, adding butter to the meat mixture or use a panade, which is bread soaked in milk.
Also using a high fat content meat of 75/25 or 80/20 mix and not overworking the hamburger patties also will ensure that the burgers remain moist and tender and juicy.
Mixing some evaporated milk with breadcrumbs into the beef for the burgers also helps bind the meat and keeps it moisture.
And incorporating cold, grated or small chunks of butter into the hamburger patties also provides extra fat that melts during cooking and leaves the burgers juicy.
Restaurants get their burgers so juicy by using meat with high fat meat blends which is usually 80/20 to 70/30 chuck as well as cooking the burgers on seasoned and extremely hot flat top grills to get a fast sear and they also rest the meat after cooking.
Restaurants use ground beef with 20 percent to 30 percent fat, which ensures that the burgers retain moisture and flavor and restaurants often use custom blends of meat like short rib and brisket and they avoid overworking the hamburger patty, and never press down on the burger while cooking, which prevents losing internal moisture.
Some restaurants may press down on the burger when cooking, although others don't.
Restaurant and diner burgers taste different mainly because diners use hamburger meat that has a high fat content of 80/20 meat blends.
Diners and restaurants also use a seasoned flat top griddle as well as high heat cooking techniques to create a nice savory crust.
The diner and restaurant burgers also often feature freshly ground beef as well as the use of specialized seasoning and toasting the hamburger buns in butter or even beef tallow, which provides a richer and more indulgent flavor when compared to the home cooked burgers.
Cooking on a griddle that is seasoned, allows the fat from the other burgers that were previously cooked to also baste the current burgers being cooked, which adds a deep and savory flavor.
Chefs in diners and restaurants also heavily season the hamburger patty using salt and pepper just before they cook the burger.
Diners and restaurants often use beef that has at least 20 to 30 percent of fat, which remains juicier, more tender and also provides a stronger and richer flavor.
And instead of using standard ground beef, many diners and restaurants also use a mix of cuts of meat like chuck, brisket or short rib to get a superior taste and texture.
Also many diners and restaurants also smash the hamburger patty on the hot surface of the griddle, which creates a Maillard reaction, which is a chemical reaction between the amino acids and reducing sugars, which helps produce a crispy and caramelized crust while also locking the juices into the meat.
And using butter or even animal fat like Tallow on the griddle and on the hamburger buns also add some extra layers of flavor and indulgents.
Diners also often will use fresh and soft and toasted hamburger buns, which is combined with precise and simple toppings for the burgers to enhance instead of overpower the hamburger meat.
To make your burgers at home taste better you can also add herbs, cheese or Worcestershire sauce.
You can also add some Jalapeno peppers to your burger or hot sauce and or add some toppings like fried eggs, chips, bacon, bacon jam, sauteed onions, sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions, avocados, blue cheese or even grilled pineapple.
Some other good sauces to add to your burger are truffle aioli, sriracha may, aioli, chipotle mayo and you can also toast the bun or use different breads.
Crispy bacon, tangy pickles, garlic butter, rosemary, thyme herbs, BBQ sauce, cheddar cheese, feta cheese, cream cheese pepperjack cheese and even garlic can all help to pimp your burger and make the burger more enjoyable.