Best California Burgers with Homemade Burger Sauce
Burger night is one of my favorite nights! Especially when it’s these California Burgers. The meat is seasoned simply, and we top the burgers with smashed avocado, melty cheese, fresh veggies, pickled onion, and a delicious homemade burger sauce!
Sometimes I forget to add burgers to the weekly dinner rotation, but I need to change that! Burgers are so easy and there are so many fun ways to jazz them up. I think everyone knows anything with ‘California’ in the name will have avocado and these burgers are no different! Fresh avocado is a must and I’m also including an easy + delicious burger sauce you can whip up in just a few minutes. If you are short on time, it’s TOTALLY fine to use a store-bought version. I love Trader Joe’s Magnifisauce or Kinders burger sauce if I don’t feel like making your own. Let’s make these!
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you decide to purchase any of the items linked in this post, I should earn a small commission. This creates no additional cost to you and helps support the work that goes into running The Fig Jar. Thank you! -Becky
What do I need to make California Burgers?
- ground beef
- garlic powder
- olive oil
- onion powder
- salt
- black pepper
- avocado
- mixed greens
- tomatoes
- red onion
- red wine vinegar
- sugar
- sliced cheese – I used cheddar here but you could use any cheese you’d like. Jack cheese, white cheddar cheese, or Swiss cheese also taste great for this California burger recipe.
- hamburger buns – I go for brioche buns whenever possible because they are truly amazing for burgers
A little extra touch I added to this recipe is pickled onions. This is another thing you can adjust if you prefer raw onions. I just like the great flavor and extra punch of sourness they give!
Homemade burger sauce ingredients
- mayonnaise
- mustard
- ketchup
- pickles
- paprika
- garlic powder
- salt
- black pepper
- agave nectar – or you can use honey
How to make California Burgers
Season the meat
The first thing you’ll do is combine ground beef, a drizzle of olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. You can use your hands to mix the seasonings into the meat until fully combined.
Shape burger patties
Press the meat down into an even layer in the bottom of the bowl and score with your hand into 4 even sections.
Shape each of the four sections of meat into an individual burger patty. You’ll want to make them flatter and larger than your buns because they will shrink slightly as they cook.
Set aside the burgers while you heat a cast-iron skillet with a drizzle of oil to medium-high heat.
Cook burgers
Place burgers in the heated skillet and cook for about 3 minutes per side or to the desired doneness, using a meat thermometer to make sure they are just right. Top each beef patty with a slice of cheese, if desired, just before removing the burgers from the pan or grill. Cover burgers with foil after transferring to a plate to finish melting the cheese if necessary.
Toast burger buns
Toasting buns is a must for me! If I’m cooking in the house (as opposed to on the grill), I place the buns cut-side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment and pop them under the broiler until golden. This doesn’t take more than 3 minutes.
Make the homemade burger sauce
Simply combine the mayo, mustard, ketchup, chopped pickle, agave/honey and seasonings in a small dish and stir until combined.
Now you’re ready to assemble yourself a delicious California burger!!
Assemble the burgers
My assembly method for these burgers was as follows:
- bottom bun
- sauce
- burger patty
- avocado
- onions
- a slice of tomato
- greens
- top bun (with more sauce on it)
And it was perfect.
What to serve with California Burgers
- Tap into those true West Coast vibes and make some In-N-Out style animal fries with the rest of your Trader Joe’s Magnifisauce! Having lived in Southern California my entire life, animal fries are a MUST with any burger.
- Onion rings slathered in ketchup or more burger sauce
- Seasoned french fries from frozen (pictured above) to keep it easy
- Roasted fresh vegetables. Cook them right on the grill!
Using an Outdoor Grill
To cook these burgers on an outdoor grill, start by preheating your grill. If using a grill with a thermometer, heat to the range labeled “Grill” or between 375°F to 400°F. Then, oil the grill with a bit of olive oil using a paper towel. It is recommended that you only flip each burger once and keep the grill’s lid open to ensure a juicy burger and to achieve those perfect grill marks on each side.
Storage Instructions
Once cooled to room temperature, store leftover beef patties in an airtight container or wrap them in plastic wrap. Keep them in the fridge for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Tried these California Burgers?
If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating below and let me know how it went. I’d love to hear from you!
You can also connect with me on Instagram and Pinterest.
More delicious burger recipes
California Burgers with Homemade Burger Sauce
Burger night is one of my favorite nights! Especially when it’s these california burgers. The meat is seasoned simply, and we top the burgers with smashed avocado, cheddar cheese, mixed greens, pickled onion, tomatoes and a delicious homemade burger sauce!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 burgers 1x
- Category: main
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 tsp salt, divided
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced into rounds
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 4 cheddar cheese slices
- mixed greens
- tomato slices
- 2 small avocados
- 4 burger buns
Burger sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/8 cup ketchup
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp pickles, small dice
- 1 tbsp pickle juice
- 1 tbsp agave nectar
Instructions
- Start by making the pickled onions. Place the sliced onions in a glass container or jar and add vinegar, water, 1 tsp salt and sugar. Shake well and set aside.
- Make the burger sauce next. Place all ingredients in a glass container or a small bowl and stir until thoroughly mixed. Set aside.
- Add ground beef to a mixing bowl with 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder. Use your hands to thoroughly mix the meat with the seasonings. Once it’s mixed well, flatten the mixture evenly in the bottom of a bowl. Score the meat into 4 sections with your fingertips. Use one section per patty. Shape patties flatter than you think they should be and larger than your buns because they will shrink.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium heat and add a drizzle of oil.
- Place burgers in the skillet (you may need to do two batches), and cook to desired doneness. I usually do about 3 minutes per side.
- Place cheddar slices on top of the patties towards the end of cooking. Then transfer to a plate. If the cheese isn’t fully melted, you can “tent” a piece of foil over the plate.
- Toast buns (if desired) under the broiler, cut side up under the broiler for about 3 minutes, or until toasted to your liking.
- Smash avocado: the easiest, dish-saving way is to cut the avos in half and smash the avocado right inside the skin using a fork.
- Here’s my order of assembly: bottom bun->sauce->patty->smashed avo->onions->tomatoes->greens->top bun (with sauce spread on it before topping)
- Enjoy!
