There’s nothing better than the rich and savory flavor of a Butter Burger. A juicy patty combined with a pat of butter for a truly indulgent experience.
Grilled Burgers are a staple summertime recipe that are perfect to feed a crowd. But these Butter Burgers are a twist on a classic recipe that elevates each bite for a rich and hearty recipe. These burgers cook easily on a hot skillet on the Stove Top but you can also cook on the grill.
These simple burgers are made with simple ingredients, crispy edges and a juicy center. Make sure to try these other burger recipes the next time you are looking for a twist on classic burger recipe – Crack Burgers, Western Burger, Ground Chicken Burgers, Pizza Burger, Peanut Butter Burger or Taco Burger.
What's in this post: Butter Burgers
What are Butter Burgers?
You may have had a Wisconsin Butter Burger Recipe at Culver’s Restaurant. Ground beef is mixed with slice of butter and made into a simple patty and cooked to perfection.
The high-quality beef patty is cooked with the best rich and savory flavor and served on a toasted bun with melted cheese. Now you can easily make this delicious burger at home with these simple steps.
Ingredients
- Salted Butter – Make sure the butter is softened and divided. You can also use unsalted butter.
- Sweet Onion – Chop the onion ahead of time with a vegetable chopper. You can even Learn How to Freeze Onions.
- Lean Ground Beef – Substitute the ground beef with Sirloin Beef or Ground Chuck
- Hamburger Buns – We love to toast the buns just like they do at Solly’s Grille
- American Cheese – Feel free to use any type of cheese slice including cheddar cheese
- Salt – You can also use kosher salt or pink salt
Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe in the recipe card.
How to Make Wisconsin Butter Burgers
Step 1 – Mix 2 Tablespoons of the butter into the ground beef.
Step 2 – Divide the beef into 4 even patties. Season with the salt and pepper. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Step 3 – Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the chopped onions to the skillet and sauté until tender (approximately 5-7 minutes). Reduce the heat on the skillet to look and cook for 3-4 minutes until browned covered with a lid. Transfer the onions to a separate plate.
Step 4 – Place the burger patties into the skillet and cook for 4-6 minutes without moving the patties over medium heat.
Step 5 – Flip the patties and cook on the other sides of the patties for 4-6 more minutes until the patties are cooked through.
Step 6 – Turn off the heat, top each patty immediately with 1 tablespoon of butter each, ¼ of the sautéd onions and a slice of the cheese. The heat from the top of the burgers should melt the butter and the cheese.
- Step 7 – Remove from the skillet and place on the toasted bun tops and bun bottoms.
- Step 8 – Serve the butterburger immediately while warm and enjoy!
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Beef Patties – Combine the ground beef with the slice butter until completely combined. The tightly shape into equal portions balls to keep the patties from falling apart.
- Skillet – For the best flavor, we recommend using a cast iron skillet. It creates a crispy texture while keep the burger so juicy.
- Onions – We recommend to cook the chopped onions in butter for the best flavor.
What to Serve with Butter Burgers?
Butter Burgers make a great main dish recipe. But we love to add these Side Dishes to complete the meal.
- Baked French Fries
- Air Fryer Tator Tots
- Fruit Salad Recipe
- Cowboy Beans
- Fried Corn on the Cob
- Pan-Fried Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes
- Slow Cooker Caramelized Onions
Make sure to add your favorite burger toppings including, slice mushrooms, sauteed onions, ketchup, tomato, lettuce, mustard, and ketchup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it creates a juicy burger with a rich and buttery flavor.
Yes, these burgers will taste great on the grill with a smoky flavor. Combine the ingredients in a bowl and place on the grill and cook each side about 5 minutes.
These burgers are best served immediately while warm; however, any leftovers will last for up to 5 days as long as they are refrigerated in an airtight container. I prefer to store the onion, patties and buns separately and then assemble them when ready to serve.
More Easy Burger Recipes
We love to hear from you. If you make these Butter Burgers, please leave us a comment or a star review.
Butter Burgers
Ingredients
- 8 Tablespoons Salted Butter softened and divided
- 1 medium Sweet Onion chopped
- 1 pound 90/10 Lean Ground Beef
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 4 Hamburger Buns toasted
- 4 slices American Cheese
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Instructions
- Mix 2 tablespoons softened salted butter into 1 pound 90/10 lean ground beef.
- Divide the beef mixture into 4 even patties. Season both sides with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Refrigerate the patties for at least 30 minutes.
- Melt 2 tablespoons salted butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add 1 chopped medium sweet onion to the skillet and sauté for 5–7 minutes until tender. Reduce the heat to low and cook for an additional 3–4 minutes until lightly browned.
- Transfer the sautéed onions to a separate plate.
- Place the burger patties into the skillet and cook for 4–6 minutes without moving them.
- Flip the patties and cook for another 4–6 minutes, until cooked through.
- Turn off the heat and immediately top each patty with 1 tablespoon salted butter, ¼ of the sautéed onions, and 1 slice American cheese. Let the residual heat melt the butter and cheese.
- Place each burger on a toasted hamburger bun.
- Serve immediately while warm and enjoy!
The next time we are craving burgers, I am trying this recipe!
I can hardly wait to try this recipe!
I hope you love it Susan! Thank you for sharing.
The smashed burger so juicy and delicious
This has become my favorite burger recipe for summer 2025. So juicy and flavourful.
I always like the videos accompanying the recipes. So much easier to follow and make. Thanks.
Mine too Maureen! It’s so easy to make and delicious too! Thank you for sharing and I’m so glad that you’re enjoying the videos as well.
It looks very good. I will be trying it out this weekend.
I hope you enjoy it Valerie!
These burgers look so delicious. I will be grilling them soon – I can hear the sizzle already!
Woohoo! I hope you enjoy them Linda!
I cannot wait to try these!!! Just n time for grilling season.
Thanks Nancy! I hope you enjoy them!
This looks delicious. Can’t wait to try
Thank you Elizabeth! I hope you love this recipe!
Everyone loves a great burger. Adding the butter adds so much to the flavor!
Yes, I agree Sharon!
sounds yummy!
They are SO good Mary!
I cannot wait to try these this week!
I hope you enjoy it Kayla! Thank you for sharing.
Sounds delicious, I love butter and hamburgers. I would make myself a large patty eat like a hamburger steak add baked beans and potato salad, meal fit for a king.
Sounds delicious Judy! Thank you so much for sharing!
These sound amazing! Going to give this a try this week.
Thank you so much Amber! It’s probably my new favorite burger recipe! I hope you try it out and enjoy it!
Since moving to the West coast, one of the places I’ve missed most is Culver’s. I’m so excited to be able to make butter burgers at home!
Yes, and I think these are even better! I hope you enjoy the Carrie!
Gonna give these a try!
I hope you love this burger recipe Ty!
Sounds amazing! I can’t wait to try it this weekend!!
Thanks Jenn! I hope you enjoy them!
These sound delicious! I will make a few without onions. We have a few with food sensitivity to onion
Yes, that’s a great idea! They are still delicious without onions as well.
Can’t wait to try these!
I hope you enjoy them Esther!
Made these today for lunch so good
Ty
I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for sharing and thank you for the positive review!
Looks delicious can’t wait to try them.
I hope you enjoy them!
I’m sure my boys will love these! Do you leave the burner on low to cook the burgers?
Sorry for the confusion. I cook the burgers on medium high heat. I will update the recipe to be more clear.
Simple but delicious hamburger!!!
Yes, I agree!
This looks amazing! I’m going to try it!
I hope you enjoy it Sonya!
Thank you. Next time I make my grandkids hamburgers, I will be using this recipe. Thank you.
I hope they love it!
Sounds so good! It’s a must try for me!
I live in Wisconsin and i can tell you that these burgers are equally as yummy, if not more, than the Culver’s counterparts. We make these all the time since I found your great recipe! Thank you
I will definitely be trying this recipe this week! My husband and I are burger fans and this looks like a winner!
I hope you love it! I love this recipe so much!
The butter burger looks delicious now I want one yummy maybe even with some cheese curds
Yes! Cheese curds with this recipe would be amazing!
I will need to try these burgers!
Yes, Rhonda – I hope you try it out and that you enjoy them!
These sound really easy and tasty, planning to make these this week!
I hope you enjoy them!
Is the butter added because of the meat being so lean?
Yes, but it’s always what gives them a ton of flavor!
This looks delicious.
The addition of butter makes the burger super tasty and moist and the onions really top it off.
They all sound yummy
Thank you! I hope you enjoy them!
sounds very good will have to try this weekend
Thank you Carolyn! I hope you enjoy them!
Those burgers look so yummy. Thank you for all of these great recipes.
OMG I’ve been looking for this recipe. I love smashbutgers and can’t wait to try these
These look sooooo good!! Can’t wait to try them. Thanks for sharing.
The absolute best burger recipe!!! My husband and I love it!
Such a yummy recipe!
Our favorite burger marinade and recipe!!
Very good
This is one of the simplest burger recipe I’ve tried, and my kids loved them!
So so good!
So yummy with tons of flavor!
This burger is so juicy! Will be making it again!
So much flavor 10/10!
These are amazing. My new favorite burger recipe.
Made a super burger (1/2 lb) using your method, a couple of days ago. Love the idea of putting the onion on top of burger, then the cheese. Not only keeps cheese from melting and running all over, but it makes the onion flavor so much better than when it is mixed in the meat. Just thinking about it makes we want to make it for lunch tomorrow.
Woohoo! I love hearing this Charles! I loved these so much too! They are amazing!
Amazing flavor and so juicy!