1 & 1/2 pounds 80/20 ground beef (ground chuck)

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

8 slices American cheese

dill pickle chips, for serving

caramelized onions, for serving

hamburger buns, for serving

Place the ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Mix gently with your hands until just combined. Do not overmix.

Divide the meat into 8 thin patties, just bigger than the size of your burger buns. Place on a large sheet pan or cutting board.

Place two slices of cheese, folded into 1/4 in the middle of 4 of the patties, making sure to leave an edge around the bottom patty. Place another patty on top, and use your fingers to pinch and seal the two patties together, sandwiching the cheese between them.

(Chilling the stuffed patties for at least 1 hour after you make the patties will help to keep them together and keep the cheese from oozing out.)

Heat a grill or cast iron pan to medium-high heat. Grill the burgers, flipping as needed, until the burgers are cooked through to 160F, typically 4 to 5 minutes per side. Allow burgers to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Chill the burger patties. Chilling the burgers after you make the patties will help to keep them together and keep the cheese from oozing out.

Cook until well done. This burger is traditionally served well. For food safety purposes, this is recommended. Don’t worry – they won’t be dry!

Make sure the cheese is in the center. You want to leave an edge around the burger patty with no cheese so that it’s easy to seal. Otherwise, the cheese will just leak out.

Rest before serving. Give the burgers 5 minutes or so to rest on a plate before serving. This gives the juices and the cheese a chance to settle.