Jim’s Famous A.1. Hamburger Recipe

Try this juicy, grilled A.1. hamburger recipe seasoned with fresh rosemary and topped with all the fixings!

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated May 08, 2022
Elise Bauer
Side view of a hamburger with toppings.
Lori Rice

Most summer grilling is done for large groups and as such is not too fancy - burgers, hot dogs, steaks, and the occasional kabob. For this recipe, I've borrowed a tip from my good friend Jim Honniball - a way to dress up a simple hamburger.

Everybody should have a friend like Jim. He can swim a mile, bike thirty, and still have the energy to cook up a batch of his legendary hamburgers for his friends.

Jim learned to cook from his mom and loves nothing more than to see everyone's delighted faces as they bite into something delicious he's prepared.

Especially satisfying after a hard day of body-boarding and surfing are his hamburgers which are seasoned with fresh rosemary from the garden and A.1. sauce.

A Tip for Grilling Burgers Indoors

At the time of this writing, I did not have a grill. So, to simulate the high-heat grilling environment, I bought a heavy-duty, cast iron grill pan from Williams-Sonoma for the task.

They also sell Calphalon pans (for about five times the price). But the Calphalon simply cannot hold the high heat that cast iron can to match the heat of a real grill.

Eventually, the high heat will warp the Calphalon pan. The brand I picked up was Lodge for less than $25. They also carry Le Creuset for somewhat more.

Side view of a hamburger with toppings.
Lori Rice

The Best Ground Beef for Burgers

Lean ground beef may be healthier, but the best burgers have a little fat in them. The high heat of the grill tends to dry out your meat. So, a little fat keeps your burgers juicy and moist. We recommend an 80/20 mix of ground chuck or sirloin, which means 80% lean beef and 20% fat.

More Mouthwatering Burger Recipes

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Jim’s Famous A.1. Hamburger Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 15 mins
Servings 3 to 4 servings

Safety tip: Try to get your hamburger meat from a butcher who grinds their own, that way you know where the meat came from. Bacteria loves raw hamburger. So, once you have some in your fridge, eat it up quickly—no more than a day or two at the most after you've bought it or defrosted it.

Ingredients

For the Burger:

  • 1 pound ground beef, an 80/20 mix of ground chuck or sirloin is best

  • 2 heaping tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves

  • 2 tablespoons A.1. sauce

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, about a half a teaspoon each

For Serving:

  • 4 hamburger buns

  • Lettuce

  • Sliced tomatoes

  • Sliced onions

  • Sliced avocado

  • Mayonnaise

  • Ketchup

  • Mustard

Method

  1. Make the burger mixture:

    Mix the rosemary and A.1. sauce into the hamburger meat, distributing evenly. Add salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste.

    Ground beef and ingredients to make an A1 burger.

    Lori Rice
  2. Form the hamburger patties:

    With your hands, divide the meat into 3 or 4 parts and form into patties.

    If the meat is low-fat, you may want to add some olive oil to the mixture. Or after the patties are formed, rub some oil over them before cooking.

    Forming hamburger patties to make a famous burger.
    Lori Rice
    Four burger patties on a plate.
    Lori Rice
  3. Grill the hamburger patties:

    Place on a hot grill or grill pan. If you are indoors with a grill pan, be sure to use your stove fan. If on a grill pan, lower the heat to medium high.

    Grill on one side until you can see the juice begin to run at the surface. Flip over and grill on the other side, again until you can see some juice coming through.

    Grilling burgers to make a famous burger.
    Lori Rice
    Grilling burgers to make a famous burger.
    Lori Rice
  4. Grill the buns:

    If you wish, brown the buns on the hot grill surface. Onions can be either served fresh with the hamburger or sauteed in a little olive oil.

  5. Serve burgers:

    Serve burgers with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, avocado, mayo, ketchup, and or mustard. (For a low-carb or gluten-free version, skip the bun.)

    Adding toppings to an A1 burger.
    Lori Rice
    A famous burger topped with avocado on a plate.
    Lori Rice
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
645 Calories
34g Fat
45g Carbs
40g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 645
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 34g 44%
Saturated Fat 10g 49%
Cholesterol 103mg 34%
Sodium 663mg 29%
Total Carbohydrate 45g 17%
Dietary Fiber 8g 30%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 40g
Vitamin C 31mg 154%
Calcium 175mg 13%
Iron 6mg 35%
Potassium 1319mg 28%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.