Perfect Medium-Rare Sous Vide Cheese Burgers

It's easy to make a perfect burger with the Anova Precision Cooker. There are only a few tricks — make sure you use a single zipper lock bag for each burger. Vacuum seal bags will compress the beef, leading to a dense result. Keeping the burgers in their own bags help them retain their shape. Finally, make sure to get your skillet ripping hot before adding the cooked burgers to sear. You'll get a much more delicious crust that way.

Author

Kate Williams

Kate is a freelance food writer and editor living in Berkeley, CA. Before moving to the Bay Area, Kate spent two years working as a test cook at America’s Test Kitchen, and has contributed to Serious Eats, The Oxford American, KQED and The Hypocrite Reader, among others. She's currently the editor of Berkeleyside NOSH.

Prep Time: 00:15

Recipe Time: 00:30

Temperature : 130F / 54.4C

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef, 85% lean
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 slices cheddar or American cheese
• 2 hamburger buns, for serving

Directions

1. Set the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 130ºF (54ºC).
2. Divide the ground beef in half and shape into two 8-ounce patties. Season with salt and pepper. Place each burger in its own medium zipper lock bag. Seal the bags using the water immersion technique and place in the water bath. Set the timer for 30 minutes.

Finishing Steps

1. When the timer goes off, remove the bags from the water bath. Gently remove the burgers from the bag and pat very dry. Season with additional salt and pepper.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the oil just begins to smoke, add the burgers and sear on the first side until well-browned, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Flip burgers and top with cheese. Continue to sear until second side is well-browned and cheese is melted, 45 seconds to 1 minute.
3. Transfer burgers to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve on buns with your favorite toppings.