Ranch Burgers With Homemade Kranch Recipe

Burger night just got an upgrade — these ranch burgers with homemade "kranch" take a classic cookout favorite and elevate it into something special. The recipe, developed by Kate Shungu, will especially appeal to fans of ranch dressing. "I love serving a special burger as a fun addition to a cookout or our weekly family burger night," Shungu says. "These ranch burgers have double the ranch: ranch dressing mix mixed into the burger patties, and a mixture of ranch and ketchup on top, AKA the kranch." 

Ranch fans will adore the subtle tang of the dressing, and the homemade kranch can be scooped up with french fries or potato chips, too. Best of all, it takes just 20 minutes to create a flavorful meal that can be customized to everyone's preference. Shungu mentions that she likes to set out all the toppings and let the hungry burger fans choose their favorites. Pickles, bacon, sauteed onions, and slices of provolone will round out a top-your-own-burger buffet nicely. And, while the recipe calls for slathering the kranch right onto the burgers before serving, you can easily set the condiment aside as well and let people choose their own adventure on that front.

As expected, you'll need ground beef to make the burgers, and 85% lean beef is our meat of choice for the ranch burger. To season, you don't need to worry about pulling countless spices out of your cabinet — just a packet of ranch seasoning will do the trick.

To double-down on the ranch goodness, homemade kranch is made of ranch dressing, ketchup, onion powder, and dried parsley. Finally, the toppings — lettuce and tomato add some color and freshness to these burgers, all of which gets piled onto pretzel buns. 

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.

Make the kranch: In a medium bowl, whisk together the ketchup, ranch dressing, onion powder, and dried parsley, then set aside.

In a large bowl, gently mix together the ground beef and ranch dressing mix.

Form the beef into 4 patties, about ¾-inch thick.

Place the patties on the grill and cover. Grill for 4–5 minutes, or until the patties release easily from the grill grates.

Flip and cook for an additional 3–4 minutes, or until your desired doneness is reached. Remove from the grill.

Place the pretzel buns on the grill cut-side down. Grill for approximately 2 minutes, or until lightly toasted.

Place the bottom half of the pretzel buns on a work surface. Top each with a piece of lettuce, a slice of tomato, and a burger patty.

Spread 1-2 tablespoons of kranch on the top half of each bun and place on top of the burger. Serve while warm.

We're no strangers to mixing condiments. Big Mac sauce, Raising Cane's sauce, and In-N-Out burger sauce are just a few of the ways two condiments can combine to upgrade a burger. Kranch, however, is the only sauce to combine ketchup and ranch to create a tangy burger topper. Our recipe adds onion powder and dried parsley to add a little extra flavor complexity and mimic the Heinz version.

Ketchup and ranch are the two requirements for making homemade kranch, but the seasonings can be adjusted to your preference. For example, use fresh parsley instead of dried parsley, and grate a yellow onion in place of the onion powder (about a tablespoon of grated onion will do). Use a box grater or a microplane to grate it. If you'd like an extra boost of ranch flavor, stir in a teaspoon of ranch dressing mix (leftover from the burgers) into the ranch/ketchup mixture. 

Store any leftover kranch in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. The extras can be used for dipping french fries, scooping up with chicken nuggets, or slathering onto a grilled chicken sandwich or BLT. 

There are a handful of elements to create the perfect hamburger at home. We recommend using ground beef with enough fat content to make it flavorful. This guide to burgers has a few tips for choosing the best ground beef for your burger. You'll also need to season the ground beef. Salt and pepper are must-haves, and seasonings such as onion powder or worcestershire sauce amp up the savory flavor. Ranch dressing mix, used in these ranch burgers, adds a special extra kick that you don't find in your typical burger.

A "special sauce" such as kranch, fry sauce, or a fancy mayo also take a burger from plain to elevated. Additional toppings, such as lettuce and tomato, add texture contrast and freshness, so don't skip them! Thinly sliced yellow onion or red onion add a sharp, savory flavor that pairs nicely with the juicy burger. 

Finally, we all know the bread can make or break a sandwich (sometimes literally). We like pretzel buns for their sturdiness and lightly salty flavor. To amp up the richness of the burger even more, spread a thin layer of mayo on the bun before grilling, broiling, or toasting. It'll create a burger that is absolutely glistening with goodness.