History

Original Tommy's opened in May 1946 on the corner of Beverly and Rampart, founded by Tom Koulax, the son of Greek immigrants, with one rule: every burger gets a ladle of house chili poured directly over the patty in front of the customer. The Koulax family still operates the original shack 24 hours; the chili recipe is closely held. Tommy's spawned a chili-burger sub-genre across LA that defines the city's late-night burger tradition, distinct from the In-N-Out fast-food canon.

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Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 30 minTotal 1 hr 30 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 600g ground beef chuck (80/20)
  • 4 soft sesame hamburger buns
  • 4 slices yellow American cheese
  • 1 small white onion, finely chopped
  • 8 dill pickle slices
  • Yellow mustard
  • For the chili: 500g ground beef chuck, 1 small onion finely chopped, 2 garlic cloves minced, 2 tablespoons mild chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon paprika, half teaspoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon flour, 400ml beef stock, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, salt to taste
  • Neutral oil for the pan

Method

  1. Make the chili first. Heat a pan, brown the 500g ground beef 6 minutes, breaking it small.
  2. Add chopped onion and garlic, cook 4 minutes more until soft.
  3. Stir in chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano and flour. Cook 1 minute.
  4. Add tomato paste and beef stock. Simmer 45 minutes until thick but still pourable, the consistency of loose gravy. Salt to taste.
  5. For the burgers, divide the 600g beef into 8 balls of 75g each. Heat a heavy flat griddle until smoking.
  6. Place 2 balls on the griddle per burger and smash each flat with a spatula. Salt heavily. Cook 90 seconds, flip, lay cheese on one patty, stack the second patty on top, cook 60 seconds more.
  7. Toast the buns face-down on the griddle.
  8. Build each burger: bottom bun, yellow mustard, 2 dill pickle slices, double patty with melted cheese, chopped raw onion. Place top bun on, then ladle the hot chili over the lid so it pours down the sides.
  9. Wrap each in greaseproof paper, eat with both hands and napkins ready.

Tip from the editors. The chili should run, not stand; if it spoons rather than pours, slacken with a splash of stock before serving.

Where to eat tommy's chiliburger

Tommy's chiliburger in Los Angeles

Original Tommy's ★ 4.0

$$ BurgersUntil Open 24/7

Original Tommy's at Beverly and Rampart, Los Angeles has poured chili over cheeseburgers since 1946 from a walk-up window. Open 24 hours, cash and card.

TryChili cheeseburger

Directions

Cassell's Hamburgers ★ 4.3

$$ American BurgersKoreatown

Cassell's Hamburgers inside the Hotel Normandie in Koreatown grinds its own chuck for griddled patties, a recipe in continuous use since 1948.

OrderThe third-pound cheeseburger with grilled onions, plus a vanilla malt for the side.

TipCassell's grinds beef in-house every morning; the breakfast burrito is the under-rated order from the same kitchen.

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