This is the way I make Maid Rites: 1 pound of ground beef and 1/4 cup chopped onion cook in 1 cup of water -- chopping to break up the beef into crumbles. When done drain well. Put back in the pan. Dissolve 2 beef bouillon cubes in 1/2 cup of HOT water and stir into the cooked beef. Cook until the water disappears. Serve with ketchup, mustard, pickles -- on hamburger buns. :)

So glad I found this site... I'm from Missouri and all the local maid rites are closed now but I had my first one before I was even born lol.. Mom and grandma went to maid rites to celebrate after the doctor told them I was on the way. Here I am 52 now. I keep hoping that they will come back to area. Thank you for sharing the recipe.

Vicki, there is a Maid Rite in Rolla, Mo. I live in Rolla, and it's been here since the late 50's.

I did live in Ohio, now live in Idaho. when I was in Ohio I had ate at the Maid Rite a few times an yes the burgers were great. Had to wait in line for a table. So I got to watch them make the burgers. I'm hoping this recipe is like theirs or close to it. Do miss the burgers.

Please message me the original recipe from Iowa.

I grew up in rural Illinois where Maid Rite was a real treat for us. My grandmother insisted the cook had confided to her that the secret ingredient was Coca-Cola--stewing the ground beef in Coke seems to do the trick!

To the person who mentioned Coca Cola... absolutely right! We've added a can of regular Coke for the stewing process on a tip from a Maid Rite guru here in Iowa, and it was absolutely the missing ingredient. They're awesome!

Interesting about the Coke, I have it from an "insider" it's Root Beer. LOL, Tastes great with the Root Beer though.

I'm from Muscatine, IA (the original Maid-Rite location). I keep seeing Coca-Cola and beer but my mother swears it is Root Beer. There you have it, the perfect combo. Eat up and enjoy!

Excellent maid rite. For what I can remember from about 10 yrs ago. I did add 1/2 can Coca Cola. Very good.

I worked at the Maid-Rite in Aurora, Colorado when I was 17 and make the beef every single day. There is no cola or root beer or any weird crap like that in the meat people. It's just seasoned beef cooked on a steam table. Instead of wasting your time arguing about it. Just make your version the way you like it and quit worrying about what other people think. Good grief. It's a freaking loose-meat hamburger. If someone wants to put ketchup one theirs, who are you to judge?

Evelyn, Love your comments and think I'd love to have a beer with you!

It's no wonder you ended up in the haven for grunge and unhinged stupidity. You're the only person on this thread that is arguing.

Welcome to the internet Evelyn. :)

Yes, seasoned beef... but WHAT IS THE SEASONING???

I was really enjoying reading all of the comments until I got to yours. You must be a very lonely person. That was just tacky to say. Those people were just commenting on their experience, don't believe there was any worry except on your part.

That's telling Evelyn, I love Maid Rites too, buy 'em every chance I get. But it's a loose meat steam burger, if your gonna make your own, make it the way you want it, use soda or not, put ketchup on it or don't. I prefer ketchup, mustard, fresh chopped onions, & dill pickles on mine & I don't cook it in soda.

Well I'll say that this is not the original recipe at all. My father worked there as a young man when it was just one mom and pop restaurant. There was no Worcestershire or cola in that original recipe. He taught me and swore me to secrecy. But yes... no catsup (tho sometimes I like catsup on it)... but you could have onions...mustard and a dill chip a must. The secret is two Asian ingredients...one common and one you'd never guess. That's all I can say without him coming back from heaven to smack me down. I'm kinda wondering if those ingredients became hard to get in bulk. Maybe that's where Worcestershire and cola came in?? Maybe...

Theri, I agree. Worcestershire, Cola, or beer were never used. If anybody bothers to visit Maid-Rite.com, they say their technique is to steam the beef, braise it in their secret sauce and steam the bun as well. I think I know the 2 Asian ingredients you mention but I won't say what they are. One sounds like Coy Coss and the other sounds like Lice Binegar. Those give the beef its umami taste along with the minced onion, mustard, chicken broth and brown sugar.

One ingredient is a touch of soy sauce and touch of rice vinegar. No root beer or coke, just meat simmered in water salt, pepper. Served on hot bun, wrap in paper let steam then add mustard, chopped onion, side of pickles. Enjoy!

Great recipe!! Gotta love maid-rite's. BTW, good LEAN hamburger doesnt come from bulls, its all about how you process it. By from the midwest if you want the best!! good luck maid-rite eaters:)

Haydust, you are right about the bull meat. In fact the original recipe said to use a commercial grade of meat. My dad worked at the meat packing house right behind the Maid Rite and they always ordered bull meat, usually a quarter at a time and boned and ground all the meat themselves. They also chop all the onions there as well.

We used to "cruise" through the parking lot of a Made Rite back in the 60's. The Made Rite sandwiches were my favorite. Now living in Minnesota I have found two Made Rite restaurants. I also like to make these delicious sandwiches at home using this recipe. I do replace ground beef with ground turkey with satisfactory results.

Yes sir. Used to cruise St. Germain in St. Cloud back in the 60's. Good thing about it back then was you could pull in at 2 in the morning and they were opened.
No Made-Rite in So California ))-:

I am orginally from Greenville. I have lived in Mississippi for the last 30 years now. Every time I come home Maid-Rites is my 1st stop if they are open. I have tried to make them for years but still have not got it right. I hope this one gets closer.

Hi Lorinda, I am from Greenville and have lived in Jackson for 30 years. We just ate Maid-Rites in Greenville and looked up recipes. Where do you live in Mississippi?

The original Maid Rite franchise has a manual which I read part of years ago. I live in Greenville, Ohio and there has been a Maid Rite here since 1933. They have refined the recipe down to a point that the line is up the street most of the day. The first major thing is NO CATSUP.

The meat should be very lean, bull meat if possible. It should be cooked but not browned. Before all of that, soak in Worchestershire sauce over night if possible. White pepper, salt and a bit of sugar should be added as it cooks. When finished put into a crock pot and steam as long as possible adding water if needed. Taste occasionally and correct the taste as needed.

Thanks for your advice Bob. The Maid Rite in Greenville is the only one I have ever been to and that is the taste I want to duplicate now that I am too far away to stop by anymore.

I've lived in Iowa all my life. Love me some maid rites! I make them once a year. I use 5 pounds of 93% lean ground beef, 2 tablespoons of salt, a packet of Lipton onion soup mix, 2 tablespoons of mustard, 1 can of beef broth and 4 tablespoons of name brand Worcestershire sauce. I use half of a 2 liter bottle of coke. Mix it all together and simmer in medium heat for 3 hours. Stir every half hour. During hour 4 you can Cook on medium to high heat to finish steaming all the juices and add your own taste. You want more of the Worcestershire onion smell than anything else. If you take a maid rite and one of these and eat them under a blind test. You cannot tell which is which!

I had the original Maid-Rite years ago when I was in Iowa setting up a REX TV store in a mall there. Absolutely loved them. I'm actually close to Greenville but never went there to get a sandwich, maybe I should.

We have a local Dairy Queen that makes their version and they are real good, they call them Burg-Rites. Think I'm going to try the recipe with coke and see what happens.

Boil the meat to get the grease out. Drain. Put the meat back in the pan. Chop up white onion and add 8 oz. of Coca Cola per 1 pound hamburger. Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Cook on low heat until all the Coke has soaked into the meat and onion is soft. Serve with mustard and butter & pickles. I think the Coke is the secret ingredient.

Hi Mary, have you done this in a crockpot? Sounds delicious!

Thinking about making Maid Rites for my friends here in Arkansas, but would like to them in my Crock Pot, what do you think?