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Tips on How to Cook Perfect Hamburgers on a Grill

What's more American than grilling hamburgers? Hamburgers and hot dogs are the whole reason they put grills in public parks, in my opinion. Burgers and hot dogs are the whole reason we show up to the stadium 6 hours before the game (well, and beer I guess. ). We discussed hot dogs the other day, so I wanted to step back and talk about how to grill hamburgers the right way. You see, hamburgers may seem easy to make, but I have choked down far too many dried out and burnt disks of beef than I care to remember. It's time we did something about it, it's time we take a stand, it's time for me to stop complaining about it and start educating the masses! So let's get down to it and talk about best practices for grilling hamburgers.

Like many other grilling recipes, people just need to slow down and pay attention to details and technique to achieve burger grilling deliciousness. Here are what I consider to be the key factors in hamburger perfection.

1. Choose the right meat. Here's a newsflash, fat tastes good! That may not be too PC, but it's true. You know that last burger you had at the restaurant, the one you said "man, my hamburgers never taste this good". I would bet my squirt bottle that the main reason theirs was better is that you feel guilty buying anything other than "lean" ground beef. Quit fighting it, fat is delicious! Need another reason, ok, we are in tough times and fatty meat is cheaper. There, doesn't the desire to save money seem to dull the desire to eat healthy? I recommend ground chuck or ground sirloin for a good fatty ground beef. Check the label and ask your butcher, you want about 20% fat or so. Most serious hamburger junkies swear that grounding your own meat is the way to go. Sounds hard, right? If you have a food processor, it really isn't. Start with some boneless (duh) chuck with the fat still intact, cut it into strips and ground in the food processor in small batches. If you want to get really serious, invest in a meat grinder and then tell me how you convinced your wife so I can follow your lead. Is it worth all of the effort? Personally, I don't think so if you have access to great beef. If you live in the wilderness, probably, but you probably don't have a food processor either. I'll do a taste test one day to finally prove whether or not people can tell the difference.
2. Use high heat and cook them fast! Like most thin meat products, it's best to apply high and direct heat to your hamburger and cook it as fast as possible. Leave the lid open, crank up the heat and don't cook them too long or they will dry out.
3. Be gentle with that meat! Most people really pack the patties tight and then flatten them down too much. A loosely packed patty makes for a juicy hamburger! If you pack your hamburger patties too tight, you run the risk of drying out the meat and making them tough. The only thing I am going to recommend you do to that patty is make an indention, but we'll talk about that in a bit.
4. Don't "squish"! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE don't EVER flatten or squish your burgers with a spatula while they are grilling. You might as well pick it up with your hands and squeeze out all of the juices. Why do people usually feel the need to do that? Because the burgers usually inflate or bloat in the middle during grilling, we'll talk about how to prevent that if you stick with me below.
5. Flip only once! As meat cooks, the heat pushes the juices away from the heat source. To achieve a juicy burger, you only want to flip the burgers once so that you don't disrupt those juices any more than necessary. Most people ask, how long do you cook hamburgers on a grill? The short answer is "not too long" :). The real answer varies, based on the grill and the thickness of the hamburger, but one thing that does hold true is only flip once! We'll answer the "how long" question in a bit, your meat will tell you when if you know what to look for. But for now, resist the temptation to keep flipping, please!
6. Don't skimp on buns. Why would you go through all of this trouble to learn how to make a better burger and then serve them between some bad buns? I like to go with french hamburger buns from my grocery store's bakery.

So that is the very high level break down of the reasons why most people screw up a perfectly good hunk of ground beef. Let's walk through making the perfect hamburger step by step.

• Prep: 15 mins
• Cook: 10 mins
• Yields: 4 to 5 Burgers

2 lbs Ground Chuck (not ground beef)

2 tbsp kosher salt

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder (optional)

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)

1 Get the grill going. Go ahead and light the grill and set it up for direct grilling over high heat.

2 Divide your ground beef into equal portions, based on how many patties you are going to make. You want to end up with about a tennis ball sized portion of ground beef.

1 Now gently form each divided portion of ground beef into a tennis ball like shape. Don't overdue it, don't squeeze it, just get it into shape.

2 Once you have your ground beef balls, gently flatten each ball to make your patty.

3 Now here is a secret. You have probably experienced the "bloat" phenomenon I mentioned above that makes most inexperienced grill masters try to flatten that patty during grilling. To lessen the bloat, simply use your thumb and create an indention in the middle of the patty before you put it on the grill. It doesn't have to be too dramatic, just a little indention like you see in the photo above.

4 For seasoning, I also suggest that you don't over-think this one. Sure, there are many variations to the typical burger that will knock you off your lounge chair, but you've got to walk before you run! Once you can cook a decent, simple burger, I give you permission to get crazy, but let's master this basic burger first. I personally think that adding onions or other veggies to your meat classifies as meatloaf, not hamburgers, but that's just me (and besides, meatloaf is good as well!). Keep it simple for now, a little Kosher salt, some fresh ground black pepper and perhaps a little garlic powder and you are good to go, just gently rub the seasoning into your patties. Note that I can't seem to resist filling depressions or voids in meats, so you will see some Worcestershire sauce in the indention in this photo, I give you permission to do that if you must :).

5 Ok, the fire is lit, your meat hasn't been worked over too hard (other than a dent in the top) and you lightly seasoned your ground beef. Carry those bad boys out and slide them onto the hottest part of the grill. Our goal here is to sear the outside of the hamburger to form a great crust, while keeping the insides nice and juicy. Take note of what time you put them on the grill so you can time this exercise.

How Long To Grill Hamburgers

1 After about 5 or 6 minutes, or until you see juices start to collect on top of the patty. I like to call this burger sweat (doesn't it look like it?). This is a sure sign that the meat is cooking through in the middle, which pushes the juices to the top. In addition, you will see the edges start to brown. Once the juices and browning show up, flip the burgers and grill an additional 3 minutes on the other side. Times depend on heat of the grill, so wait for the juices to tell you how long.

1 As for our disclaimer, the USDA recommends 160 degrees for all ground meat. Don't take a chance, use a good instant-read thermometer like the Thermapen (the best!) and check the USDA's latest recommendations and our handy meat temperatures chart. If you are an iPhone owner, check out our free MeatTemps app to look up the correct internal temps for meat. If you are making cheeseburgers, now is the time to slap the cheese on and close the lid just long enough to melt the cheese.

2 Remove the burgers from the grill and let them sit for about 5 minutes while you toast a few buns on the grill!

That's it, that's all you have to do to cook the perfect hamburgers on a grill. Simple, juicy and delicious! Again, your times will vary based on your grill and how you like your burgers. One more thing I forgot to mention. Most of the time we Americans eat hamburgers, it's usually at a time that you aren't really expecting good food. Kid's parties, get-togethers, tailgating, etc. My point is, people probably won't even notice the amount of effort you went through to perfect your burgers. But when you are centering your perfect tailgate or potluck sign up around this protein, you want to put your best foot forward and know you did your best. So relish (get it?) those little comments like "I wish my hamburgers were this good" and have pride that you know why there's aren't!

24 Reviews

I do not mix the salt and pepper into the meat, I just season both sides.Yeah, not two tablespoons per patty, just sprinkle the patty.

Thank you for all your guidance on the hamburger grilling. After years of my husband delivering up dried out burgers on our gas grill, I asked and received a charcoal grill after watching our 12 year old grandson grill in a 4-H competition . He inspired me to try it and you have given me great tips. We just ate my second attempt, first ones failed, so what do you do when you’re in a pinch? You google! Thanks again , my hamburgers were delicious ??

By he way, I’m 61, so old dogs can learn new tricks.

The Hamburgers came out great. Nice and most and tasty….EXCEPT…they were too salty. Is 2 TBSNS of salt right? Anyway, next time I will adjust. Thanks for the tips!

Great tips. I usually throw a little garlic powder and Italian seasoning on the burger after I flip it the once and only time. Makes for a great taste if you portion it correctly 🙂

are you supposed to season the patties individually with the spices or you put all the seasoning in the meat and mix it up before you shape them? i would assume 2 table spoons of sea salt would make one patty too salty

I’m cooking (grilling burgers brats and chicken drum sticks) for the company picnic next week. I’ll be using two Weber grills and a cheap grill I bought at Wal-Mart.

Feeding 30+ people. Actually looking forward to it.

Your tips on grilled burgers will be put to the test.

I agree that fatty ground beef makes the best burger and don’t over cook.

The chicken legs will take longer…about 45 minutes at least.

Shawn butterman

I would just like to say to please add margarine to the buns. I like shiny buttered buns on my burgers. Also marinate the burgers with sassafras oil.

I’ve been wanting to know the correct way. I’m 63 yrs old and have cooked tons of burgers, apparently the wrong wsy. ? I’d heard about the thumb print and I’m going to try out no covering the grill why they are cooking. I always thought they would cook faster. Thank you so much for the helpful tips.

Wow this is definitely the secret, I had things all wrong for years. Burgers come out perfect every time. The key is looking for that “sweat” at the top, the burger tells you when to flip it. Now when I bite into them they are nice and juicy on the inside, not dry at all.

Julianne Chatiri

Great instructions. Except-what’s your tip on how to handle flare-ups within 2minutes of placing burgers on the direct high heat?

Jerre Peak

One question…..you say to make an indention into the center of the hamburger (which I’ve always done), but…..those 4 hamburgers on the plate all have a complete hole in the center about the size of a quarter to half dollar. Why the complete hole in them ?

Gary Harrison

Just tried this, they came out perfect. No more guessing. Oh and I was a patty smasher . I’m cured now.

Perfect burgers every time! Thank you!

Wow! I was taught to put egg and bread crumbs in my burgers to hold them together 🙁 never again! This is a great burger!

This past summer I decided to give bbqing a try. I had prepped the food, but never did the grilling. I wanted to know the secrets of grilling and found this recipe. I followed it closely and made the best homemade burgers I’ve ever had. And my boyfriend was blown away and now brags up my burgers (which is always good for the self-esteem). 🙂

Awesome… I had it all wrong, and now I know this IS the way 🙂

Shawn baconbutt

I thank you, I added baconbutt

Wallace kosonski

September 29, 2015

Excellent hamburgers. Thank you

Debby Tracy

September 6, 2015

I love this basic recipe, from the type of ground beef, to the thumb print, to the thumbprint in the patty, and only flipping the burger once. The cooking time on each side was just perfect!! Thanks for making me look good!! 😀

Debby Tracy

September 6, 2015

This recipe and tips were the very thing I was looking for. From the type of ground beef, to the thumb print. This simple recipe is great, and I had great success!! Thanks for sharing!!

great advice! The invention in the burger works exactly as you said. Even threw in a little war Shire sauce for myself just because you said to do so. Works really good and they came out great.

Mary Richter

I have now officially taken over the grill in our family! Wonderful tips and all spot on!

great advice. Any suggestion for the inevitable flare ups?

Ashley Hoff

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Burger patties; 600 g minced beef, salt and pepper

Accompaniments: 1 romaine lettuce, 1 cucumber, 2 tomatoes, 1 red onion, 4 slices of cheddar and 4 burger buns

Burger dressing: 250 ml real mayonnaise and 3 tbsp. classic BBQ sauce

In the kitchen

• Divide the minced beef into four portions and shape into uniform burger patties. Use a burger press, if you have one, which creates a small hollow in the surface of the patties. Alternatively, you can use a glass to make a hollow in the middle. This makes the burger patties stay flat during grilling.
• Season the burgers with salt and pepper to taste.
• Wash the lettuce and tear into smaller pieces.
• Wash the cucumber and tomatoes. Peel the onion. Slice the cucumber, tomato and onion.
• Mix the ingredients for the burger dressing.

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• Prepare the grill for the 50/50 cooking method.
• Grill the burger patties. Place them over direct heat and grill on a greased cooking grate for app. 4-7 minutes on each side. Remember to put the lid on the grill.
• Split the burger buns and toast on both sides over direct heat.
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Hamburger Recipes from Weber's Big Book of Burgers

Quinoa And Pinto Bean Burgers With Yogurt Sauce

• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt

• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves • 1 garlic clove, minced or pushed through a press • Kosher salt • Freshly ground black pepper • ½ cup yellow or red quinoa, rinsed in a fine-mesh strainer, drained • 1 cup water • Extra-virgin olive oil • 1 cup finely chopped red onion • ¾ cup finely chopped red bell pepper • 2 garlic cloves, minced or pushed through a press • 1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained • 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels • 1 cup panko bread crumbs • 1 large egg, lightly beaten • 3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt • 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves • 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice • ½ teaspoon hot chili-garlic sauce, such as sriracha • 6 hamburger buns, split • 1 cup tightly packed baby arugula • 2 medium ripe plum tomatoes, each cut crosswise into 6 slices

1. Mix together ½ cup Greek yogurt, 3 tablespoons cilantro and minced garlic clove and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the quinoa, water and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil. Cover the saucepan and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water is almost absorbed, 18-20 minutes. Remove from the heat, keep covered and let stand for 5 minutes. Drain the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer to remove any excess water. Let cool completely.
3. In a skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon oil. Add the onion, bell pepper and 2 cloves minced garlic. Cook until tender, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and cool completely.
4. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the quinoa, the onion mixture and the remaining patty ingredients, pinto beans through sriracha, plus 1 teaspoon salt. Pulse until well combined and the corn is coarsely chopped.
5. Generously oil a rimmed sheet pan. Transfer one-sixth of the quinoa mixture to the sheet pan and form into a 3-inch patty, ½ inch thick to ¾ inch thick. Repeat with the remaining quinoa mixture. Cover and refrigerate the patties for 1-3 hours.
6. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat (350° to 450°F) and preheat a grill-proof griddle. Brush the tops of the patties with oil and drizzle 1 tablespoon oil on the griddle. Place the patties on the griddle, oiled side down, and cook over direct medium heat, with the lid closed, until the undersides are golden brown, 4-5 minutes.
7. Brush the tops of the patties with oil, turn them over and continue cooking until the other side is golden brown, 4-5 minutes more. During the last 30 seconds to 1 minute of grilling time, toast the buns on the cooking grates, cut side down, over direct heat. Build each burger on a bun with arugula, 2 tomato slices, a patty and a dollop of yogurt sauce. Serve immediately.

• 2 pounds skinless salmon fillets, pin bones removed, cut into 1-inch pieces

• ½ cup panko bread crumbs • 1 scallion (white and green parts only), finely chopped finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime • 2 tablespoons soy sauce • ½ teaspoon hot pepper sauce • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• ½ cup finely chopped ripe, fresh pineapple • ½ cup finely chopped ripe tomato • 2 teaspoons peeled, grated fresh ginger • ½ small jalapeño chile pepper, seeded and minced • ½ teaspoon kosher salt • ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper • 1 large sweet onion, cut crosswise into ⅓-inch slices • Vegetable oil • 6 slices sourdough bread, each about ⅓ inch thick • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons mayonnaise • 6 leaves Bibb lettuce

1. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, pulse the salmon pieces 8 to 10 times until coarsely chopped but not pasty; transfer to a bowl. Add the remaining patty ingredients to the bowl and stir gently to combine. Form six patties of equal size, each about ¾ inch thick. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat (350° to 450°F).
3. Combine all the salsa ingredients except for the onion. Brush the onion slices on both sides with oil, and then grill over direct medium heat, with the lid closed, until well marked and tender, about 10 minutes, turning once or twice. Finely chop the onion and add it to the salsa. Mix well.
4. Brush the patties on both sides with oil, and then grill over direct medium heat, with the lid closed, until fully cooked but still juicy, 6 to 8 minutes, carefully turning once. During the last minute of grilling time, toast the bread over direct heat, turning once.
5. Spread one tablespoon mayonnaise on each bread slice and top with a lettuce leaf, a patty, and pineapple-ginger salsa. Serve warm.

Prep time: 25 minutes Grilling time: 6-8 minutes

• 4 slices thick-cut bacon Mayo

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic • Kosher salt • Freshly ground black pepper

• 2 ripe Hass avocados • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice • 2 teaspoons minced garlic • 2 pounds ground chuck (80% lean) • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika • ½ teaspoon onion powder • 8 thin slices cheddar cheese • 4 hamburger buns, split • 4 leaves Boston lettuce • 1 ripe beefsteak tomato, cut crosswise into 4 slices about 1 inch thick

1. In a skillet over medium heat, fry the bacon until crisp, 10 to 12 minutes, turning occasionally. Drain on paper towels.
2. Whisk the mayo ingredients, including ¼ teaspoon salt and V teaspoon pepper.
3. Mash the guacamole ingredients, including ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
4. Mix the ground chuck with the Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, the smoked paprika, and onion powder, and then gently form eight patties of equal size, each about ½ inch thick and a little wider than the buns. Refrigerate the patties until ready to grill.
5. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat (400° to 500°F).
6. Grill the patties over direct medium-high heat, with the lid closed, until cooked to medium doneness (160°F), 6 to 8 minutes, turning once. During the last 30 seconds to 1 minute of grilling time, place a slice of cheese on each patty to melt, and toast the buns, cut side down, over direct heat.
7. Build each burger on a bun with garlic mayo, a lettuce leaf, a tomato slice, two patties, as much guacamole as you like, a slice of bacon (torn in half), and more garlic mayo. Serve immediately.

©2014 Weber-Stephen Products LLC. Recipe from Weber’s Big Book of Burgers™ by Jamie Purviance. Used with permission. Weber wants to get everyone grilling this summer and is giving away 10 copies of "Weber's Big Book Of Burgers" to our Home & Family viewers! Just follow us on Twitter and re-Tweet our Tweet using the hashtag, #GrillingWithWeber. The contest will close on Thursday, June 19th at 12Midnight, PST.

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Webers has been making fresh hamburger patties daily since 1987. Our hamburger making operations were constructed to:

- Provide our customers with the highest quality, Canadian made hamburger

- Assure our loyal customers we only use the highest quality Canadian beef – Canada Grade вЂ˜A’ or higher - from only one personally approved supplier

- To provide a consistent hamburger patty in terms of size, shape and taste, each and every time

Our butchers grind and make hamburgers on a daily basis. The chuck is stored at 30В°F (-1В°C) and ground each day starting at 7 am.

After grinding the beef is placed into a hopper just prior to forming the patties

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Sat & Sun 10:30am - 7pm October 28th to October 31st Fri, Sat & Sun 11am-7pm

December

December 27th to Jan 8th Fri, Sat & Sun 11am-7pm

Introducing The Webers Bucket of Burgers.

Ten burgers packaged in a unique, resuable and completely recyclable container. Perfect for a family barbeque. Made from our highest quality Canadian beef, Webers burgers are an excellent source of protein and iron.

Webers hamburgers are launched and sold through the Loblaws Company and its affiliated stores. Webers Hamburgers are now available in over 400 stores including Loblaws, Zehrs, Fortinos, No Frills, Your Independent Grocer, Valumart, Freshmart and Real Canadian Supertstores.

March 2004

The Webers group of companies are sold and the company amalgamates to become The Weber Company Ltd.

Webers celebrates 40 years in business.

Founder Paul Weber Sr. retires and his son Paul Weber Jr. takes over control of the company.

Webers acquires 3 CN railway cars to its fleet. These railway cars would be retrofitted into a modern meat processing facility to house its own meat processing operations, producing freshly made hamburger patties daily for its customers, using only the highest quality Canadian beef.

Webers acquires a portion of the pedestrian bridge from the CN Tower in Toronto. It is erected in the fall of 1983 and becomes the first and only privately owned bridge built over a public highway in the Province of Ontario.

Ministry of transportation installs a chain-link fence above the boxbeam barrier to curtail the tens of thousands of people who were crossing over the highway barrier.

Webers celebrates 10 years in business.

July 11 1963

Webers opens on Highway 11, just north of Orillia, Ontario. Paul Weber Sr. creates what would become an Ontario Landmark, to cottage goers and travelling public.

Get in touch

At Webers we would like to hear from you. Please fill in the fields below and tell us what you think.

Send us your comments

At Webers, we would like to hear from you. Please fill in the fields below and tell us what you think.

Webers on HWY 11

PO BOX 2308 Orillia

Ontario, Canada, L3V 6S2

Tel: (705) 325-3696

Fax: (705) 325-3699

Want to join our team? We are allways looking for hard-working people with good attitudes.

Perfect Burger

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck (80 percent lean) or ground turkey (90 percent lean)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
• 4 slices cheese (optional)
• 4 hamburger buns, split; toasted, if desired

Directions

Toasted Burger Buns

Divide the meat into 4 equal portions (about 6 ounces each). Form each portion loosely into a 3/4-inch-thick burger and make a deep depression in the center with your thumb. Season both sides of each burger with salt and pepper.

IF USING A GRILL: Heat a gas grill to high or heat coals in a charcoal grill until they glow bright orange and ash over. Brush the burgers with the oil. Grill the burgers until golden brown and slightly charred on the first side, about 3 minutes for beef and 5 minutes for turkey. Flip over the burgers. Cook beef burgers until golden brown and slightly charred on the second side, 4 minutes for medium rare (3 minutes if topping with cheese; see step 3) or until cooked to desired degree of doneness. Cook turkey burgers until cooked throughout, about 5 minutes on the second side.

IF USING A GRILL PAN: Heat a grill pan over high heat on top of the stove. Cook the burgers as for a grill, above.

IF USING A SAUTE PAN OR GRIDDLE (PREFERABLY CAST IRON): Heat the oil in the pan or griddle over high heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Cook the burgers until golden brown and slightly charred on the first side, about 3 minutes for beef and 5 minutes for turkey. Flip over the burgers. Cook beef burgers until golden brown and slightly charred on the second side, 4 minutes for medium rare (3 minutes if topping with cheese) or until cooked to desired degree of doneness. Cook turkey burgers until cooked throughout, about 5 minutes on the second side.

Add the cheese, if using, to the tops of the burgers during the last minute of cooking and top with a basting cover, close the grill cover, or tent the burgers with aluminum foil to melt the cheese.

Sandwich the hot burgers between the buns and serve immediately.

Pairs well with Merlot

Categories:

Burgers and Hot Dogs

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How to Grill a Hamburger – A Beginner Tutorial

July 31, 2017 By DrDan 15 Comments

Learn the secrets of grilling a really good hamburger on a gas grill (or a charcoal grill). It is oh so easy if you know a few secrets. Great burgers can be yours.

If you’re an accomplished griller, just move on. This is a tutorial for newbies and those who just can’t seem to get it right. This is not the gourmet burger. I’m not grounding meat. I’m not stuffing the burger, and I am not mixing in various things. We are going to learn to grill store-bought ground beef and make a darn nice meal easily in a way you don’t have to keep looking back at a recipe. How is that for a goal?

Funny story (skip this paragraph if you just want to get on with it). In Lee Iacocca’s autobiography, there is a section that talks about the Ford Motor Company executive dining room having the best burgers ever. When the chef was asked about his technique, he demonstrated the method starting with a whole beef tenderloin going into the meat grinder. Great starts will give great results. I don’t start that way, and I assume you won’t either.

What meat to use

Use 80/20 ground beef. Skip the rest of this paragraph if you want. Most of us will start with store-bought ground beef. There is a difference between hamburger and ground beef. Ground beef has a variable amount of fat, but the fat is from the beef being ground. Hamburger can have up to 30% fat and fat, from trimming other cuts can be added. I choose #1, not #2.

Most burger gurus suggest 20% fat for the moistest, tasty burger. I think they are right. Fat does taste good. I sometimes go all the way down to 10% and still come out acceptable, but you need to be careful. You can go lower fat by adding something to retain moisture like my Healthy Low Fat Burgers or American Test Kitchen adding a panade of milk and bread.

About the Grill

Your grill can be a gas grill or charcoal grill. It does not matter for this to work. Just get it as hot as you can. You may again skip the rest of this paragraph. You are cooking a relatively thin patty of meat rapidly, so direct high heat is correct. While my very hot Weber runs 650 degrees plus surface temperature and you might “only” get 550 the results will be about the same. Some gurus suggest you must use charcoal. If true, I can’t grill a burger since I don’t have a charcoal grill. Use what you have. Just get it very hot, cleaned and oiled.

Food Safety and Temperature

165 absolute minimum (but not much higher or you have a hockey puck). No discussion allowed. I’m playing the Doctor card here. You will not eat or serve ground beef that has not reached 165 degrees. I don’t care what some idiot tells you about it tasting better. You can get seriously ill or die. A good thermometer is a must. I use a Thermapen, and it is worth every cent of the almost $100 it cost. But you can get good results for $15.

Buns, seasoning, and add-ons

I’m a big fan of good baked goods. A cheap bun will ruin your great grilling. The meat needs to fit the bun. I’m OK with the burger overflowing the bun some, but I don’t like a large bun and smaller burger. Since we are learning the basics, a standard burger bun fits a 1/3 pound burger well, and that is what we will do here. I do like to brown the bun up for a few seconds on the grill. Seasoning, just some salt, and pepper will do. I’m using my Homemade Everyday Seasoning Salt – 7:2:2 since we love some garlic. I’m also adding some cheese just to show you how.

The Tricks

Three only for today.

• Trick number one. Do not compress the meat. Pat it into shape. If you use a burger press, just use it to shape.
• Trick number two. Indent the center of the burger to prevent “puffing.” This seems strange, but it is a must do . Without this, the center will puff up thicker, and it will be hard to get to the correct internal temperature. The outside will almost burn and will dry out. All bad things. I’m starting with a 3/4 inch thick burger and compress a 1-inch diameter area about 1/4 inch.
• Trick number three. Flip once. Don’t play with your food and don’t keep poking it to check the temp when you know it’s not done. I think the more you flip, the more juices drain and the more flair ups. The more pokes, the more moisture drains. Cook for about 5 minutes (I use a watch with a second hand) on the first side, flip and cook another 3-4 minutes on the second side. I then check the temperature and will add cheese the last 30-60 seconds.

I love this… I’m sure I have done this a thousand times.

Notes: Like many things, once you get your basic method down then the variations can flow. This is a darn good burger as made and is basically what I have done a thousand times. Not to say it is not a special meal but it is an excellent quick everyday type meal. I’ll take an excellent meal frequently. But make it bigger, make it smaller, stuff-it or whatever.

I won’t tell you this is the greatest burger in the world, but it is very very good. Some day I will try the Ford Motor Company or the American Test Kitchen method. I’m sure they are wonderful, but this is everyday cooking. So let’s do our burgers right. You will be glad you did.

Preheat grill on high. Clean and oil.

Start with 1 pound 80/20 burger. Divide into 1/3 pound balls. They are the size of a tennis ball.

Safety note: Always wash your hands for safety before and after touching ground meat. Pat gently into 3/4 inch thick 4 inch patties. Give them a good sprinkle of salt and pepper on both sides. I’m using my 7:2:2 (salt, pepper, garlic).

Press one inch round 1/4 inch deep indentation into the center of one side.

Grill over direct heat with closed lid. Flip after 5 minutes. The center one does not have the indentation (more on that later).

Grill another 3-4 minutes and check the temperature. Get to 165 then add cheese for about 30-60 seconds if using cheese.

The rear burger is the one cooked without the indentation. The burger without the indentation was 145 when the others reached 165. It took two more minutes but more importantly, it puffed about 1/4 inch, was about 1/2 inch smaller diameter and was over charred and dried out the surface. All from the lack of the indentation.

I don’t feel a great need to rest the meat before serving. By the time you place it on the bun and do things to it, it has been enough time.

• Course Grill, Main Course
• Cuisine American

• Course Grill, Main Course
• Cuisine American

• 1 pound ground beef 80/20
• Salt and pepper to taste OR 7:2:2
• buns and fixings

Wash hands for safety before and after touching ground meat.

As a good general rule, anything over 1/2 inch thick should have a closed lid. So a thin fish filet in a grill basket may not but most everything else should.

All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.

If you like this recipe or find it useful, the pleasure of a nice 4 or 5 rating would be greatly appreciated. Rating is done by clicking on the stars above.

Nutrition is calculated on meat only.

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Reader Interactions

I’ve been craving burgers this weekend so this just made it worse. Thanks….I guess :)

I frequently crave a burger and it is all I have time for…

Your burgers look delicious and you are right on spot with the 80/20 and the indentation. Just wish I had one now because I am drooling over that photo!

I’m surprised about how many don’t know these things many of us take for granted. The indentation is so simple but really important to the final results. Thanks for the comment.

I found the best grill a number of years ago for my hubby. You can use gas or charcoal. We love it.

I bought my son-in-law a combination smoker-gas-charcoal for Christmas… I had it delivered and haven’t seen it yet but hear it is huge. I love my natural gas. Hooked directly to the house and no bottles to fill or charcoal to light… I’m so lazy.

So you don’t worry about the overall temp of the grill? Webber says 400-500 degrees. Honestly I can’t get mine that hot anyway. I always over-cook them because I don’t want any pink meat.

Very few grills won’t make at least 500. But just get it as hot as it will go. I use a grill surface thermometer that is about $8-$10. Never look at the thermometer on the grill hood… useless. Also long as you get 500plus the 5 minutes on the first side will do. If you can only get 450 the maybe 6 minutes on the first side. If you can’t get 450 then get a new grill.

Be sure to use a meat thermometer to determine 160 as the end point. There is no pink at 160. If you go much over that they will start to dry. Notice there is no specific time for the second side. That is were the variation in grill temp and thicken is account for.

Hope that helps.

I really enjoyed reading your article & can’t wait to try my next burger thanks again

When buying store bought meat, how do you know if it’s 80/20? Would that be the meat that is labelled Lean or Medium?

I use three different stores but all label by percent. So the best thing to do is ask them how they label. My usual store also labels by cut. So hamburger is 75/25, ground beef 80/20, ground chuck 81/19 if branded and 80/20 if theirs, ground sirloin 85/15 and ground round 90/10. I usually do chuck. If I’m on a low fat kick, I do leaner but it can taste off some so mostly I use them for other than straight burgers.

A critical piece of information that wasn’t covered, but could very much change the outcome –

Dan, when you cook these, do you close the lid to the grill?

Closed. As a good general rule, anything over 1/2 inch thick should have a closed lid. So a thin fish filet in a grill basket may not but most everything else should. Since I’m aiming at beginners, I have edited the post to be clear.

My burgers continue to shrink and puff up even after indenting the patties. Should the beef be cold or come to room temperature before grilling? Do you close the lid again after flipping the burgers? Any ideas? Thanks!

Cold is fine. I don’t rest ground meat to room temperature for safety reasons.

Make them a little thinner and the depression a little bigger. Lid is closed.

Let me know how it goes.

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How to Grill Burgers on a Gas Grill

While most people say that a charcoal grill is the best for grilling burgers, a gas grill works very well also. The key to grilling a perfect burger on your gas grill is to start with top quality meat. For instance, Celebrity chef Bobby Flay recommends certified Angus ground beef that is 80 percent to 90 percent lean. Your gas grill should be perfectly clean and fully heated before placing the burgers on it.

Turn on the gas grill to high and let it preheat.

Place the ground beef in a bowl and season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Do not over-mix the meat. Form the ground beef into equal size patties, about 3/4 inches thick. Bobby Flay recommends making a depression in the center of the patty with your thumb. This will disappear as the meat expands on the grill, he says, and keep the burger from bulging in the center, a common burger grilling problem.

Brush the canola oil over the burgers to prevent the burgers from sticking to the grill.

Place the burger patties onto the hot grill. Grill for about three minutes until the burgers turn a golden brown and begin to char slightly. Turkey burgers require about five minutes.

Flip the burgers over; cook until browned and charred on the other side, or to your preference. Do not flatten the burgers with the spatula or you will lose the juice. Cook beef burgers on the second side for four minutes for medium rare. Turkey burgers need to be cooked through completely, for another five minutes.

Add cheese, if you want a cheeseburger, during the last minute of cooking. Close the grill to help the cheese melt quickly.

Place burgers on hamburger buns immediately. Serve with topping options.

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