Gently Press The Burgers Into Patties
Divide your ground beef into the number of burgers you want to make so they will all be a uniform size. Our preference is to make burgers that are around 1/3-pound each.
Use your hands to gently press the burgers into flat patties of an even thickness about 1/2-inch larger than the buns you plan to use. Try not to overwork the meat, but its okay to squeeze it together a bit around the edges so the burger doesnt crumble when transferring it to the grill.
Make a small indentation in the center of each burger with your thumb. This will help the burgers cook more evenly and not puff up on the grill.
Flipping And Pressing The Burger
Another very important part of properly cooking a burger patty is flipping it. It is of great importance that you understand and remember that a grilled patty is never to be pressed down! The moment those patties touch the grill, thats it. Dont press them, dont touch them again unless it is to flip them. The reason for that is because pressing will squeeze all of the fat out of the patty and make it drier than it was supposed to be.
On the flip side , you can flip your burgers as much as you want. Most people will tell you that flipping a patty once after 4-5 minutes is enough because that ensures that both sides have had their time against the flames. This is outdated information, though, and grill masters nowadays flip their burgers more than a few times. That way, they ensure that the burger is more evenly cooked.
Burger Construction: Building A Better Burger
Once you have your burger game in place, think about the condiments and toppings you want to serve with them. Ketchup, mustard, and mayo are all traditional, with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and pickles for classic burger fixings.
Soft, pillowy burger buns make such a huge difference in your burger game, so dont waste your time on boring, stale buns from the store. Brioche buns are the best for burgers, in my opinion, but potato rolls are good too. We love our buns toasted on the grill during the last minute or two of cooking our burgers!
Im probably the last person to realize this, but I recently learned that if you place your lettuce under the burger it will help keep the bottom bun from getting soggy.
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How To Cook Hamburgers With Aluminum Foil On A Gas Grill
Nothing says summer like a grilled hamburger. Your gas grill is a convenient tool that allows you to prepare a rich and juicy burger that you can serve with your favorite condiments. There are countless ways to season a hamburger to bring out the flavor of the meat and create a taste that pairs well with your side dishes. Many recipes ask you to place the hamburger patties directly on the grill, which can reduce their juiciness and cause them to dry out. Using aluminum foil will help you retain the juice in your burger so each bite is as tasty as the first.
How To Make The Burger Patties That Dont Fall Apart
How do you make the burger patties so they dont fall apart on the grill? Well, prepping your burgers for the grill is just as important as the actual cook. A problem we see and experience most when grilling burgers on a gas grill, or any grill, is how do you keep the patties from falling apart? The burgers fall into the grill when I try to flip them over or they just basically crumble when putting them on the grill!
If you prepare the patties ahead of time so you can keep them in the fridge for a bit, it helps to keep them together. You dont want them to be at room temperature. Be sure you adjust this time if you are dealing with a very hot day. Also, if you make your patties in a press, they wont fall apart as using a press makes the meat bind together. Keeping the patties cool and not overworking the meat will ensure that the burger patties will not fall apart when you put them on the grill.
Here are some steps to preparing the burgers just beforegoing on the grill:
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Can You Grill A Great Burger On A Gas Grill Yes
Those of us who identify as carnivorous are particular about our grilled burgers. They have to be perfectly seasoned and seared on the outsideeven a little crustywith a juicy interior, and served on a well-chosen bun with our favorite condiments and embellishments.
Can you cook a righteous burger on a gas grill? Absolutely. In fact, when you need high but predictable heat to grill food directly, theres nothing like a gas grill to deliver it.
How Long To Grill Burgers
In general, follow these total grilling times:
- For rare burgers, cook for 4 minutes total
- For medium-rare burgers, cook for 5 minutes total
- For medium burgers, cook for 6 to 7 minutes total
- For well-done burgers, cook for 8 to 9 minutes total
Please note that the USDA recommends cooking ground meats to an internal temperature of at least 160°F, which is well done without any pink in the center. Cooking burgers to other degrees of doneness should be done at the cook’s discretion.
All this said, ultimately, the time it takes for a hamburger to reach a certain temperature depends on how hot your grill is and how thick your patty is. In my tests, my 1-inch thick, 4-inch diameter patties were medium done at 5 minutes total , and well done at 6 minutes total .
Raichlen suggests checking the temperature of the burger by inserting the meat thermometer through the side, not through the top; this gives you a more accurate reading. You can also use Elises handy dandy finger-test guide.
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Choose The Right Meat
When it comes to beef burgers, you want a meat that isnt too lean so the burgers will have the best flavor and stay juicy. While I prefer lean ground beef for other recipes, when making burgers my preference is 80/20, or 85/15 at the most. Freshly ground beef is best. You can even ask the butcher at the store to grind the meat fresh for you, or do it at home using a meat grinder and using sirloin, chuck, and/or brisket, which all have good flavor and a good fat to meat ratio.
What To Do If The Weather Really Wont Cooperate
We personally prefer burgers that are grilled outside, but sometimes thats just not possible when the weather is bad. In that case, you can always make your burgers indoors in a cast iron skillet on the stovetop.
Just drizzle a little olive oil into a heavy duty pan set over high heat, then sear like the burgers by placing them in the pan and leaving them alone! Treat them like you would any good steak and dont move them around for at least 3-5 minutes so they can develop a nice crust on one side before flipping and cooking on the other side, just like on the grill.
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How To Grill Burgers 8 Keys To Pro Success
You may be surprised that many grilling tactics, like pressing the burger down, are the WRONG way to get the perfect grilled burger. Following these simple steps will have you grilling burgers like a pro!
Burgers 101: How To Grill Burgers
When it comes to small backyard barbecues, there is nothing like a mouthwatering, flame-kissed burger on a toasted bun with all the fixings to satisfy your hunger cravings! Up your summer grilling game with all my best tips and tricks for how to grill burgers so they turn out juicy and amazing every time.
We love to cook on the grill during the summer months, and its not just burgers. Some of our other favorite things to grill are blackened salmon tacos, sides like grilled corn salad, and even dessert like grilled peaches with ice cream!
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When To Grill With The Lid Open Or Closed
Part of how to cook burgers on a gas grill is the lid do you keep it open or closed? There are definitely two schools of thought when it comes to this conundrum. Grill lid open or closed; which is best and what should I do? Well, a little bit of both actually.
When cooking burgers on a gas grill with the lid open itwill take longer for the burgers to cook. You are losing heat when you open thelid, just like when you open your oven door. The temperature will go down.
However, leaving the lid open does give a darker sear on the burgers so you may want to give it a try. It is similar to searing on the stove. You are cooking it quickly to get that browning reaction on the outside. If you want to brown, but not necessarily that dark char then go ahead and close the lid.
Once you have that sear on your burgers you want to thenmove the burgers to the lower heated portion of the grill and close that lid.If you continue to leave the lid open, the food will continue to cook but itwill take longer and you then lose that juiciness in the burger you worked sohard to get!
If you decide to leave the lid closed from the beginning itwill allow heat to build which will make the burgers cook more quickly. If youare staying by the grill when cooking, which you should anyway, and keeping aneye on the burgers you can close the lid. Do this if you want to get theburgers done a bit more quickly.
Should You Let Burgers Rest After Grilling
For the juiciest burger, let the patties rest for at least five minutes before serving. The meat experiences carryover cooking during this time, where the internal temperature can rise as much as five degrees. If youre worried about the burgers cooling off, feel free to tent a piece of aluminum foil over the top to keep the heat in.
taste of home
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What To Add To The Meat For It To Stick
This is one of the most common questions out there and is the common struggle of every beginner grill master. Burger patties are often hard to make and the reason for that is primarily in the meat youve bought. As I already mentioned, getting low-fat ground beef will make it less sticky. The patties you make will most likely fall apart constantly and the final product will be dry and unstable.
The true answer to this question is nothing. Some people prefer using the traditional methods of bread crumbs or other ingredients to make the patties stickier, however, a high-fat patty will need nothing else for it to stick together and have a good form. How to form it, on the other hand, now thats our next mission
Time To Smash Some Burgersdont Blink They Cook Quickly
In the following steps, exercise caution when working around the grill. All surfaces will be very hot and youll be working close to the grill surface with the lid open. Consider wearing;grill gloves to protect your hands.
With the cast iron screaming hot and leaving all burners on HIGH, place two ground beef balls onto the surface, far enough apart to allow room for smashing.
Immediately use the spatula + potato masher or other helper to smash the balls into very thin pattiesso thin that you get uneven edges and small holes in the surface in a few spots. You want to achieve maximum surface area for maximum crust formation.
Immediately season the smashed patties lightly with salt and ground black pepper.
Cook the patties for just 1 minute from the time you placed them on the griddle or in the skillet. Use the spatula to scrape the burgers from the surfaceremember, we wanted them to stick for maximum crustificationand flip them over.
Immediately place a slice of American cheese on one patty and place the other patty on top of the cheese.
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How Long Do You Cook Burgers On A Gas Grill
The length of time in how to cook burgers on a gas grill will vary according to your grill. But a rule of thumb is 3 to 5 minutes on each side depending on the thickness of the patty. Of course, if you have a thinner patty or even if you are using a frozen patty you will have to adjust your cooking time.
Place the burgers on the high heat part of the grill so youcan get that sear going. Leave the burgers until you are ready to turn. Onceseared on both sides, then move the burgers to the lower heat to complete thecooking process.
When To Toast The Buns
Im a toasted brioche bun kind of girl. They are rich with butter and sturdy enough to hold all of my fixings and my burger, but also they squish down and are easy to bite through.
Whichever buns you prefer, butter the top and bottom of the bun, and then plop them on the back of the grill, out of direct heat, until they are golden. Start toasting the buns when you have a minute left on the patties.
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Let The Flavors Mingle
Leave the meat mixture in the refrigerator for several hours to allow all the flavors to mingle. To form patties, wet your hands a little to keep the meat from sticking to them. If you make patties ahead of time, stack them on a plate separated by waxed paper and cover with plastic wrap before you put it in the refrigerator.
Cleaning Your Weber Gas Grill
And there you have it, all the information you need on how to grill hamburgers on a Weber gas grill.
All thats left now is the cleaning up, which sounds like our cue to leave
Just kidding.
Just like when you prepped the grill earlier, crank the heat back up for a few minutes and use a quality bristle free grill brush to clean the cooking grates, removing all residue including around the outside of the barbecue.
The outsides can be wiped down using any type of cloth and you can purchase Webers own brand cleaning products to get the job done well.;
Youll thank yourself next time you head out to fire it up again.
Which we are guessing wont be too long!
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How Long Should Burgers Be Grilled
That depends on how you like them done. The United States Department of Agriculture safe internal cooking temperature for ground beef is 160 degrees. That means its well done. And the cooking time will depend on the thickness of the burger but generally at least 5 minutes per side. If you like it at less done than that and depending on the thickness, figure about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare or 130-135 degrees and 150-155 degrees for medium-well.;
Here are a few recipes to help you out:
Best Temp To Grill Burgers
The best way to tell when your burgers are done is by using an insta-read thermometer.;Insert the thermometer into the burger from the side, making sure that the tip remains inside the burger.;
- Rare temperature is 125 to 130 degrees F.
- Medium rare temperature is 130-140 degrees F.
- Medium well temperature is 140-150 degrees F.
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What Temperature Do You Cook Sirloin Burgers
To test for doneness, insert an instant-read meat thermometer through the side of a burger into the center. The internal temperature should be about 145°F for medium-rare or, if using commercial ground beef, cook it to at least medium, 160°F.
Grill Temp For Burgers
When grilling burgers, you want the grill temperature to be around medium-high to high heat, which is around 375 to 400 degrees F. Many gas grills have built in thermometers, but often they tend to be not super reliable. You can get an inexpensive grilling thermometer to help you dial in your temperature for easier grilling and more consistent results.
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