The 3 Secret To The Best Burgers
We Tested All Sorts Of Methods For Mixing Shaping And Grilling Backyard Burgers And Even Talked With Grilling Expert Steven Raichlen Here Is Our Take On The Perfect Grilled Burger
Eating Well,SaveurBon AppétitGritNew Prairie KitchenEpicurious
Grilling season is upon us, and this year Ive decided to master the art of Americas summertime grilling favoritethe hamburger.
My aim: a burger that is easy to throw together on a weeknight, flavorful enough to stand up to the person who adds every condiment known to mankind to his or her burger, and yet balanced enough to satisfy the minimalist burger eater .
How To Shape The Perfect Hamburger:
To make your hamburger the perfect shape, we highly recommend using a hamburger press . We love that they give you a perfectly even and consistently-shaped burger every time .
If you dont have a hamburger press, I usually just grab a fistful or about a 1/4 1/5 of the pound of beef, shape it into a ball, then press it out with my palms until my desired thickness. You will want to be sure that you make your hamburger just a little wider than the bun and then they will be the perfect size when they are finished cooking.
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What Does The Perfect Hamburger Look Like
The hamburger should be glistening with a beautiful mahogany color. What youre seeing is a combination of the smoke and indirect heat working together to create the perfect hamburger.
The color comes from the circulating smoke inside the grill passing over and around the hamburger. The moisture comes from grilling the hamburger indirectly, locking the juice inside and creating a smoked outside. Now its time to take the burgers off the grill.
Once you assemble the hamburger and take a bite, I promise you will notice an immediate difference compared to your past charred and dry burgers. Now that youve perfected how-to grill hamburgers, you wont want a hamburger any other way.
Flip Don’t Press Your Burgers
Once you put those patties on the grill, dont press them down. Pressing forces the fat and flavor out the burgers, which results in dry, bland patties.
However, feel free to frequently flip your burgers. Raichlen once believed it was best to let the burger be and only flip once during cooking, but he has since changed his tune and sites research that says it frequent flipping cooks a burger more evenly.
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How To Make Steakhouse Burgers
Begin by making the panade. Simply mash the bread and milk together with a fork until it forms a chunky paste.
Add the seasoning: salt, pepper, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup.
Stir well.
Add the ground beef and scallions .
Mix everything together until just combined.
Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and shape into balls. Flatten each ball into a 3/4-inch-thick patty thats about 4-1/2 inches across. To prevent the burgers from forming a domed shape on the grill, create a slight depression in the center of each patty.
Grill the burgers 2-4 minutes on the first side until nicely browned. Flip and cook on the second side a few minutes more, until desired doneness is reached.
Burger Toppings To Use
As-is, this burger recipe is flavorful and juicy. These burgers are naturally whole30, low-carb and clean making them perfect any night of the week.
This basic ground beef burger is simple for a reason I want it to be your go-to base recipe for any beef burger so that you can top it however you like it!
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Grilled Bacon Burgers With Caramelized Onions And Blue Cheese
Serves: 4 / Prep time: 15 minutes / Total time: 40 minutes
8 slices bacon
1 large onion, halved and sliced thin
¼ teaspoon table salt
1½ pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
¼ teaspoon pepper
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled and chilled
4 hamburger buns, toasted if desired
Process bacon in food processor to smooth paste, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Cook bacon in 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, breaking up pieces with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned in spots but still pink , about 5 minutes. Drain bacon in fine-mesh strainer set over bowl. Transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate and let cool completely. Reserve bacon fat.
Add 2 tablespoons reserved fat to now-empty skillet and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and salt and cook until well browned, about 20 minutes. Transfer to bowl and set aside.
Break ground beef into small pieces and spread into even layer on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with bacon and gently toss to combine using 2 forks. Divide beef mixture into 4 equal portions, then gently shape each portion into ¾-inch-thick patty. Using your fingertips, press center of each patty down until about ½-inch thick, creating slight divot.
From “The Ultimate Burger” by America’s Test Kitchen .
Keep Burgers Cold Until They Hit The Grill
Unlike other meats that will cook up better if brought to room temperature before hitting the grill, you want those patties cold so they stay together and stay as juicy as possible. Put the patties on a tray or platter, covered, in the fridge while the grill heats up. This helps more of the flavor-carrying fat stay in the meat.
Also Check: Best Temp To Grill Pork Chops
Which Ground Beef To Use For Grilling Burgers
Ground chuck is the most popular ground beef to use for burgers. The higher fat amount gives great flavor and keeps the burger moist while not being overly expensive.
Maintaining a 15-20% fat content is the perfect targetin a ground beef to make a great moist grilled burger. Ground meats can be mixed for different flavors even combinations like beef and chorizo, beef and ground pork or different types of ground beef. Just keep the fat content in that 15-20% sweet spot!
The Best Ground Beef To Buy
taste of hometaste of home
You cant make a great grilled burger without tasty beef. Sure, you can dress-up ground beef with Worcestershire and garlic powder, but the seasonings arent the star of the burger: The beef is. So skip the bargain-bin and buy the best quality beef you can afford. That might be grass-fed beef if you prefer meatier, pastoral flavors, or grain-finished options if you like a sweeter, richer taste.
When it comes to fat content, youll also want to take a pass on lean offerings. The best-grilled burgers weve had are juicy and rich, and that comes from fat. Ground beef with 20 to 25% fat is just about perfect, so look for an 80/20 blend. More fat and the burger can fall apart. Less fat and the burger will turn out dry. If your butcher will grind beef to order, ask for a coarsely ground chuck roast, or a mixture of brisket and sirloin.
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Barts Best Hamburger Recipe
Dinner
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This Best Hamburger recipe, two ingredients and a few time-tested tips are all you need to grill the best beef hamburgers every time!
There are definitely no boring burgers here even though my recipe has only two ingredients and is so simple to make. The secret to a perfect juicy hamburger lies in the beef used and following some simple, tested tips. And once you have your burger just right, you can customize your bun and toppings to include all of your favorites!
How To Make The Best Cheeseburger Macaroni
You only need 20 minutes and one pot with a lid to make a crave-worthy Homemade Hamburger Helper from scratch!
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How To Grill Burgers
Grilling can be so simple and makes such delicious grilled hamburgers. It is our favorite way to make them during warmer weather! For great grilled hamburgers, there are a few tips youll want to follow.
Preheat. Heat the grill to medium heat and lightly brush the grill with olive oil.
Cook. Place the hamburger patties onto the preheated grill and cook for 3 minutes on one side. Use a large metal spatula and flip the hamburger. Do not press the hamburgers while cooking. Cook until the hamburger registers 145º F with a meat thermometer.
Rest. Remove the cooked hamburgers from the grill, top with cheese , and let the burgers rest for about 5 minutes before serving. While they are resting, this is a great time to add your buns and onions to the grill. Serve on a bun with your favorite toppings.
Easy Homemade Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni
This cheeseburger mac and cheese recipe is a much more wholesome version of boxed Hamburger Helper, and is still made with simple pantry staples! It is super kid-friendly, with familiar comfort food ingredients that will make the whole family happy.
Start to finish Cheeseburger Hamburger Helper takes only 20 minutes to make, and is a perfect dinner for busy weeknights.
Plus, it is a classic one-pot meal, so cleanup is a breeze. Yay!
If you still sometimes crave the old standby, or are obsessed with all things 80s and 90s, youve got to have this Homemade Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese Hamburger Helper recipe on your regular meal planning menu!
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Best Grilled Hamburger Recipe Ever
I live in a house with four boys, so needless to say, big, juicy grilled hamburgers are a staple in our meal rotation. We’ve tried many versions over the years, but my taste-testers always agree — this simple combination of ground beef, onion and seasoning yields the best grilled hamburger recipe ever! You don’t need fillers like breadcrumbs or egg…just let the flavor of the meat shine!
Start With The Right Meat
For juicy burgers, get ground chuck with a fat content of at least 18%. Lean and extra-lean meats make tough, dry burgers. It’s all about finding the best meat for burgers.
The more freshly ground the meat is, the more tender and flavorful the burger. If your store has on-site butchers, ask them to grind the meat fresh for you.
For the absolute freshest grind, of course, you need to grind your own. You can do this with a home grinder or in a food processor. Cut the meat into chunks, put it in the freezer for 15 minutes, and grind or pulse until ground. For the best grind, put it through a coarse grind disk twice .
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How To Make The Perfect Burger Every Time
It seriously only takes mere minutes to make restaurant-quality hamburgers from scratch. Prep your work space and ingredients before getting started and youll be whipping out hot plates from your home kitchen in no time!
Heres how:
- Use your hands to thoroughly combine until the mixture is very smooth.
- Set out a baking sheet, lined with wax paper or foil, to hold the patties. One at a time, gather the patty mix and press firmly into patties of your desired thickness. You typically want hamburger patties to be slightly larger than the buns theyll be served on since theyll shrink a bit in the cooking process.
- Place the formed patties on the baking sheet. With thick patties, press a dent in the center of each patty, so they dont puff up while cooking.
- You can stack the patties with sheets of wax paper between layers if needed.
- I love using a cast-iron skillet for getting that drool-worthy caramelized sear on the burgers.
How To Toast The Buns
If you prefer your hamburger buns toasted , youll want to brush the buns with butter and grill them over medium-high heat for 15-30 seconds. If youd rather toast the buns inside, you can broil them for about 1 minute, watching closely the entire time to make sure they dont burn!
We’ve found that the key to perfect hamburgers is keeping things simple. We do just that with these burgers and they deliver every single time!
- Cassy Garcia
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Grill Burgers On The Gas Grill
Arrange the burgers on the screaming hot grate. Leave about 30 percent of the grill grate food-free, a safety zone where you can move burgers in case of flare-ups. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes, or until theyre seared. Use a thin-bladed spatula to turn them , and grill for 4 to 5 minutes more, or until the burgers reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Insert the probe of your instant-read thermometer through the side toward the center for the most accurate reading.
If you want cheese on your burgers, top with a thin slice of a good melting cheese the last minute or two of grilling. Transfer the burgers to a clean platter. While they rest, grill lightly buttered buns on the grate until toasted, one to two minutes. Assemble the burgers and dress as desired.
Speaking of cheese, one of our favorite burgers is Stevens Inside-Out Cheeseburger with Made-From-Scratch Ketchup. Find the recipe here.
What are your favorite ways to grill burgers? Share them with us on , , Reddit, or !
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.
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Perfectly Grilled Beef Burgers
For years my husband made THE most perfectly grilled beef burgers he was the grillmaster and best burger maker and I never questioned it. If it meant I didnt have to cook, he can have at it.
Except that Ive become somewhat of a grillmaster myself this summer and Jason finally shared the recipe with me. And nowIm sharing it with you!
Should You Dimple Your Patties
All over the Internet and in cookbooks, you will find burger recipes that will instruct you to make an indentation in the center of the patties, usually about the size of a thumbprint or a tablespoon.
The goal of “dimpling” is to prevent the burger from puffing up in the center. But does it really work? Like everyone else, I wanted to prevent puffing, but I also wanted to minimize shrinkage with my burgers, so I tested it out.
I found that a thumbprint or tablespoon indentation prevented center puffing, but the burgers still shrank. Making a wide, shallow depression in the patty, however, worked like a charm. Think of a salad plate rather than a donut.
- Shape your patties so the outer 1/2-inch of the patty slightly taller than the middle.
One more tip: Rather than smash the patties together in your hands, place approximately 5 oz of meat on a tray or platter lined with parchment. Gently flatten the top of the burger and make your wide shallow depression with one hand while pressing your other hand against the sides form a circle. This creates a depression without overheating or overworking the ground beef.
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