How Long To Cook A Burger
When youre ready to sear your patties and with the grill set to the highest setting, the cook time for the perfect burger is about eight minutes or four minutes per side.
When it comes to flipping the burgers, only flip once in the middle of the cook. After your patties hit the grill, leave them alone. Resist the urge to squish the burger with a spatula. Youll just be pushing out all that precious, delicious juice.
Cook about two minutes per side for rare, three minutes for medium rare, four minutes for medium, and five minutes for well done.
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.
What To Add To The Ground Beef To Make It Stick Together
Ive seen the question what should be added to the ground beef to make the burger stick together?
The answer is NOTHING! Unlike something like meatloaf or meatballs that require a binder like bread crumbs to stick together, good quality ground beef with the fat content mentioned handled well is all that is need for a perfect grilled burger!
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How To Grill The Best Burgers
Here’s how to grill the perfect burger from getting the meaty mixture right to forming the patties. We’ll also looks at grill temps and times. Let’s get grilling!
When a burger’s done right, you know it the smoky, char-grilled outside and the juicy inside, all barely contained within a chewy, toasty roll. That’s what a burger is all about. But as simple as it might sound, there’s more to grilling burgers than just slapping it on the grill. We’ll show you how to grill the perfect burger from getting the meaty mixture right to forming the patties so they don’t shrink. We’ll also looks at grill temps and times. Let’s get grilling!
Can You Bake Them In The Oven
When you bake hamburger patties, you must use high heat so an exterior crust forms. Set the oven to 450 degrees F and place a baking sheet in the oven so it gets hot like a griddle. Once hot, transfer the patties to the hot pan. If making thin patties, bake/roast for 2-3 minutes per side. If making thick patties, bake/roast for 5-6 minutes per side.
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How To Make Perfectly Grilled Burgers Every Time
- Tip #1: Pick your favorite cut of beef: For burgers, I like to go with 85/15 or 80/20. Most burger chefs and avid connoisseurs will tell you 80/20 but the dietitian in me creeps in and says hey, theres nothing wrong with 85/15! And there really isnt as long as you dont overcook it, season it properly and top it with all the goods, youll still be in burger heaven.
- Tip #2 Chill the patties: Keep the patties in the fridge until youre ready to cook. Putting cold patties straight on the grill will help you achieve that juiciness on the inside of the burger, and it also helps the burger patties stay together rather than falling apart.
- Tip #3: SEASON! Grab that kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper and season those burgs! Yes thats right, you dont need anything special, just good ol s and p. I recommend forming your patties first, then generously seasoning both sides of the burgers. Many years ago when I was studying how to make the perfect burger, I dissected my favorite restaurant burger to figure out why it was so darn good. And come to find out, I just needed to add a bit more salt and a lot more freshly cracked black pepper. If you think youve added enough pepper, go ahead and add a bit more. You simply wont regret it.
Grill Burgers With Lid On Or Off
When cooking things quickly leaving the lid off is the norm. I live in a windy area so from habit I grill almost everything with the lid on/down . Burgers can be cooked with the lid on or off just be sure to monitor for flare ups and doneness with an Instant Read Thermometer.
TIP: having a clean food-safe spray water bottle on hand is great for managing flare ups too.
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What Ingredients You Need To Make Homemade Hamburgers
The secret to incredibly juicy burger patties is the addition of crushed crackers or breadcrumbs to hold in the natural fat and juices.
We definitely recommend using crackers if you have them. Adding crushed crackers is an old-school method to add more flavor than plain breadcrumbs. Plus, its super handy for using up that package of crackers youve had sitting in the pantry for weeks.
Here is everything you need to make the best homemade hamburger patties:
- Ground chuckWe prefer an 80 lean/20 fat ratio for the juiciest burgers.
- Crushed crackers or Panko bread crumbs The best binders for juicy hamburgers.
- Worcestershire sauce Adds a deep beefy, smoky flavor.
- Egg To bind all of the ingredients together without drying.
- MilkThe enzymes help to soften and tenderize the ground beef.
- Seasonings:Salt, Garlic Powder, Onion powder, Pepper, or other spices of choice.
Its helpful to save prep time and add lots of flavor to your patties by adding dried spices rather than fresh herbs to the hamburger mix. For instance, you can incorporate red pepper flakes for a spicier burger, a bit of cumin and chili powder for a Southwestern-inspired bite, or parsley and dill to create a Mediterranean taste.
Tell us your favorite hamburger seasonings in the comments below!
Internal Temperatures For Burgers
Because cook time will vary depending on the thickness of the burger patty, we recommend cooking by internal temperature* using an instant-read thermometer to ensure you don’t over or undercook your burger.
Safety first, and so it’s worth pointing out the USDA recommends burgers be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. But that’s well done, and we recommend going for a nice wholesome medium to reach that optimal level of meaty goodness.
- For rare burgers, grill for 2 minutes on each side until you reach 125°F internally.
- For medium-rare burgers, grill for 3 minutes on each side until you reach 135°F internally.
- For medium burgers, grill for 4 minutes on each side until you reach 145°F internally.
- For well-done burgers, grill for 5 minutes on each side until you reach 160°F internally.
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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!
Serve Your Burger With
You can eat your burger plain but there are a lot of side dishes that you can serve with this tasty grilled burger like:
- French fries a classic recipe deserves a classic side dish which is French fries
- Salad you can serve a burger with a simple salad like lettuce and tomatoes or some more elaborate like a Caesar salad
- Chips another classic you can serve a burger with some natural potato chips
- Crispy oven fries homemade fries are great to serve with burgers
- Baked potato this soft, fluffy baked potato recipe with bacon and cheese is the perfect companion for this dish
- Corn on the cob you can prepare these on the grill or in your Air Fryer which is great to cook in less than 10 minutes
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Best Hamburger Patty Recipe
Best Hamburger Patty Recipe Thick or thin, made on the grill or stovetop, this is the best and easiest all-purpose recipe for perfect hamburger patties every time! These juicy, delicious homemade hamburgers are ready in less than 30 minutes and are a must-make for your next cookout.
Close your eyes, and picture the perfect hamburger.
Is it a thin diner-style hamburger patty, or a thick steakhouse-sized burger? Seared to the peak of juiciness on a grill or in a flat griddle?
With or without cheese?!
Make burgers your way and have them come out flawless every time with what I consider to be the Best Hamburger Patty Recipe, in my humble opinion.
Its a classic all-American recipe for mouthwatering burgers that can be cooked on the grill, on the stovetop, as thick 1/3 pound patties, or as ultra-thin griddle patties.
Get ready, because you are about to make the burger of your dreams, people!
How To Make Hamburger Patties
However you choose to season, wait until just before you plan to throw those bad boys on the grill. If you want that tender, juice-down-your-chin bite, restrain your salt and pepper shaker until just before you toss them on the grill.
This allows the rub time to adhere to the meat without starting to dry out. Add any additional rubs or seasoning according to taste.
After seasoning, its time to get in the thick of it. Dont overwork your burger. For a tender and moist burger, we advise you dont over pack your meat. Using wet hands, gently form the meat into 1 ½-inch patties but dont overwork it. This isnt Play-Doh, and the more you handle and squash the meat, the tougher it will be.
As soon as your hamburger patties are holding together, stop what youre doing. No more. Thats it. Youre done.
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Size Matters With Burgers
Some people like the idea of a huge hamburger patty spilling out over the edges of the bun, and some believe it should be a perfect fit . But no one wants a burger thats smaller than the bun.
To correctly size your patties to fit on your buns, make your burgers about 1-inch thick at the edges, and one inch larger than the bun.
This takes into account the inevitable shrinkage that happens during cooking.
When You Cook Hamburgers
Season at the last minute.Seasoning a burger too far in advance pulls liquid from the meat, producing a dry burger, Gallo says. Just before cooking, sprinkle salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you like on one side of each burger and place that side down on the grill first. As theyre cooking, season the other side before flipping to finish them off.
Take a hands-off approach. When you cook hamburgers, never push down, because youll be draining out flavorful juices, Gallo says. Let the cooked patties rest on a clean platter for about 5 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute.
Use a meat thermometer. To be sure you destroy bacteria that can make you sick, cook hamburgers to 160° F. Burgers served rare or medium-rare are riskier because they arent cooked long enough to hit that safety point.
Double up on your serving utensils. Dont put cooked burgers back on the same platter or plate you used to carry the raw meat to the grill. And be careful with forks, spatulas, and other utensils you may have used on the raw meat. Many people are careful to use different plates but forget about cross-contamination from utensils, Rogers says.
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Finally How Long To Grill Turkey Burgers
Place your turkey burgers on a cooler part of the grill and have your trusty meat thermometer close at hand, recommends McKee-Clark.
165° F is the safe temperature for eating turkey, and this is no place for medium-rare. You want to pull those bad boys off at 164.99° F, as right on the money to 165° F as you can get theyll continue to cook and rise in temperature by about 5° F as they rest, she adds.
Charcoal Or Gas Grill
Before you even prepare the patties, you can start preheating your grill. With this, you can go straight to cooking once your burgers are ready. Heres what you need to know:
If you want the classic smoky burger flavor, charcoal grills will work like a charm. Aside from that, you can add flavored wood chips to complement the taste of your burgers. The only issue with charcoal grills is its quite challenging to control in terms of temperatures. Also, preheating a charcoal grill will take 15 to 20 minutes.
Cooking burgers on gas grill is the common option of American households. Gas grills offer better temperature control plus it usually comes with 4 burner gas grill. You can get a searing, grilling, and reheating gas grill temp for burgers all at the same time.
Grilling hamburgers on gas grill produce less mess and you dont have to purchase charcoal and wood chips anymore. Also, you can use the grill for up to 500F in a matter of minutes. You can also use burgers on propane grill for outdoor and mobile use.
So how hot should the grill be? It should be hot enough to cook, but not too hot that it will burn your patties within minutes. The ideal grill temperature for burgers is between 450F to 500F before adding the patties to the grill.
Also, oil the grate to prevent the meat from sticking.
Optional burger glaze
If you want your burgers to be juicy and flavorful, you can prepare an optional glaze which you can apply before the patties become fully cooked.
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How To Make Grilled Hamburgers
Take the meat and shape them into hamburger patties. We have a hamburger mold that you use to put the meat in and squeeze into a hamburger.
Season the burger with some salt and pepper to taste. I usually omit this step and see after the grilling if it needs some seasoning but you can season.
Then turn on the grill and put the hamburgers on. Let them be when you put them on to prevent the burgers from sticking to the grill.
This takes about 5 minutes to grill per side well done. Then turn and grill the other side. In the meanwhile wash the lettuce and shake off the water.
Wash the tomato as well and slice in thin slices. You can put a small pan on the grill and sauté the onion with a little oil or you can use them raw.
Cut your bun in half then start with the lettuce then the tomato, onion, and finally the hamburger. Your burger is ready to serve.
Whats The Best Way To Grill
Burgers like high heat. This helps form that exterior crust. Cook them on the non-dimpled side first over direct heat. Once a crust develops, flip them over and cook on the other side. Do not press down on the burger. When you do this, youre beating up that poor burger and pressing all the juices out.
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What Kind Of Beef Should I Use
Choose beef with fat in it. Most cookbooks and burger aficionados say the ideal choice is 80/20 beef chuck. This means its 80 percent lean and has 20 percent fat. You can go somewhat leaner if you like with ground beef labeled 85/15. Any leaner be sure to add some moisture like Worcestershire sauce or wine to prevent the burger from drying out. Ground beef labeled hamburger, according to Webers Ultimate Grilling: a Step-by-Step Guide to Barbecue Genius by grill master Jamie Purviance . And if you can, grind your beef.
Correctly Form The Patties
When making your burger patties, shape them one inch thick at the edges and about an inch larger than your bun. Also, make it such that it is about half an inch thicker than the middle. And instead of a thumb-sized dimple, dimple a broad depression in the patty at the center of the patty. But do it with as minimal hand contact as possible by forming them on a tray. That way, you wont overheat the burgers with your palm.
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Best Meat For Burgers
The long and winding road to burger glory begins way before its time to fire up the grill. The most important part of crafting the perfect hamburger is actually making sure youve got the right meat to get the job done.
When youre using a recipe to make a burger, youll normally be asked to use ground beef but if you see anything in the store thats simply labelled ground beef, its normally just code for some random collection of cuts that have all been mushed together.
We recommend you go with one of three more identifiable and consistent specific types of ground beef.
Your burger will only be as good as the meat that you choose, so choose wisely. Lean beef makes for dry burgers.
