Seasoning Burgers For The Grill

Burgers On Pellet Grill Tips

How to Season a Burger | How to Grill with Grillabilities from BBQGuys
  • Hamburgers have a tendency to shrink up during cooking of any sort. This is why I go for a ½-pound patty. Once the shrinking finishes, youve still got a nice size patty that fits the bun well.
  • Its important to not season the burgers until youre ready to stick them on the smoker. The salt will dry out the burgers quickly once added.
  • I used cherry pellets, but theres no reason you cant use any flavor you prefer or have on hand already.
  • Dont over-flip your burgers. Only flip them once, if possible. Not only do you lose seasoning, but you lose juices, resulting in a less than a satisfactory burger. Less flipping results in a better-tasting and moist burger.

What Goes On A Bbq Burger

Now that weve masted the best burgers, lets talk toppings! These BBQ Burgers can be extremely simple with just meat, cheese and BBQ sauce or as epic as you like. No matter what you choose, just take care you have the condiments ready to go before you make the burgers otherwise your burgers can get cold. Heres what I love on my BBQ Bacon Burgers:

  • BBQ sauce: you can use homemade BBQ sauce that is sweet, tangy, spicy and smokey and can be made two weeks in advance or your favorite store-bought BBQ sauce.
  • Buns: you can use whatever your heart desires! Usually the bakery section will have soft buns. We will also toast the buns for added flavor and texture.
  • Cheese: my favorite cheese for BBQ Burger is sharp cheddar because it cuts through the sweetness of the BBQ sauce.
  • Bacon: makes everything better! Use thick cut bacon so it stands up against the robust burgers.
  • Onion strings: the onions are soaked in buttermilk and then coated with crispy panko/flour mixture then fried to golden crunchy perfection. They can also be made days in advance and will stay super crunchy so theres no reason not to make them!
  • Lettuce: any of your favs! Iceberg, Romaine, baby arugula or I like to use butter lettuce as a single leaf is perfection and just so pretty.
  • Tomatoes: pick ripe yet firm tomatoes.

Other condiment ideas:

Frequently Asked Questions About The Best Seasoning For A Burger

WHAT IS THE QUANTITY TO USE?

For a basic burger patty recipe, I add 1 tablespoon of this Burger Seasoning Blend to 1.5 pounds of ground beef. I mix it in and form my patties. If you are concerned about your salt intake, you can cut back several teaspoons salt.

HOW DO I STORE THIS RECIPE?

Airtight is important to spices, if they lose their oils and dry out too much and get hard or lose flavor. Mason Jars are great.

CAN THIS RECIPE BE DOUBLED OR HALVED?

Absolutely, I love having this seasoning on hand, therefore I always make a big batch, especially in the summer when I am grilling a lot.

ARE ADJUSTMENTS ALLOWED?

If you are watching your sodium, or like it a little hotter, definitely, you can adjust the amounts. It is so much better than ordinary seasoning salt.

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Perfect Grilled Burger Recipe

by Susie Weinrich · This post may contain affiliate links.

A perfect grilled burger recipe doesnt even exsis. oh wait it does, and you found it!!! This is the juiciest and most flavorful hamburger recipe! Using all the tips and tricks in this recipe you will end up with perfectly grilled burgers. It is the recipe you will use again and again on your grill, all summer long.

Thick or thin, full size or slider size, when you make homemade hamburgers you can choose YOUR perfect burger! Use all the toppings you love and cook it to medium rare or well done its your choice!

We LOVE a good burger on the grill here at Moms Dinner! If you do a lot of grilling then check out this Amazing Grilled Pork Burger and Juicy Turkey Burger.

Charcoal Vs Gas Grill

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For Raichlan, the best choice for grilling burgers is always wood or charcoal because of the additional flavor and charring that happens with those grills.

Its more versatile. You get a hotter, drier heat which give you a better sear, Raichlan said. If you use charcoal, you can add different kinds of wood to contribute to the smokiness and enhance the overall flavor of the burger.

However, millions of Americans prefer gas grills because they are easy to use, and you dont have as much of a mess. Dont worryyou can still cook a great burger on a gas grill!

  • To grill with charcoal or wood, Raichlan recommends investing in a chimney starter. Its a tall box or cylinder with holes in it. Paper is crumpled up in the bottom and the coals reset on top. Position the chimney starter on the bottom of grate of your grill, and light the paper. You will have hot coals in 15 to 20 minutes.
  • If you’re using a gas grill, open the lid, turn on the gas, and light the grill. You want to get your grill up to 450 to 500 degrees before adding your patties.

Read Also: Which Is Best Charcoal Or Gas Grill

Whats In This Spice Blend

  • Salt Kosher salt works best.
  • Paprika This gives it a nice smokey flavor.
  • Brown sugar Adds the perfect hint of sweetness.
  • Black pepper Adds an earthy, smokey taste.
  • Garlic powder Gives it that delicious garlic aroma.
  • Onion powder Skip the fresh onions and use this instead.
  • Dried basil A fragrant herb that adds another layer of flavor.

How To Cook Burgers On The Stove

To cook burgers on the stove, choose a cast iron skillet. This will give you a beautiful char. I like to use the same skillet I cooked the bacon in and leave about two tablespoons of bacon drippings. Heat the skillet over medium high heat until it smokes lightly, this can take up to two minutes, so be patient!

We want the skillet nice and hot so it will create a nice crust. At the same time, we dont want it so hot that the outside will burn before the center is cooked. I find medium-high to be perfect to start with, but you may need to reduce the heat if you like your burgers more well done.

Cook the burgers until brown and charred on one side, about 3-4 minutes, flip, and reduce heat to medium. Glaze each patty with about 1 tablespoon barbecue sauce then cover. Covering the pan ensures the burger will cook evenly all throughout and reducing the heat is necessary so they dont burn. The pan will still have residual heat, so the bottom will still char. You will cook on this side for 2-5 minutes, depending on the thickness of your burgers and how well done you like them. I suggest using an instant read thermometer to check for doneness.

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Can I Use Lean Ground Beef

If you choose ground beef, look for 80/20 ground beef and avoid anything higher or leaner. Some ground beef can have 30 percent fat which is way too greasy. Leaner than 20% and you are left with tough and dry burgers. Also, take care you use QUALITY ground beef, as any combination of cuts can be labeled ground beef.

If you use lean ground beef as opposed to 80/20, I recommend adding a couple tablespoons of the bacon drippings directly to the panade before adding the beef, this will prevent dry burgers.

Can You Freeze Burgers

The Best Burger Seasoning | 30 Second Recipe

Yes, these BBQ Burgers freeze very well without cheese.

  • Place cooked patties in a freezer size plastic bag and separate patties with parchment paper OR place patties in individual plastic bags.
  • With either option, make sure you squeeze as much excess air out as possible in order to prevent freezer burn.
  • Alternatively, you can wrap individual patties tightly in plastic wrap followed by foil.
  • When ready to eat, let burgers defrost overnight in the refrigerator then cook within three days.

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The Best Burger Seasoning Is Kosher Salt

As with all meats, coarse salt, or kosher salt, is the best bet for seasoning ground beef. The large granules allow for the most control and deliver on the promise of enhancing the flavor of the final burger. Plan for about 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt per pound of ground beef.

Freshly ground pepper adds extra body and is an ideal accompaniment to beef. Use about 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper per pound of ground beef.

You can also use minced garlic, minced onion, and Worcestershire sauce to amp up the seasoning, but theyre not strictly necessary for a tasty burger.

What To Serve With Bbq Burgers

BBQ Burgers are best with all your favorite potluck foods! You can go as simple as chips and watermelon or amp it up with pasta salad, fruit salad and grilled corn. Here are some of our favorite sides to serve with burgers:

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How Do You Make Hamburger Taste Good

The herbs and spices that make a good complement to beef burgers are parsley, basil, thyme, oregano, marjoram, savory, garlic, and chili flakes or powder. For intensifying flavor, try using dill pickles, sweet relish, capers, anchovies or chutney, plus almost any cheese will serve a beef burger well.

Grilling Burgers For Beginners

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There are lots of little tidbits to keep in mind when you are making the best burgers. You will love how simple these grilled burgers come together!

  • Resist The Temptation: Try not to press down on the burger while it cooks. This squeezes out all those lovely juices that are meant to be inside.
  • Let it Rest: Let the hamburger rest for 5-10 minutes after grilling to redistribute the juices throughout the meat.
  • Got Fire: If you get a flare up on your grill, cut off the oxygen to the flame by closing the lid. This should put it out. And have a glass of water on hand, just in case.
  • Variations: There are many ways to vary your burger from the kind of meat you use, to the seasonings and the toppings. Once you feel you have the basics down good, experiment with flavors and textures. Keep in mind any time you change the meat, you will change the cook time, temperature, and seasonings. Besure to do your homework before working with different meats in your burgers so that you can still have the best, juiciest and most flavorful burger around.
  • Toppings: Get creative with your tastebuds and try different toppings. Some ideas include grilled onions or mushrooms, pineapple and teriyaki sauce, pepper jack cheese and avocado spread. Melt blue cheese and top with bacon. The possibilities are endless. Let the grilling begin!

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Best Burger Seasoning Tips

  • Only mix your ground beef and rub for under a minute. This makes amazing juicy burgers and doesn’t overwork the meat. It also creates nooks and crannies so you get the perfect burger every time!
  • Season thebeef patties evenly and add Worcestershire sauce for maximum flavor.
  • My favorite way to portion each burger patty is to use a large ice cream scoop to keep them an even size – so they all cook at the same time.
  • Press the burgers on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
  • Spread butter on the buns, and toast the buns on the grill for maximum flavor in your homemade hamburgers.
  • Wire brush the grill well, then use a light coating of vegetable oil on a paper towel for a non-stick surface on your grill grates.
  • This burger seasoning works for all kinds of homemade burgers, even veggie burgers.
  • And last and MOST important Burger Sauce! This recipe is very similar to In-N-Out Burgers in Southern California where I live.

What is the best choice for ground beef patties?

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 cites research that says it frequent flipping cooks a burger more evenly.

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Tips For Fried Onion Strings

  • Thinly slice onions. Thinly sliced onions ensure the ideal proportions of onions to coating. To shortcut this process, use a mandolin slicer if you have one.
  • Slice onions ahead of time. You can slice the onions a day ahead of time and refrigerate in an airtight bag if you arent ready to fry right away. This will cut down on the onion prep significantly.
  • Oil temperature. You want your oil to be about 375 degrees F which means it will be shimmering but not smoking. If your oil starts to smoke, lower the heat and give it some time to cool before adding the onions. Once youve tested that your oil is hot enough with some panko, you still want to make sure its not too hot, so its always a good idea to do a small test batch first.
  • Stir onions. Once you add the onions to the hot oil, give them a stir to break up any of the onions that may be sticking together.
  • Watch closely. The onions dont take long at all to fry up just a minute or two per batch, so make sure to watch closely. To check for doneness, use your slotted spoon and lift a few out of the pot because it can be hard to see their true color in the oil.
  • Dont over-fry. The onions should be golden and not dark golden when you remove them from the oil.

How To Make The Best Burgers

5 Tips to BEST BURGERS! | Make the best Homemade Grilled Burgers using these tips!

You are going to start by making a nicely flavored panade in a large bowl. Add the torn or cut bread pieces, milk, kosher salt, onion powder , black pepper, minced fresh garlic, Worcestershire sauce and Dijon Mustard.

Mash that all together until it forms a smooth paste, this is your panade.

Now add the ground beef to the bread mixture. With clean hands or a fork mix until everything is combined. You do not want to overwork your patty mixture or you will end up with tougher meatball-like burgers.

Divide the mixture into 5-6 equal potions. This will be five pound burgers or six ¼ pound burgers.

To form the patties I like to roll the meat into a look meatball shape and then press to flatten. You can also shape them in the palm of your hand.

Form each burger patty about ½-1 inch larger than your buns. This allows for some shrinkage on the grill. Then your burgers will fit perfectly in your buns.

Pro Tip: using your thumb or a small spoon make an indention in the center of each patty. That will prevent your hamburgers from completely shrinking into little hockey pucks on the grill.

You can grill your burgers right away or pop them in the fridge, covered, for a day or two.

If you choose to refrigerate the raw patties then place them on a baking sheet covered with plastic wrap. OR you can stack the patties with a little square of parchment paper between the patties so they dont stick together, cover and refrigerate.

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How To Season Hamburgers

This article was co-authored by Ollie George Cigliano. Ollie George Cigliano is a Private Chef, Food Educator, and Owner of Ollie George Cooks, based in Long Beach, California. With over 20 years of experience, she specializes in utilizing fresh, fun ingredients and mixing traditional and innovative cooking techniques. Ollie George holds a BA in Comparative Literature from The University of California, Berkeley, and a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from eCornell University.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 100% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 616,102 times.

Bland burgers? Spice ’em up. By learning to use simple ingredients correctly, you can take regular old hamburgers from boring to delicious. Spicing burgers is all about technique, so you can learn the basics of seasoning you burgers and then graduate to creating your own spice mixes and experimenting with flavors. See Step 1 to learn more about spicing hamburgers.

Easy Homemade Burger Seasoning

  • 3 tablespoons cracked black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons lemon pepper
  • 2 teaspoons celery seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix in a smallbowl, a small whisk or fork helps to blend it well. Store in an airtight spice container, mason jar, or glass clamp jar for up to 6 months.

You will need 1-2 tablespoons of diy burger seasoning for each pound of ground beef.

And receive a free recipe ebook as our thank you.

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Best Smash Burger Recipe

If you’ve ever visited Smashburger, you know the classic smash burger is just amazing. I’m going to show you how to make it at home in this easy step-by-step recipe. If you know, you know… this burger is just amazing!

And, don’t tell anyone, but my secret burger sauce is even better than their smash sauce. Seriously! It’s out of this world.

I am obsessed with this juicy smash burger recipe. You have not tasted burger perfection until you try this recipe! Whether you make these burgers on a griddle pan or in a skillet, they’re guaranteed to be the best you’ve ever had.

Paired with my homemade burger seasoning and special burger sauce, it just doesn’t get any better than this. My family is constantly asking me if we can have these for lunch or dinner!

This is hands down the best burger I have ever made!

Matt on Pinterest

You can check out the step-by-step instructions on how to make the perfect burger seasoning.

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