Grilled Burgers

No summer party is complete without juicy grilled burgers. If you want to be known as the one with the best burgers, you’ve come to the right place to learn how to make the best grilled burgers. It’s all about the method and a few simple tricks. No over-the-top ingredients, just let the meat shine in the tender, juicy, flavorful burger patty.

GRILLED BURGERS

Burgers are the quintessential food for summer cookouts and we all want one thing: a nice, juicy, tender burger to sink our teeth into. When you have the best tasting, juicy burgers, all you need is a bun and some cheese. The meat should always speak for itself without a pile of ingredients on top to give it taste.

This is just what I want to share today, my method for achieving that desired juicy burger with great flavor.

I’ve collected several tips and tricks through the years from friends who are chefs and grill masters, from butchers, and simply enthusiasts who love good food. The best part is that every single tip is so simple that everyone can do it. Did I mention that all you need are 4 (or 5) ingredients?

QUICK GRILLING NOTES

Coals: briquettes or lump coal

Grill temperature: medium-high 350°-425° but make two temperature zones

Placement on the grill: direct

How long to grill burgers? these burgers are 8 oz so grill them for about 4 minutes per side but time can vary for desired temperature.

Do I have to close the grill lid? not necessary because burgers cook very fast

Wood if desired: oak, pecan, hickory, mesquite

LET’S MAKE BURGERS

The Beef:

This is one of the best tips that I have but it might be a little hard to get. If you want the absolute best texture to your burgers, try to get your hands on some ground brisket. Mixing 1/4 lb of ground brisket with 3/4 lb of ground beef will make an amazing burger.

The only problem you may run into is actually getting the ground brisket. Grocery stores don’t generally carry this product so you would have to make nice with your local butcher. It might be easier if you need to make a lot of burgers for a big party because you’d need more ground brisket.

One way you can sweet talk your butcher into grinding brisket is by getting a couple of pounds at a time. Ask them to separate it in portions and seal it in cryovac (or other vacuum seal way). You can freeze what you don’t use, it will be nicely preserved if sealed.

If you don’t have access to ground brisket, go to plan B and use 80/20 ground beef. There will be a good amount of fat content to keep the burgers nice and juicy. Don’t ever use lean ground beef for burgers if you want them to be juicy and tender because fat is what you need for texture and flavor.

Prepare The Meat:

There are two most important tips that come with preparing the meat:

1 – Season, season, season, inside and out! Season well while mixing the ground beef and add an egg. Egg will help keep the meat from falling apart on the grill and it does add to the juicy texture. Once you shape the patties, season each one on both sides with some more salt and pepper.

2 – Refrigerate before grilling! Perhaps the most important tip that most cooks emphasize is to cook cold burger patties. You don’t want to let the fat in the meat mixture melt before the burgers are actually cooking to have the juiciest texture.

When you handle the meat during the mixing process and shaping the patties, heat from your hands starts melting the fat. So it’s best to handle the meat as little as possible, shape the patties as quickly as possible, and refrigerate shaped patties for 2-4 hours before grilling.

Grill The Meat:

Prepare either a gas or charcoal grill by creating two temperature zone fire so you have a hot side and a cool side just in case. If burgers are thick, you may need to move them over to the cool side to finish cooking so they don’t char.

So let’s grill some burgers!

Make a little well: take the patties out of the refrigerator and use your fingers to make a well in each center, about half way deep. This truly does help to keep the centers from raising and bulging.

Oil the meat not the grill: spray each patty with some cooking spay before placing it on the grill. Place them over direct heat.

Do not disturb: once on the grill, do not touch them again until ready to flip. Fight the urge to readjust or move them around.

Do not press: for the love of everything that is good and pure, do not press the burgers. It breaks my heart to see people squeezing all those wonderful meat juices out.

Let it rest: when done, take them off the grill and let them rest for a few minutes before eating. This will give a chance for all the juices that have compressed during the cooking process to spread out and give you a nice juicy bite every time.

HOW LONG TO COOK BURGERS ON THE GRILL?

These patties are 8 oz. so smaller and thinner burgers will have a slightly different temperature. But it’s important to note that burgers cook very fast, so even 1 minute will make a difference. Lucky for you, this recipe produces delicious and juicy burgers even if you cook them to medium well.

For medium-rare burgers – cook about 4 minutes per side. (130°-135°)

For medium – cook about 5 minutes per side. (140°-145°)

For medium well – cook about 6 minutes per side. (150°-155°)

For well done – cook about 7 minutes per side. (160°-165°)

NOTE: burger thickness will also effect exact time.

SOME MORE THING TO GRILL:

Cedar Plank Salmon

Grilled Philly Cheesesteak

Grilled Chicken Wings

Spicy Grilled Shrimp

Bacon Wrapped BBQ Hot Dogs

Grilled Sausage Peppers and Onion

If you made any of my recipes and shared them on Instagram, make sure to tag me @grillingsmokingliving and #grillingsmokingliving so I can see all the things you tried!

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