Tender, hot and well dressed. That's how I like my grilled hamburger: a char-marked patty, less than an inch thick, sandwiched on a lightly toasted bun with a thick slice of red onion and tomato, lettuce leaves, sliced dill pickle and a schmear of mayonnaise. Cheese optional.
We may not agree on how we like to adorn our burgers, but we all want a patty that retains its shape and flavor, and remains juicy but doesn't soak the bun. Here are tips and tricks I've learned through years of reading recipes and from practice, practice, practice.
Let's dig right in.
- What kind of beef is best for grilled burgers?
This is no time for lean meat. Ground chuck with a mix of 80 percent lean meat and 20 percent fat, labeled 80/20 in most supermarkets, is best. Leaner meats will dry out.
If you have access to a butcher, ask them to grind a blend for you. (It will probably taste a bit better.) I've added bacon grease, which I keep in a jar in the refrigerator, to leaner ground meats and had good results, too.
- How do you make burger patties?
You want a burger thick enough not to dry out, but not so thick that you can't get your mouth around the dressed-up sandwich. I've found a 6-ounce burger is just about right. Form the meat into a roughly 3/4-inch-thick patty, about 1/2 inch wider in diameter than a standard bun. Handle the meat as quickly and as little as possible to prevent it from getting warm and toughening.
You might have heard about putting a thumbprint in the center to prevent burger shrinkage. I tried that, as well as making divots with my finger across the surface of the meat. Both help, but this method works better: Form your patty on a flat surface and make a 2-inch depressed circle in the center with your fingers, leaving a 1-inch or so raised edge around the patty. When you grill, place it flat side down first, so the depression stays on top and fills with the burger's juices. (Safety tip: Keep a water bottle handy for any flare-ups when flipping.)
Seasoning? If you're cooking the burgers right away, generously sprinkle the patties with salt and pepper. (I prefer not to mix seasonings into my burgers, because handling the meat too much causes it to get tough.)
If you're not grilling the patties right away, pop them into the refrigerator and wait to season them until just before cooking. Salting too far in advance can result in drier burgers.
- What's the best temperature for grilling a juicy burger?
You can go with a cooler temperature, but I like at least 450 degrees because I want char and grill marks.
With gas, that's easy; just crank it up and wait. With charcoal, it gets a little more complicated: Fill a chimney starter (or two depending on the size of your grill) with charcoal, light it, and when the coals are white-gray with ash, pour them into the grate and cover, making sure the air vents are open all the way. When all of the coals are gray, 15 to 20 minutes, your grill should be just right.
Use a grill thermometer or test the heat by holding your hand, palm down, about 4 inches from the grate. If you can hold it there for about 4 seconds, the heat should be at 450 degrees. Be sure that nothing flammable, such as sleeves or other clothing, is near the heat.
To oil or not to oil: If your grill grate is clean, there is no reason to oil it before adding your burgers. If your grill grate is not clean ... clean it.
- When should you flip a burger?
The only rule here is that when you first put the burger on the grill, leave it undisturbed for at least 3 minutes so that it seals and gets char marks. Use a spatula to peek. If your burger is not browned with some marking, your grill temperature is probably below 450 degrees, so leave it a bit longer. After that, you can flip to your heart's content, but I like to flip just once, so I can cover the grill and allow the burgers to absorb smoky flavor.
Unless you're grilling a smash burger on a cast-iron pan, never, ever press down on the burgers while they are cooking. This tends to make the a thicker burger drier, and the dripping juices can cause flare-ups.
- How can you tell when a grilled burger is done?
Generally, your burger should take about 8 to 9 minutes to cook. But that can vary because of the temperature of your grill and the thickness of the burger patty, so the best way to tell if a burger is as you like it is to insert an instant-read thermometer into the thicker part of the patty.
The USDA recommends an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees for home-cooked beef burgers, which means cooking it for 8 to 10 minutes, until there is no pink in the center. For a rarer burger, start checking the patty's temperature after 5 minutes of total cooking time.
The burger should be close to medium-rare (130 to 135 degrees). For medium (145 to 150), try about 7 minutes total cooking time.
- Should you rest burgers before serving?
Yes. No one wants a burger that soaks through the bun. Transfer your burgers to a platter, lightly cover them, and let them rest for 3 to 5 minutes. This is also the perfect moment to add a slice of cheese, so it can melt and drape the patty.
For an even neater burger, place a wire rack on a sheet pan and put the burgers on it, before adding cheese and lightly covering. This allows any juices that escape to pool away from the meat.
While your burgers rest, toast the buns on the grill. (I like to brush brioche buns with a thin layer of mayonnaise before lightly grilling them cut side down.) Then, dress and serve.
food-grillburgers
Making a 2-inch indentation in your hamburger patties helps prevent shrinking during cooking. Photo for The Washington Post by Scott Suchman