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    Home » Recipes » Main Dish

    Perfect Grilled Burgers

    Published: Sep 4, 2021 by Chellie Schmitz

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    A perfect grilled burger is juicy, flavorful, smoky, and perfectly browned. This recipe has all that, plus of course, your special touch at the grill. via @artfrommytable

    A perfect grilled burger is juicy, flavorful, smoky, and perfectly browned. This recipe has all that, plus of course, your special touch at the grill.

    Whether you’re cooking for a crowd, spoiling Dad on Father's day, or for yourself, a perfectly grilled hamburger makes a great meal.

    hamburger with cheese, lettuce, tomato and pickle on an onion bun
    Jump to:
    • Why you'll love this recipe
    • Key Ingredients and Substitutions
    • How to Make the Best Burger Ever
    • Topping suggestions
    • Chef’s Tips
    • FAQ's
    • Food Safety
    • More grilling favorites
    • 📋 Recipe

    Perfect grilled burgers start with a juicy, smoky burger patty. The burger in this recipe can stand alone or pair with your preference of toppings, sauces, and side dishes.

    It goes great with a side Grilled Corn on the Cob, Garlic Butter Green Beans, or Watermelon Salad. YUM! I'm getting hungry!

    Why you'll love this recipe

    • You only need 4 ingredients!
    • It comes together quickly and is so easy. 
    • It’s easy to customize (change or add toppings)
    • The burgers are plump, juicy, and DELICIOUS!

    Key Ingredients and Substitutions

    Ground beef – An 80/20 ratio meat (80% lean/20% fat) makes the juiciest patty. Other ratios could be substituted if desired. You can also use your favorite ground meat like chicken, turkey, or pork. This Asian Turkey burger is delightful!

    Steak seasoning – Use your favorite steak seasoning, I like Montreal. Keep in mind dry seasoning mix works best to maintain consistency. If you don't have steak seasoning, you can sprinkle some Seasoned Salt on top before grilling (It will be too salty if you sub this in the mix).

    Worcestershire sauce – Any brand of Worcestershire sauce is fine, just make sure it’s high quality to give you the best flavor.

    Liquid smoke – This is my secret weapon. I know the grill gives you that smokiness,  but this will take it up a level.

    Burger buns – You might prefer standard burger buns but consider using whole grain, onion buns, rolls, or a seeded bun for extra flavor and texture.

    Toppings of your choice – This burger can stand on its own, but you can add sauces or toppings to suit your taste. See suggestions below.

    You’ll love so many aspects of this burger recipe. The taste, first and foremost. But you will also love how so few ingredients develop into such a scrumptious, juicy, and satisfying grilled hamburger.

    How to Make the Best Burger Ever

    This is an overview of the instructions, be sure to see the recipe card for all the details.

    4 picture collage showing ground beef and seasonings before and after mixing, and raw meat portioned, then formed into patties

    STEP ONE | COMBINE MEAT & SEASONINGS

    1. Combine ground beef, steak seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, and liquid smoke in a large mixing bowl.
    2. Gently mix until combined.
    3. Divide the meat into 6 (or 8) equal portions.
    4. Form each section into a round ball, then press flat into a circle. Build the edges of the patty up a little so there is a wide well in the center. This keeps the burger from shrinking.

    AFMT PRO-TIP: I love using my stand mixer with the paddle attachment to combine the ingredients perfectly. Be cautious to not over mix. If you don’t have a stand mixer, your hands are the best tool.

    GRILL

    • Heat grill to 400°.
    • Place burgers on the grill and cook for 3 minutes.
    • Flip the burgers and cook until desired temperature (about 4 minutes for medium rare). Flip only once!
    • Use a thermometer to measure internal temperature:
      • Rare = 145°
      • Med. rare = 160°
      • Well = 170°
    6 juicy burgers on the grill, showing grill marks

    If adding cheese, place it on the burgers for the last minute of cooking time. Then let it melt the rest of the way after you remove them from the heat while they’re resting.

    REST

    • Remove burgers from the grill.
    • Lightly tent with foil, and let them rest for 5-10 minutes.

    When meat cooks, all of its juices come to the surface. Resting the meat allows those juices to redistribute back into it, making for the juiciest burger.

    OPTIONAL: While the burgers are resting, you can toast the buns on the grill for added buttery goodness. It also prevents the buns from getting soggy.

    hamburger buns toasted on the grill

    BUILD YOUR BURGER

    Build your burger with all your favorite toppings and enjoy!

    hamburger with cheese, lettuce, tomato and pickle on an onion bun

    Topping suggestions

    Our go-to toppings are mustard, mayo, ketchup, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and of course cheese. But when I want to go the extra mile and build the ultimate burger, I'll choose some of these:

    • Bacon
    • Blue cheese, or goat cheese
    • barbecue sauce
    • avocado or guacamole
    • banana peppers

    Chef’s Tips

    Follow these tips for perfect burgers every single time!

    • This recipe makes six ⅓ pound burgers OR eight ¼ pound burgers. I personally prefer ⅓ pound burger because it fills the bun and is still thick enough.
    • Make the burgers the same size. While dividing prepared meat into portions by instinct works just fine, if you're a perfectionist, use a kitchen scale to weigh each portion, and adjust as needed.
    • Make the patties wide enough. You want your patties to be a little larger than the burger buns. They will shrink a bit when cooking and end up being the perfect size.
    • Don’t smash them! Avoid smashing burgers on the grill as you cook. This pushes all the juice out and you will end up with a dry, crumbly burger.
    • Make an indent. To prevent burgers “bunching up” and shrinking as they cook, leave an indention in the center of the patty or build up the edges slightly. Most people use a thumb print, but I find that making a larger well in the center by building up the edges works much better. (see the picture of the formed patties)
    • Use ice for well-done burgers. For burgers that are requested to be well done, place an ice cube in the center before placing it on the grill to keep them moist and scrumptious.
    • Make ahead. After making the patties, you can freeze them for later use. I love making a double batch in order to save time on another day. Place wax paper in between the patties so they don’t stick together. Place in an air-tight freezer bag. To cook, thaw completely

    FAQ's

    Should hamburgers be grilled on direct or indirect heat?

    Direct heat is best for burgers. If you are finding the fire is flaring up too much because of the juices dripping off, then turn the temperature down a little bit. 

    How do you tell when a burger is done on the grill?

    The best and most precise way is to use a cooking thermometer. Place the thermometer in the center of the burger, and not all the way through. 

    I’ve never used liquid smoke. Where do I find it?

    Most grocery stores carry liquid smoke. You can often find it in the condiments section with Worcestershire sauce and ketchup. 

    Can I cook these if I don’t have a grill?

    Oh yes! If you don’t have a grill you can cook these burgers in a skillet on top of the stove or in an oven under a broiler.

    To use a skillet, preheat it until it is very hot. Add the meat and cover the patties so they won’t splatter. Flip once. Reduce heat if the outsides are getting too dark.

    If you are cooking in an oven broiler, place them on the middle rack and flip once. The timing required in both instances will depend on internal temperature rather than the number of minutes.

    Food Safety

    Be aware of food safety when grilling:

    • Cover food, both cooked and uncooked, when not in use.
    • Use different dishes for raw and cooked meat.
    • Leave cooked meat at ambient temperature for less than 2 hours (or less than 1 hour if temperature is over 90°F).
    • It is recommended that store-bought ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160° to be considered safe to eat.
    • Refrigerate cooked patties.
    • After cooked patties are thoroughly chilled in the refrigerator, you can freeze them in an airtight container for later reheating.
    • When reheating, make sure the internal temperature of patties reaches 165°F. 

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    Please share

    Your shares are how this site grows, and I appreciate each one. Do you know someone who would enjoy this recipe?

    I’d love it if you shared it on your favorite Pinterest board or Facebook! AND…if you like this recipe, please do me a favor and give it a ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ rating! TIA 🥰

    You can also follow along on YouTube and Instagram!

    More grilling favorites

    • Grilled Teriyaki chicken
    • Savory Grilled Chicken
    • Grilled Steak Fajitas
    • Grilled Balsamic Pork Chops
    • Grilled Brie

    📋 Recipe

    hamburger with cheese, lettuce, tomato and pickle on an onion bun

    Perfect Grilled Burgers

    A perfect grilled burger is juicy, flavorful, smoky, and perfectly browned. This recipe has all that, plus of course, your special touch at the grill.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes
    Resting time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 6 ⅓ pound burgers
    Calories: 335kcal
    Author: Chellie Schmitz
    Cost: $15

    Equipment

    • Optional: Stand Mixer
    • gas grill
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 2 pounds ground beef
    • 2 tablespoons steak seasoning
    • 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
    • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
    • 6 hamburger buns I like a seeded bun

    Optional toppings

    • ketchup, mustard, mayo, lettuce cheese, tomato, pickles, onion, bacon, blue cheese, barbecue sauce, avocado

    Instructions

    • Combine ground beef, steak seasoning, worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke in a large mixing bowl. Mix until combined. I like to use a stand mixxer with a paddle attachment, if you don't have one, it works best to use your hands.
    • Divide the meat into 6 (or 8) equal portions. If you’re super particular, use a kitchen scale to weigh each section. Or-- just eyeball it! Form each section into a round ball, then press flat into a disc and shape into a circle.
    • Make a large well in the center. It’s often recommended to put a thumbprint in your burger to help keep it from swelling up during the cooking process. I’ve found it to work better if you have a larger well. So I recommend building the edges up a little bit (see pictures).
    • Heat grill to 400 degrees. Place burgers on the grill and cook to desired temperature, flipping only once. Rare = 145°; Med. rare = 160°; Well = 170°
    • Remove the burgers, lightly tent with foil and let them rest for 5-10 minutes.
    • Optional- toast the buns! Lightly butter the buns and toast on the grill for 1-3 minutes.
    • Build your burger with all your favorite toppings.

    Notes

    • The best ground beef to use is 80/20 ratio (20% fat). This allows for the juiciest burger. Ground chuck is an excellent option.
    • Letting the burgers rest is another key to a juicy burger. While cooking the meat juices come to the surface, letting it rest allows those juices to redistribute back into the meat.
    • Do not smash your burgers on a grill, this pushes all the juice out and you will have a dry, crumbly burger.
    • For added flavor and texture, up your game on the buns. Try onion buns, kaiser rolls, or a seeded bun. These look great too.
    • If you're staying away from the carbs, a Keto bun works great. Crisp, crunchy, lettuce leaves also make a great substitution. Try Romaine, Green Leaf, or Iceberg.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 335kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 373mg | Potassium: 632mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 40IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 6mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!I love to see what's on YOUR table! Mention @artfrommytable or tag #artfrommytable on your favorite social.

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    about chellie

    ABOUT CHELLIE

    Chellie is the creator of Art From My Table, where her passion for delicious food and gathering with loved ones comes together. She believes anyone can cook a great meal, it doesn't have to be complicated or stressful. Her recipes and food photography have been featured in many publications including Buzzfeed, Southern Living, Today Food, and Fitness magazine. Read more...

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