Here's what you need to know for how to grill juicy burgers. From fast food drive-thrus to backyard barbecues, a hamburger is the iconic American food.
Whether you’re simply adding ketchup or loading it with fancy toppings, the key to a great burger is in the way you handle and cook it, so you get juicy, tender results every time. Here’s what you need to know to grill the best-tasting burger.
How to Keep a Burger Juicy
Secret Ingredient: Meat is made up of protein and fat, and lean beef is about 60% water. Grinding meat breaks down muscle fibers, letting the moisture run out. To keep burgers juicy, add some moisture back. Mixing 2 to 3 tablespoons of ice-cold water into a pound of ground beef increases juiciness.
Handle with Care: As burgers cook, the protein contracts, squeezing out moisture. Handle burgers as little as possible while grilling. Every time you turn or press the burger, more juice is lost. Never press a cooking burger with a spatula to speed up cooking; it just forces out more juice.
Fat Content: Fat helps keep burgers moist. Ground beef with less than 10% fat is dry when cooked. Beef with 10-15% fat tastes lean and juicy, while 15-20% fat makes burgers taste rich and beefy. Burgers with more than 20% fat can feel greasy.
How Hot Should the Grill Be?
The grill should be very hot, but not for the entire cooking time. High heat creates a brown crust, which is a hallmark of a great burger. Browning starts around 250°F and adds a savory, caramelized flavor. The higher the heat, the better the browning, but too long on high heat can burn the burger. Use both high-heat and low-heat zones on your grill. Start by cooking burgers over high heat to brown them, then move them to the low-heat zone to finish cooking. Preheat the grill for at least 15 minutes, clean the grate, and oil it before adding burgers.
How Do I Know When a Burger is Done?
Visual cues can help, but a thermometer is the most reliable. As meat cooks, it becomes drier, browner, and firmer. A rare burger (120-125°F) will be juicy, red in the center, and soft. A well-done burger (160°F or hotter) will be smaller, drier, brown throughout, and tough. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature. Insert it through the side to get an accurate reading.
Grilling Times Guideline
These times are for grilling burgers over a medium-hot fire. The times given are for a 6-ounce patty that's 1-inch-thick.
- Rare - 4 min one side; 3 min side two. Doneness feel: Center very soft; inside red
- Medium rare - 5 min one side; 4 min side two. Doneness feel: Center slightly springy; juices not yet flowing from interior
- Medium - 5 min side one, 5 min side two. Doneness feel: Center very springy; juices flowing from interior; inside moist
- Medium well - 7 min one side; 5 min side two. Doneness feel: Center firm, inside texture dry, slightly crumbly
- Well done - 7 min one side; 7 min side two. Doneness feel: Center hard; inside texture crumbly
Juicy Grilled Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb. lb. ground beef (preferably 85% lean)
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tsp. fresh ground pepper
- Vegetable oil, for the grill
- 4 brioche or challah rolls, split
Instructions
- Put the ground meat in a mixing bowl; sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Mix gently and briefly to avoid overworking the meat. Shape the seasoned beef into four patties that are about 1 inch thick.
- Oil the grill grate. Grill the burgers according to the times about dependeing on your preferences. Don't press on the burgers; you'll only press out the juices.
- When the burgers are nearly done, toast the rolls cut side down on the grill until browned and heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve the burgers in the rolls with your favorite toppings.
Notes
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