Biting into a juicy hamburger hot off the grill is one of our favorite parts of a summer cookout. And while homemade burgers are also popular because they're easy to make, it's a sad day when you end up with a dry, flavorless patty. So we rounded up our best burger on the grill tips and tricks to make your backyard barbecue a success. We'll teach you how long to grill hamburgers, share our Test Kitchen tips for the juiciest burgers, and offer a few of our best hamburger meat recipes—because not all ground beef is the same.
Now fire up the grill because we're about to perfect those burger grilling techniques.
Tips to Make the Most Flavorful Hamburger Patties
Here's how to make the most flavorful homemade burgers.
- The Meat Mix: The best hamburger meat for grilling is 85% lean (15% fat) ground beef. This ratio is better than leaner beef mixes because most of the fat drips away during grilling but leaves moisture and flavor behind. If you use extra-lean beef, you'll end up with drier burgers.
- Buy Good Beef: Make sure your meat is fresh. This may seem like an obvious tip, but you want to use bright pink ground beef without any dark spots or unpleasant odor for the best burgers.
- Don't Overwork It: When mixing the ground beef with any seasonings or add-ins, work the burger mixture as little as possible. You'll end up with tough burgers if you overwork raw meat.
What Size to Make Burger Patties?
To portion ground beef into even-size patties, pat 1- to 1½-lb. meat into a flat square, then cut the square into quarters. Shape as needed.
How to Make Burger Patties
A delicious homemade burger on the grill starts with a great patty. Follow these tips for making the best patties:
Step 1: Season the Meat
To evenly disperse all the flavor, spread the ground beef on a platter and sprinkle it evenly with your add-ins. Use your hands to gently mix in the ingredients. Kneading or overworking the meat mixture will make the burgers tough.
Step 2: Form Patties
Divide the meat mixture into even-size balls, then flatten each into a 3/4–inch patty. If desired, press irregular edges in toward the centers to form round burgers.
Step 3: Add an Indentation
Using your fingers, press lightly in the center of each patty, forming a shallow indentation. The dimple does two things: It helps keep the burger from bulging while grilling, and it lets the burger cook evenly.
Step 4: Transport Easily
Place raw patties on a tray lined with waxed paper for transport to the grill. Once the patties hit the grill, you can discard the paper and use the tray to carry the grilled burgers to the serving area.
Burger Grilling Tips
Knowing how to properly make burgers on the grill is just as important as making great patties. When you're ready to start grilling hamburgers for your hungry crowd, keep these tips in mind:
- Direct Grilling: Direct grilling works best with foods that grill in 30 minutes or less, which includes your burgers. Place the meat patties directly over the heat source and close the grill lid. Turn the burgers once halfway through grilling time.
- Preheat: Do preheat your grill to the recommended temperature before adding the burgers. Don’t put your burgers on a cold grill rack.
- Timing: Grill your burgers over medium for about 14 to 18 minutes, turning just once about halfway through cooking.
- Don't Press Burgers: We know it's tempting, but don't use your spatula to press down on the burger patties while they're on the grill (unless you're making a smashed burger). Instead, just leave them be. Pressing will squeeze out the juices, which you want to stay inside to keep your burgers moist.
- Flip Smart: Use a spatula or tongs to turn your burgers to help them keep their shape. Do flip your burgers only once, halfway through grilling time. Continual flipping results in uneven cooking.
How to Know If Your Burger Is Done
Don't worry about the color when deciding if your burgers are done. Instead, insert an instant-read thermometer through the side of the patty, so the point is in the center. When the inside of your burger registers 160°F, it's done and safe to eat, even if there's still a little pink in the center.
How to Serve Hamburgers
The best grilled burgers aren't ready when they come off the grill—now it's time to make them even better by dressing them up with toppers. Go beyond plain old ketchup and mustard by adding fun extras like caramelized onions, onion rings, sautéed mushrooms, sliced pickled peppers, or a smear of peanut butter. You can also experiment with buns like ciabatta rolls and pretzel or sesame seed buns. And if you like adding mayo to your burger, try turning it into a special sauce by mixing in Sriracha, chopped bacon, curry powder, or fresh garlic. There are tons of burger recipes for inspiration, but feel free to get creative and invent your own recipe.