How to grill burgers: 5 tips from cooking experts

When it’s too hot to turn on the stove or oven, grilling is the perfect alternative to cooking.

The humble burger is one of the classic grilling methods, so if you’re looking for the best way to grill burgers, we’re here to help you through all the steps.

From picking the best meats, seasonings, and grilling, right down to your first bite, this is the ultimate grilling guide to delicious burgers.

We’ll focus on beef and turkey burgers, but if that’s not a good fit for your lifestyle, try our Portobello burger recipes, bean burgers, barley burgers, and more. 7 healthy burgers you should try this summer.

Here’s a five-step guide on how to grill burgers.

Step 1: Choose minced meat

For juicy, grilled burgers that aren’t too dry, choose ground beef that’s high in fat around 10%-20%.

At the grocery store, you’ll see these numbers like 80/20 or 90/10, which means meat is 80% lean to 20% fat or 90% lean to 10% fat, respectively.

Of course, we know this may be more fat than you’d like to eat.

Beachbody’s culinary specialist Holly McKee-Clark says, “93% (7%) lean ground beef will result in a burger that’s flavorful, but not so greasy that you can’t enjoy it once in a while. The key to the burger is Juicy but fat-free really lies in the blends.”

Do not worry. We’ll get to that in the next step!

Step 2: Season and mix the burgers

For a grilled burger made with high-fat ground beef, simply add the seasonings and make it with your hands.

Be very careful not to over-mix as it may cause the burger to crumble and fall apart when eating it. Less is more here.

Common condiments for grilled burgers include:

salt (required)
pepper
Worcestershire
Red pepper
Garlic or onion powder
dried herbs

If you choose to go the smaller route with 93/7 ground beef or turkey, McKee Clark recommends a few additional add-ons:

“Add an egg for consistency and moisture. Next, add ½ cup of low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese with a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce and other seasonings of your choice.”

“Consider adding a few tablespoons of breadcrumbs to keep the burger from falling apart. This will make the burger of your dreams. One that won’t feel bad while eating,” she adds.

For more tips, check out How to make a healthy burger.

Step 3: Divide and shape the burgers

Now it’s time to divide and shape into pies. Grilled burgers use approximately 4 to 6 ounces of meat before accounting for shrinkage during cooking.

If you start with a pound of meat, simply cut the mixture into quarters.

For accuracy, use a kitchen scale to weigh the meat.

Roll the meat into a ball and spread it out on a cutting board with the back of your hand.

To account for shrinkage from grilling, keep flattening until the pie is larger than the pie.

Ideally, the burger patty is about an inch thick or very close to it. Use your fingers to make a slight depression in the middle of the patty so that the burger doesn’t get thicker in the middle after cooking.

Cake buying tip: Keep in mind that the size of the burger patty should compliment the bun you purchased.

Nobody wants a delicious pie that disappears under the bread!

We recommend sticking with standard whole-wheat burger buns, no more than 3-3.5 inches in diameter.

Step 4: Grill over hot, clean grilles

How long to cook burgers on the grill? It depends on whether you like it rare, medium or well-ripened.

Start by preheating your gas or propane grill to 450-500 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray grill grates with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.

Pancakes are placed on the grill over a direct fire.

How long does it take to grill burgers on each side?

Start with two to three minutes on the first side, then flip it over. To get the desired doneness, use a meat thermometer and this useful chart:

Grace	Temperature
rare	120-130 degrees Fahrenheit
medium rare	130-135 degrees Fahrenheit
Average	135-145 degrees Fahrenheit
Well done	155 degrees Fahrenheit

Keep in mind that a file USDA He recommends cooking ground beef to 160 degrees Fahrenheit, unfortunately, that also means an undercooked burger!

Please use your best judgment when cooking.

Want burgers full of smoke?

McKee-Clark adds, “Gas and propane grills take all the guesswork out of you since you can precisely control the temperature. It’s very hard to keep charcoal grills at a certain temperature, but boy, is it worth it to get that sweet, smoky flavor!”

For charcoal grilling, definitely use a meat thermometer.

Finally, how long to grill a turkey burger?

McKee-Clark recommends: “Put your turkey burger on the cool part of the grill (outside, or not directly over hot white coals) and have a reliable meat thermometer close at hand.”

“165 degrees Fahrenheit is the safe temperature to eat turkey, and this isn’t a place for the average rarity. You want to pull these bad boys at 164.99 degrees Fahrenheit, where you can get the money straight to 165 degrees Fahrenheit; it will continue to cook and the temperature rises by about 5 degrees Fahrenheit while rest her.”