The burger is one of the food that, most likely, everyone has their opinion on. Whether it’s the toppings, recipe, or cooking time, someone will say to you that you’re doing it wrong. That’s why we’re here to set the record straight on everything. Questions like “how long to cook burgers on grill, or how to prepare the burger patty will all be answered here. We’ll also share with you the tips and tricks to achieve the best burger you can make.
Burger Patty
Before we share with you how long to cook burgers on grill, let’s talk about the main attraction in making a burger—the burger patty. If you are grounding your meat on your own, try to achieve the ratio of 80 percent lean meat and 20 percent fat. Refrigerate your lean meat and fat before you grind. If you are buying ground beef at your local butcher house or meat shop, request for the 80-20 ratio so you can still get an excellent meat-to-fat ratio.
You want to cook a burger patty cold, so the fat stays in, and the flavor doesn’t come out. It also affects the texture. If the fat renders completely, your burger might become loose and soggy.
Shape your patty into a nice round shape and flatten it to the right thickness for you. A half-inch thick patty is an ideal thickness for a burger patty. Always remember that thicker patties need a longer cooking time.
Preparing the Burger Patty
Like cooking steaks, preparing the burger patty doesn’t need a lot of flavors and seasoning. All you need is a good amount of salt and pepper. You can also add some olive oil if you want. Once you flatten your patty, drizzle some olive oil on it, then sprinkle some salt and freshly ground pepper.
You can add the salt and pepper on the other side once you place it on the grill. Another tip to avoid the patty from blowing up is to put a slight dimple in the middle of the burger patty. This will prevent your burger patty from accumulating pressure and blowing up like a football. Just press lightly on the middle part of the patty to create the dimple.
How Long to Cook Burgers on Grill?
The answer to “how long to cook burgers on grill” is directly proportional to the thickness of your patty. Like I said before, the ideal measurement for a burger patty is around half-inch thick, and the size is up to you. The ideal time for cooking the burger patty on one side is 4 minutes, then three to four minutes on the other side.
Cooking Burgers on a Grill
The first step is to determine how long to cook burgers on grill is by preheating your grill. You want to reach around the medium-high up to high heat of the grill. This will help in giving you excellent grill marks on your burger patty. Once you get the desired temperature, add the seasoning to the patty.
Make sure to apply seasonings generously since some of those seasonings will either stick to the grill or drop into the fire. Apply on one side first. We’ll add the seasoning on the other side later on the grill. Place the patty on the high heat part of the grill. Make sure that the side with the seasoning is the first one on the bottom to season the other side before cooking it.
If it’s hot enough, you will hear a good sizzling sound. One more tip in cooking the best burger possible is to avoid flipping the burger back and forth. You only need to flip the burger once. If you flip the patty back and forth, you will not achieve nice grill marks on your burgers. Cook the first side for four minutes. If your grill has a lid, you can close it to make sure it stays hot for the next side.
After four minutes, flip the burger patty. You will notice that it has the nice grill marks you want on your burger. Wait again for another four minutes. You can place it beside the spot where you first put it so it will be hotter compared to the old spot. After the burger patty is done cooking, remove it from the grill and let it cool for a minute. This will prevent the juices from falling out of the meat and into the buns. No one likes soggy buns.
Place your buns on the grill to heat them. Place it on the low heat part of the grill to avoid burning it. It takes 30-40 seconds to achieve nice grill marks on your burger buns. You can now set up your burger. You can add some ketchup on the buns and some pickles on top of the burger.
Cheeseburger? Why Not!
If you want a cheeseburger, follow the same steps up to the part where you flip to the next side of the burger patty. Wait for three minutes, then add the cheese on top of the burger patty. Since the cooking time on the last side is also four minutes, the last minute will give you enough time to melt the cheese on the patty. After taking out the meat, proceed as usual.
Conclusion
Everyone is entitled to their opinions, especially regarding burgers. One thing that I am sure of. Any burger, as long as it is cooked properly, will surely taste delicious. Since we answered the question of how long to cook burgers on grill, we hope there’s nothing more that’s stopping you from cooking the best burger you can. Learn more about grilling tips here!