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–+ servings
Grilled burger on picnic table plate topped with cheese and condiments
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5 from 4 votes

Perfect Grilled Hamburgers

All of the tips and tricks for making the best burgers on the grill, with step-by-step photos.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 People
Author: Katie Workman

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ pounds ground chuck/hamburger meat (80/20 percent)
  • Vegetable oil (for brushing)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
  • 4 slices cheese (such as cheddar, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Swiss, or American, optional)
  • 4 hamburger buns (split and toasted)
  • Burger Toppings (ketchup, relish, mustard, pickles, mayo, and see below for more ideas!!)

Instructions

  • Divide the meat into 4 equal portions. Form each portion into a patty, working as lightly as possible with the meat, not squishing it. Use your thumb to make a deep depression in the center of the patty, about 1 inch in diameter, and halfway through the thickness of the patty. Season both sides of the burgers with salt and pepper.
  • Heat a gas grill to high, or heat the coals in a charcoal grill until they are glowing a bright orange with ash all over the outside of the coals. Lightly brush both sides of each patty with the oil. Grill the burgers for 3 or 4 minutes on each side (see chart below for approximate cooking times and levels of doneness). Add the cheese, if using, during the last minute of cooking. Close the top of the grill while the cheese melts.
  • Place the split buns, cut sides down on the hot grill for just about 10 to 15 seconds, then remove them. Place the burgers on the bottom halves of the buns, top as desired, and place the top of the buns on the burgers.

Notes

Cooking Times for 3/4-inch Burgers
Doneness Cooking Time per Side Total Cooking Time Internal Temp
Rare about 3 minutes about 6 minutes 140 F
Medium-Rare about 3 1/2 minutes about 7 minutes 145 F
Medium about 4 minutes about 8 minutes 150 F
Medium-Well about 4 1/2 minutes about 9 minutes 155 F
Well-Done about 5 minutes about 10 minutes 160 F
Ideas for burger toppings:

Nutrition

Calories: 670kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 149mg | Sodium: 834mg | Potassium: 544mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 300IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 291mg | Iron: 5mg