How Long to Cook the Perfect Burgers on the Grill

Types of Ground Meat

When you are shopping at your grocery store, there are several types of ground meat to consider for your grilling pleasure!

Look for a ratio of 80/20 meaning there is 80% lean ground beef and 20 percent fat. This is the most common ratio that burger chefs use. 

Stay away from beef that is too lean, like a 90/10 lean-to-fat content ratio. This meat is often too lean and yields a dry burger.

You can also make turkey burgers from ground turkey or chicken burgers from ground chicken! Cook times with these ground meats will vary than compared to fresh ground beef.

#1 Tip for Perfectly Cooked Burgers

Always use an instant-read thermometer or digital meat thermometer to determine the level of doneness! The size of the wings can vary and so can everyone’s oven temperature, so using a thermometer is ideal.

Tip: For an accurate reading, insert the meat thermometer into the center of the burger. Be careful not to poke the thermometer out the other side!

How Long to Grill Hamburger?

The cooking time for grilling a hamburger depends on several factors. This includes variables such as the thickness of the patty, the type of grill, and the desired level of doneness. 

As a general rule, a hamburger patty that is 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick should be cooked for about 3-4 minutes per side on a preheated grill over medium-high heat.

It’s important to keep in mind that cooking time may vary based on the specific grill you are using, the heat of your grill, and the size and thickness of your patty. 

What Internal Temperature is Best for the Perfect Burger?

There are several factors to consider when determining what internal temperature will achieve your desired level of doneness. 

• Medium-rare burger: 135-145°F (54-57°C) and for a
• Medium burger: 145-150°F (60-63°C), and for a
• Well-done burger: 160°F (71°C) or higher.

Note: For optimal food safety when it comes to cooking burgers, the FDA recommends that you should always cook your burgers to a minimum internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat (400-425 degrees Fahrenheit). Clean the grates and brush the grill grates with oil.

Form thawed ground chuck into hamburger patties. A 6-ounce portion of beef should give you a 4 1/2-inch wide burger that’s about 3/4 inch thick. The burger will shrink in diameter as it cooks so keep that in mind. You want the burger to be the right size for the buns!

Season the burgers with your desired seasoning. We recommend seasoning the formed burger patties right before grilling so the salt doesn’t draw out too much moisture.

However, you can mix in chopped herbs and other flavors, like chopped shallots, before forming the patties. If you do this, be careful not to over mix the meat.

Place patties on direct heat or open flame. With a closed lid, grill anywhere from 3-7 minutes per side. How long to grill a hamburger? This depends on your desired doneness. As a general rule, cook them for about 4 minutes on each side for medium to medium-well burgers.

Do your best not to open the lid or move the burgers, and flip only once. This will give you the best grill marks! 

Note: Time will vary depending on the thickness of your burgers and your preferred level of doneness.

Charcoal Grill vs Gas Grill

There is always a lot of debate on which type of grill cooks the perfect burger but the truth is, both charcoal grills and gas grills are great! However, there are a few important differences to note.

Charcoal Grill

• Charcoal grills are superior for slow cooking. If you want to take time cooking your burgers, charcoal grills are the way to go.
• Searing is faster on a charcoal grill. If searing your burgers or other grilled meats is important to you, then charcoal grills are better than gas grills.
• They are superior to smoking. If you enjoy a smoky flavor for your burger, then a charcoal grill is a better option.
• Their temperature zones are larger meaning you can use your charcoal grill at a lower temperature than a gas grill. They also get hotter, often going up to 1200 degrees Fahrenheit!
• Maintaining the temperature of the grill is not an easy task. A charcoal grill requires a lot more practice and attention to maintain temperature than a gas grill will. 
• Charcoal grills take longer to warm up and cool down, taking roughly 30 minutes.
• They require more time to clean. A charcoal grill creates a lot of ash and needs cleaned more frequently.

Gas Grill

• Gas grills are great for fast cooking. If your family is impatient for their grilled food, a gas grill might be a better option/
• Smoke can be difficult to trap, even if the grill lid is closed.
• The temperature of the grill is very easy to maintain. Whether you want your grill at medium heat or medium-high heat, once you set your gas grill, the temperature is consistent.
• A gas grill warms up and cools down very quickly. This process usually takes 5-10 minutes.
• Clean-up is very easy! A gas grill only requires occasionally emptying the grease trap and cleaning the grill bars.

How to Keep Your Burgers Warm & Juicy

Have you ever wondered how people keep their burgers so warm and juicy, even after grilling? A little extra moisture helps even well-done burgers stay juicy. 

Mix in 1/4 cup water per pound of ground beef before forming your hamburger patties to reap the tenderizing benefit of water. You can also grate cold butter into your burgers.

After grilling, set the hamburger patties on a tray covered in aluminum foil as soon as they are done.

Note:  It’s important to know how to keep hamburgers warm properly, and not just because the quality will deteriorate if they’re allowed to cool off. If the meat remains at room temperature for too long, it can also pose a food safety risk and grow harmful bacteria.

Expert Tips

There are so many variations to making the best burgers but we’ve compiled our best tips to ensure you make juicy hamburgers every time!

• Buy good ground beef from your grocery store. For flavorful burgers, you will use a ratio of 80/20. This means there is 80% lean ground beef and the remaining 20% is fat content. This is the most common ratio that burger chef’s use. 
• Season your beef. It is important to use some burger seasoning, black pepper, garlic powder, or other combination of seasonings to get the best flavor for your burger. 
• Use a meat thermometer. Whether you use an instant read thermometer or digital meat thermometer does not matter. What is important is that you use one! This will help to achieve the ideal temperature and level of doneness for your burgers.
• Don’t overwork the beef. Overworking the beef can cause the beef to become tough and make it less enjoyable to eat. 
• Try to flip the burgers only once. Similar to overworking, you don’t want to flip your burgers too many times.