How to Grill a Burger Restaurant Style

Eating burgers is one of America’s favorite pastimes. The tenderness of the meat between the two buns, topped with your favorite condiments—your mouth is probably watering just thinking about it.

You’ve probably tried making burgers at home a few times after having one at your favorite restaurant. It’s not that you’ve never had a good burger before, but you think it’s a simple enough job to do.

Unfortunately, there hasn’t been much luck. The burgers keep turning out dry and flavorless.

But in our guide below, we’ll show you how to grill a burger that will keep your family coming back for seconds, thirds, and fourths! Read on for further insight.

1. Beef Is Key

Making burgers seems simple enough—you make some patties, plop them on the grill, and then you’re good to go. But perfecting your burger recipe starts with the beef you intend to use.

Most individuals tend to grab leaner beef because of its lower fat content, making it seem like the better option. However, after grilling them, they can become dry, and you’ll be chewing them for days.

The more fat a burger has, the juicer it will be. Try to aim for a beef mix that’s 80 percent fat and 20 percent lean. It’ll cook nicely, and grease won’t be flying around.

2. Grind It Down

The ground beef you tend to buy in stores is made from leftover steaks, roasts, and other cow parts. So you’re left in the dark as you cook your patties.

For a better experience, try grinding your beef to know what’s going into your blend. You can ask a butcher, or you can do it at home with the help of a food processor.

We recommend using sirloin and chuck steak to hit that fatty and lean combo for the best burger experience. You can also use brisket or short rib to enhance the flavors of your burger even more.

3. The Colder, the Better

Before making the patties, you’ll want to make sure your hands are wet and cold. After placing your patties in the fridge, it’ll help enhance their temperature until you’re ready to grill them.

The colder the patties are, the quicker they’ll expand once they hit the heat. It will also create flavor pockets inside the meat, enhance the burger’s taste, and give it a nice sear.

However, you don’t want to stash them in the freezer and leave them overnight. They’ll end up frozen, and by the time they defrost, the burger will be a watery mess.

That’s why Becks Prime makes all of their burgers fresh to order. Find out more at becksprime.com.

4. Making the Patties

Now, you can form the patties. But you’re probably wondering how restaurants get patties with that perfect circular form.

It’s pretty simple. They use a lid from a container—like yogurt or Tupperware—and push it down gently. Just make sure you don’t use that same lid for anything until it’s washed thoroughly.

5. Add Salt Without the Bae

You’ve probably noticed that we haven’t mentioned burger seasoning yet, which might be strange. Normally you’d do that in the beginning, to build layers of flavor as you form the patties.

But it’s different when you’re grilling burgers. Salt absorbs moisture, so adding it as you’re seasoning the patties will dry them out quickly.

Instead, salt the burgers right before you grill them. Don’t worry; they’ll still have a nice flavor and crust when you take that first bite.

6. Grilling Time

It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for—grilling time. If you’re using an outdoor BBQ, ensure that you heat it for at least fifteen minutes before cooking the meat.

If you don’t, the burgers will stick to the grill, and you’ll have trouble flipping. Do the same if you’re using a cast iron pan or griddle.

Grill the burgers for about three to five minutes on each side, depending on the texture you want. If you’re adding cheese, wait until the last minute to avoid cheese sticking to your cooking surface.

However, before taking the burgers off the grill, you’ll want to use a grill thermometer to ensure the meat is cooked correctly. You don’t wish to find out your burger is raw in the middle after taking a bite.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), beef should have an internal temperature of 130 to 160 degrees.

7. The Perfect Bun

How can you enjoy your burger without having the perfect bun? Potato buns are a common choice, but you can also use brioche buns if you want to be fancy. If you want some extra salty flavor, pretzel buns might be your preference.

Whatever you do, don’t use a crusty hard loaf of bread. Your burger won’t sit in the center how it’s supposed to and will slide out.

Soggy buns aren’t great either. To prevent this, slightly toast the bun on your grill or skillet face down. You can add some mayo too to enhance the crispiness.

8. Choose Your Toppings

Your burger is finally complete. All that’s left is adding your toppings. The best burger toppings tend to be the following:

• Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Ketchup
• Mayo
• Onion
• Cheese

You can add bacon or an egg if you’re feeling adventurous. But you don’t want to overload your burger. You should enjoy the burger’s taste because you worked hard making it.

Here’s How to Grill a Burger Like a Pro

The next time someone asks you how to grill a burger like restaurants, show them this guide. You’ve learned a few burger grilling tips to take your recipe to the next level. Now, go and enjoy your food.

Hopefully, you’re not too hungry after this article. But if you like, you can also check out our blog for related content.