By: Becky Hardin
This post may include affiliate links that earn us a small commission from your purchases at no extra cost to you.
Wondering how to grill burgers? Follow my recipe to ensure perfectly cooked, juicy grilled burgers every time! Get the grill fired up and impress your guests with the best grilled burgers they will ever have!
Now that grilling season is here, that means one thing…burgers! A well cooked burger is the star of any backyard BBQ, if they are cooked properly! This is my technique for crowd pleasing burgers every single time – I can’t wait for you to try it out!
Table of Contents
How to make Juicy Grilled Burgers
Divide burger meat into 4 equal, 5-ounce portions. Gently press each round (without overworking the meat) into a patty ½-inch wider than the bun and about ½-inch thick (depending on the size of the bun). Gently turn the patty around while slightly pressing an indentation around the edge (kind of like pressing a moat inside the burger’s edge). This will keep the burger from developing a mound in the middle and keep the burger flat while cooking. Place the burger on a plate and repeat the process with the remaining portions.
Generously season the burgers with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Fill a grill chimney with charcoal and light the charcoal. When the charcoal is burning and is covered with grayish-white ash, spread the coals evenly over one half of the coal grate. Replace the cooking grate, cover the grill and preheat the grill 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grate after it preheats.
Place the burgers directly over the hot coals, close the lid and open the vents. Cook the burgers, turning & flipping them often, until the center of each burger registers 145°F on an instant-read meat thermometer.
Set the burgers over the cooler side of the grill and place a slice of cheese, if desired, on each burger and cook until the cheese is melted and the internal temperature reads 155°F. Transfer the burgers to a plate and cover with foil until ready to eat.
Serve on toasted buns and serve with your favorite burger toppings.
Do you grill burgers with the lid open or closed?
For juicy grilled burgers, you should always close the lid of the BBQ and open the vents. This will ensure that the burgers are cooked evenly and all the way through. Keep the lid open when you are grilling quick cooking foods such as shrimp and vegetables.
Are Grilled Burgers Healthy?
Grilled burgers are definitely a healthier option than frying them as you are not adding any extra fat. I prefer to use meat with a 20% fat content to keep them nice and juicy, but if you want to cut down on calories, you can use ones with a lower fat content. You can use whole wheat buns to serve them for extra fiber, and load them with fresh and healthy toppings. One of these burgers with toppings is under 500 calories.
How do I cook burgers if I don’t have a grill?
If you don’t have a grill, you can also cook these juicy grilled burgers inside. Check out these guides for other great techniques to cook the best burgers!
- How to Broil Hamburgers in the Oven
- How to Cook Burgers on the Stove
- How to Make Air Fryer Burgers
Top tips for making the best Juicy Grilled Burgers
- The burger patties should be at room temperature before putting them on the grill.
- The grill should be pre-heated.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure that the burgers are cooked through.
- Serve with our favorite Burger Sauce!
Be sure to try these other tasty burger recipes!
- Baked Cheeseburger Sliders (Cheeseburgers for a Crowd)
- Best Turkey Burger Recipe
- Chicken Burgers with Feta and Sun-Dried Tomato
- Wisconsin Butter Burgers
- Baked Cheeseburger Sliders
- Slow Cooker Bacon Cheeseburger Sloppy Joes
- Cheeseburger Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers
- Smash Burgers
What to Serve with Burgers
I seriously can’t wait for you guys to try this technique to cook your burgers this summer – juicy grilled burgers for everyone! Delicious, juicy and packed full of flavor – the only tricky thing is to decide which toppings to pile on! I love adding burger sauce, pickle relish, cheese, red onions, but the options are limitless.
Add some homemade fries with fry sauce and you’re set!
- Grilled Ranch Potatoes
- Grilled Corn on the Cob
- Air Fryer Tater Tots
- Crispy Zucchini Fries
- German Potato Salad
- Grilled Potato Wedges with Chimichurri
Check out our guide to the Best Burger Recipes to learn more about cooking the perfect burgers!
For more grilling, don’t forget the Grilled Pork Chops, Grilled Steak, and Grilled Ribs!
Recipe
Juicy Grilled Burgers Recipe
4.72 from 25 votes
Author: Becky Hardin
Prep: 20 minutes minutes
Cook: 10 minutes minutes
Total: 30 minutes minutes
Email This Recipe
Enter your email and we’ll send the recipe directly to you!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from The Cookie Rookie.
Ingredients
- 4 ground chuck patties, 20% fat content 5 ounces each
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 4 slices cheese your favorite
- 4 burger buns buttered and toasted
Toppings (optional):
- Sliced tomatoes
- Slice onions
- Dill pickle slices
- Lettuce leaves
- Burger Sauce Our fave! Click for the recipe.
- Mayonnaise
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayonnaise
- Avocado slices
- Pineapple slices
- Whichever toppings you love!
Instructions
Divide burger meat into 4 equal, 5-ounce portions. Gently press each round (without overworking the meainto a patty ½-inch wider than the bun and about ½-inch thick (depending on the size of the bun). Gently turn the patty around while slightly pressing an indentation around the edge (kind of like pressing a moat inside the burger’s edge). This will keep the burger from developing a mound in the middle and keep the burger flat while cooking. Place the burger on a plate and repeat the process with the remaining portions.
Generously season the burgers with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Fill a grill chimney with charcoal and light the charcoal. When the charcoal is burning and is covered with grayish-white ash, spread the coals evenly over one half of the coal grate. Replace the cooking grate, cover the grill and preheat the grill 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grate after it preheats.
Place the burgers directly over the hot coals, close the lid and open the vents. Cook the burgers, turning & flipping them often, until the center of each burger registers 145°F on an instant-read meat thermometer.
Set the burgers over the cooler side of the grill and place a slice of cheese, if desired, on each burger and cook until the cheese is melted and the internal temperature reads 155°Transfer the burgers to a plate and cover with foil until ready to eat.
Serve on toasted buns and serve with your favorite burger toppings.
Enjoy!
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
Note: Two important factors toward juicy burgers are the size of the burger patty and not overworking the burger meat.
Freshly-ground chuck is fantastic, but if you need to purchase already-ground beef, go with 20% fat content ground chuck. I usually go with this option and have never had one complaint.
The optimal size patty (in my opinion) is 4-5 ounces; pressed into patties ½-inch wider than the burger buns and about ½ inch thick – usually about 5 ounces per patty. Of course, the optimal best burger would be from freshly ground meat, but…I don’t have the equipment to grind fresh burger meat and you probably don’t either. With that said, use a butcher you trust and go with ground chuck. I don’t think you will be disappointed.
Please, please, please, do NOT overwork the burger meat. To ensure the beef isn’t overworked, simply divide the meat into equal (5 ounces, or so) balls gently pressed into patties. The jagged edges are a plus (trust me). Just work (enough) to make sure the patties don’t fall apart on the grill.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 482kcal (24%) Carbohydrates: 22g (7%) Protein: 40g (80%) Fat: 25g (38%) Saturated Fat: 12g (75%) Cholesterol: 122mg (41%) Sodium: 482mg (21%) Potassium: 537mg (15%) Fiber: 1g (4%) Sugar: 3g (3%) Vitamin A: 280IU (6%) Vitamin C: 0.6mg (1%) Calcium: 293mg (29%) Iron: 4.8mg (27%)
Did You Make This?I want to see! Be sure to upload an image below & tag @thecookierookie on social media!
Upload A PhotoTag on
InstaLeave A Rating
Claim your free ebook!
Subscribe to have posts delivered straight to your inbox!! PLUS get our FREE ebook!
