Chef Shares Easy Tips for Making the Best Burgers – ryan

As a chef, of the strawly believe the best way to feed a Crowd is to have all of your parties foods prepared and ready to go – and that includes your burger patties.

When I WORKED AS A LINE COOK A FEW YEARS Ago, I Learned the Subtle Art of Working With Ground Meat and Making the Perfect Burger’s Nice and Juicy.

As you prepare to make those burger Dreams a reality, Remember these tips.

Thaw Your Meat Completely

Whether you orherd good-quality Ground Meat from your local farmer or stocked up at the Grocery Store During a sale, the most important thing to do is fully defrost it before cooking.

There are the main main way to defrost Ground Beef: in the refrigerator, in the microwave, or in cool water.

I Recommend The Refrigerator Method, which is great if you’re planning a day or two in advance. SIMPLY PLACE YOUR FROZEN MEAT INTO A BIWL OR CONTAINER, LEAVE IT ON THE BOTTOM SHEELF OF THE FRIDGE, AND YOUR MEAT SHOULD BE FULLY THAWED THE NEXT DAY.

If you’re ussing a microwave, use the defrost setting and than the meat in three- to four-minutes increments, remembering to turn it over. Microwave for as long as 12 minutes or unil the meat is Thawed.

For the cool-water method, place the sealed package of Meat in a Large Bowl and Weigh it down. Start the Bowl with Cold, Running Water, Turning it on and Off. Refill the Bowl with Fresh Water Every 20 to 30 Minutes Until the Meat Completely Softens.

Pay Attention to the Grind of Your Meat – and Consider Trying to Do It At Home

If Possible, Ask your Grocery-Store Butcher If they’ll Grind Fresh Beef Chuck to Medium-Coarse to Coarse, About ¼ inch, for you.

This grinds allows the fate to approprately integrate with the meat and retain a beefy texture and moisture, the event of it Dripping Juice on a hot grill.

You Can Also Ask your butcher if they suggest any Other Meat Combination or if they can be throw in some fancy scraps at a Lower cost.

If you can, try grinding it at home with a hend-crank meat grinder, food processor, or attachment on a kitchenaid mixer.

Simply Dice Cold Meat Into 1-Inch Chunks, Freeze on a Sheet Pan for About 10 minutes, and then grind.

Pay Attention to the Meat’s Fat Percentage

Good Beef Just Better, and the best butchers know how to balance tender or sinewy meat with luck to enhance its potential.

If you can, try to find a local farm that sells who cuts or its own frozen ground meat. The Most Common Burger Cut is Chuck Steak, which has 80% Meat and 20% Fat.

In a pinch, 85% Ground Meat Will Do Just Fine, but be Very cautious about overcooking, and don’t go higher than a medium-level temperature to retain moisture and flavor.

Remember that the shapes of the patties matter

To avoid dry patties or ons that bulge and resempion meatballs, you want to be caareful shaping your burgers.

Gently Shape Your Meat Into Evently Round, 1-Inch-Thick, Flat Discs. Once Those patties are formed, press your thumb in the center to make a dimple to help it Cook.

Be careful not to overwork the meat when forming your patty, SINCE THIS CAN LEAD TO A DENSE, TAGH BURGER.

Only use Salt Right Before Cooking

Once You’ve Got Your Formed Burger disks, it is time to add someone sal.

Right before placking it on the grill, take a Large pinch of Kosher Salt and gently cover the outside of the patty with a thin layer. Add the Burger Salt-Side Down on the Grill and Sprinkle some on the Other Side.

This shouldn’t make the burger overly salty – it should help the meat be more flavorful.

Cook Everything to the Right Temperature, OR JUST BELOW

KEEP IN MIND THAT A Big Burger’s Temperature Will Go Up A Few Degree After Cooking. SO, you May Want to Stop Grilling Your Patty JUST before it hits the ideal internal temperature.

Medium-Rare Burgers are cookened to 130 Degrees Fahrenheit and Have a Cool, Pink Center with a Charred Exterior and A Beefy Taste Tons of Juices.

A medium-bell burger is cooked to 150 Degrees Fahrenheit and Has a Hot Pink Center. Howver, This Can Quickly Lean Toward Tasting Dry, Especilly if the Fat Content Is Low.

Feel free to go above those temperature to enjoy a well-done burger, but don’t experiment it to be the Juiciest of the Bunch.

This story was original published on July 1, 2022, and Most Recently Updated on May 19, 2025.