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!

A juicy grilled burger with toppings

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!

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.

Uncooked burger patties and a patty being cooked on the grill

Three cooked burger patties on a grill

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.

A jar of burger sauce and a juicy grilled burger in a bun

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!

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!

Three juicy grilled burgers served with fries

A juicy grilled burger topped with cheese and top shot of three burgers served with fries

Be sure to try these other tasty burger recipes!

Close up of a juicy grilled burger with toppings

A juicy grilled burger served with fries on a platter

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!

Close up of melted cheese on a burger

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 Card

Juicy Grilled Burgers Recipe

4.72 from 25 votes
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Author: Becky Hardin
grillled cheeseburgers on a plate
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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!

Video

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.
Calories: 482kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 40gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 122mgSodium: 482mgPotassium: 537mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 280IUVitamin C: 0.6mgCalcium: 293mgIron: 4.8mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment!

 

Meet Becky Hardin

Becky Hardin is a wife and mother living in Saint Louis Missouri. She founded The Cookie Rookie in 2012 as a creative way to share recipes. Now, she is a trusted resource for easy cooking around the world, being featured in Taste of Home, The Kitchn, ABC’s Home and Family, and more. Here at The Cookie Rookie she is the editor in chief of all recipes and continues to enjoy sharing her passion for cooking for busy families. She has since founded two additional food blogs, Easy Chicken Recipes and Easy Dessert Recipes.

4.72 from 25 votes (20 ratings without comment)
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8 Comments
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Dana @ Pretty Little Apron
Dana @ Pretty Little Apron
July 8, 2019 8:26 pm

So much good info here for grilling burgers! Seems so easy but after a couple fails I’m glad I saw this. :)

Becky Hardin
Becky Hardin
July 15, 2019 1:42 pm

Now you’re ready to go!

Tanya Schroeder
Tanya Schroeder
July 8, 2019 1:25 pm

Those burgers are so juicy and perfect!5 stars

Beth Pierce
Beth Pierce
July 8, 2019 12:23 pm

Such a great family dinner recipe! My kids loved every last bite of this juicy burger! Delish!5 stars

Kimberly
Kimberly
July 8, 2019 12:07 pm

Great tutorial on grilling burgers – absolutely delicious!5 stars

Chelsea
Chelsea
July 8, 2019 10:49 am

These burgers are sooo juicy and delicious! Thanks so much for sharing!!5 stars

Becky Hardin
Becky Hardin
July 8, 2019 12:06 pm
Reply to  Chelsea

Thanks, Chelsea!

Toni
Toni
July 8, 2019 10:34 am

I loved it! So delicious and juicy!! Will be making it again for our next grilling!5 stars