We’ve all been there: standing at the grill, with a group of eager guests waiting for you to finish cooking off delicious burgers. You place each well-seasoned patty on the grill, seeing the flame satisfyingly flare up to begin cooking what’s about to be a delicious meal. Feeling impatient, you try to flip the burgers as soon as the grill-facing side begins to brown, only to have the patties crumble, making a mess on your grill grate and your spatula.
Thankfully, all it takes is a little bit of time to stop your burger patties from falling apart. It turns out that patience is key when it comes to making burgers that hold their shape throughout the grilling process. Giving your burgers a minute or two to brown isn’t enough to stop ground beef from sticking to a hot grill. Waiting four to five minutes for the meat to develop a crust lessens the likelihood that you’ll end up with a broken-meat mess on your grill during the flipping process. You may also notice juices pooling on the top of your patties around this time mark — a little visual cue that it may be time to turn them.
Once you’ve waited at least four minutes and made the initial flip, try to let the burger finish cooking to your preferred doneness level without a second flip. The less you move the patties on the grill, the more likely they are to stay intact.
More tips for grilling the perfect burger
Making the perfect burger starts with choosing the right type of beef. Most chefs prefer at least 20% fat for beef that’s going to become burgers. Choose 80/20 beef if you prefer burgers medium or medium-rare, and consider going for a higher fat content (like 70/30) if you prefer a medium-well burger. If you prefer well-done burgers with a serious char, try 60/40 beef to lessen the likelihood of your burgers drying out on the grill.
You can use butter to further ensure juicy, moist burgers. Make a small indentation in the middle of each burger patty, and add a small pat of butter to the dent just before you place your burgers on the grill. Let the butter fully melt before you flip, allowing it plenty of time to infuse into the meat.
It’s also important to keep an eye out for common mistakes people make when cooking burgers. One of these is using pre-formed patties. When you purchase ground beef that has already been formed, it’s not always easy to tell how old the meat is, or whether seasoning has been mixed in (or used at all). Also, be careful not to over-mix when you’re forming your patties, or you’ll risk a burger that falls apart as you eat it. Use just the tips of your fingers to mix the beef, and only season after you’ve formed the patties so that the salt doesn’t have time to turn them rubbery and dense. So, with a little planning, patience, and smart choices, you’ll have perfect burgers in hand in no time.
