Burger Grilling Guide: Learn How To Grill Burgers Perfectly

Burgers are popular across all seasons. With essential burger grilling tips, you can grill delicious hamburgers every time, without fail. The taste and flavor of burgers depend on various factors. Even the texture of ground beef and fat content can determine the taste of the grilled burger. 

In this article, we discuss the perfect ground meat available for burgers, how to grill burgers, the best temperature for grilling burgers, how to freeze burgers and how long to grill frozen burgers, and the list of necessary commercial kitchen equipment needed for grilling burgers. 

Perfect Ground Meat For Burgers

80/20 ground beef is the most common ground beef used in hamburgers. Some also prefer ground chuck, which is more flavorful. Ground chuck is obtained from the primal cut of beef. Chuck is the area around the shoulder and neck of a cow. Ground chuck has a higher fat percentage than standard ground beef. Ground chuck creates a meaty and flavorful layer, making it perfect for hamburgers. You can also serve a combination of beef and pork while maintaining a fat percentage of 15 to 20 percent. 

How To Grill Burgers

The art of grilling burgers can take years of practice. There are various steps involved before serving the best quality grilled burger. Here, we list the essential steps needed for grilling burgers:

1. Meat Type: Fat adds flavor to the meat. Burgers with high-fat content in the region of 15 to 20 percent taste better than leaner ground beef. Mostly, 85 percent of lean grass-fed ground beef is perfect for making burgers. Additionally, you can use double ground beef to make the fat blend uniformly in the meat. 
   
   
2. Prepare Burger Patties: You can prepare hamburger patties in advance and store them in a refrigerator. Refrain from over-handling the ground beef to keep the patty intact. Overhandling the meat can cause the fat to melt.
   
   
3. Stick Thumb In The Patties: You can press your thumb into the center of a prepared burger and create a divot. It will prevent the patties from bulging during the grilling process. It will also keep the burgers flat and consistent. 
   
   
4. Use Olive Oil Before Grilling: You can use olive oil to brush the burgers. It will stop the burger from getting stuck to the grill and provide a beautiful sear. This will help seal the fat juices inside. 
   
   
5. Never Press A Burger While Grilling: While grilling, never press a burger with a spatula. The process will squeeze out essential juices that provide flavor and moisten the burger. 
   
   
6. Flip It Once: Ideally, you should only flip burgers once during the grilling process. You can start with a hot grill, sear the burger for 2 to 3 minutes and flip it once to cook the other side. 
   
   
7. Check Internal Temperature: There are various ways to observe the internal temperature while it is cooked. You can use an instant meat thermometer to check if the internal temperature has reached 160 degrees Fahrenheit. 
   
   
8. Rest Burgers Before Serving: You can place grilled burgers on a platter and let them rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. This will make sure the burger remains juicy. 

The Best Temperature For Grilling Burgers

The ideal grill temperature for burgers is 375 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. The key to grilling burgers is measuring the internal temperature of a burger with an instant-read thermometer. According to the USDA guidelines, ground meat should have an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. The internal temperature for ground turkey burgers needs to be more than 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Grilled salmon burgers need at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Additionally, you can add cheese to hamburgers in the last 30 to 60 seconds of the grilling process.

How To Freeze Burgers

Beef burgers can be stored in freezers for months. You can easily store them for up to four months. You will need high-quality reach-in freezers, walk-in freezers, and under-counter freezers for freezing burgers properly.

 Here is a list of the steps that you will need to follow to freeze burgers properly:

1. Cool: You can store uncooked burgers on a tray and cover them with cling film. Place the tray in the freezer for more than an hour. The patties will get firm and ready for freezing. For freezing cooked burgers, you need to leave the cooked burgers on the countertop for some time. It can take up some hours before the cooked burgers are ready to be frozen. 
2. Wrap: Wrap burgers individually in foils. Never freeze multiple burgers together as they can stick to each other, making them hard to separate later.
3. Freezer Bag: Place all individually wrapped burgers in foil and place them in a freezer bag. Remove excess air from freezer bags before storing them in the freezer.
4. Label Burgers: Label freezer bags with the date of preparation before storing them in the freezers. 

How Long To Grill Frozen Burgers

You will need to thaw frozen burgers and separate them before grilling them. You can use a spatula and butter knife to separate the burgers. Then, you can prepare the patties for grilling; once the patties are separated, apply pepper, salt, seasoning, and spices on both sides. You will need to preheat the grill to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for grilling frozen burgers. Grilling frozen burgers on gas grills is more straightforward than charcoal grills, as you can regulate the grill's temperature. You can grill each side for 4 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the patties. You can use BBQ sauce before flipping the burgers. It will keep the moisture in check and also add flavor. If you wish to monitor the temperature, you can use a meat thermometer to make sure the burgers are cooked thoroughly from the inside. Before serving the burgers, you can toss the hamburger buns on the grill and toast them for 1 to 2 minutes. 

List of Commercial Kitchen Equipment Needed For Grilling Burgers

If you wish to make perfect burgers consistently, you will need the right commercial kitchen equipment for your establishment. 

1. Meat grinders: You can mince and grind meat easily with high-quality meat grinders. 
   
   
2. Hamburger Presses: Hamburger presses are essential to prepare hundreds of burger patties per day. With a hamburger press, you can streamline the hamburger pressing process to get perfectly-shaped hamburgers every time. 
   
   
3. Cooling And Freezing Solutions: With commercial walk-in units, reach-in units, and under-counter units, you can refrigerate and freeze hamburgers and ingredients for extended periods. 
   
   
4. Prep Tables: You can opt for refrigerated and standard prep tables to assemble burgers. In refrigerated prep tables, you can refrigerate essential ingredients like tomatoes, cheese, lettuce, and meat for as long as needed.
   
   
5. Commercial Grills: Commercial grills are essential equipment that you will need to grill burgers. You can purchase outdoor or indoor grills, griddles, and char-broilers for grilling needs. Depending on your needs, you can opt for electric, gas, and charcoal grills. 

Grilled burgers are delicious and can be consumed throughout the day. You can use tomato, onions, bacon, pickles, and lettuce in your hamburger. Additionally, you can use cheese, mayonnaise, mustard sauce, BBQ sauce, and ketchup to make burgers taste better. Make sure to have all the necessary ingredients and equipment needed to grill burgers.