How Long To Grill Burgers: Guide To Grilling Like a Pro

The temperatures are rising, which can only mean one thing: Grilling season is upon us! Now is the time to brush up on your grill chops to create the ultimate patty. But you can’t become a grilling pro overnight… or can you?

It’s very unlikely that everyone at your social gatherings will want a burger with the same level of doneness. Some like a pink center whereas others prefer no pink at all. 

Unsure how long to grill burgers? No worries — we have all the grilling times below for each doneness level. Let’s dive right into our guide to grilling like a pro and building the best burger.

Table of Contents:

• Choosing the best burger meat
• Seasoning and shaping burgers
• How to cook burgers on the grill
• Tips for building the best burger

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Choosing the best burger meat

While you can dress up your burger with sauce, seasoning and toppings, they aren’t the real star of the show. The first step to grilling like a pro is choosing the best piece of meat.

According to the USDA, beef is evaluated on a meat grader scale that analyzes the tenderness, juiciness and flavor, as well as the leanness. When it comes to burgers, you’ll want to look for beef with an 80/20 ratio of lean meat to fat — this creates a juicy (but not greasy!) burger.

You can also use a beef substitute for chicken, turkey or salmon burgers. You can follow the guidelines below for your choice of meat, but make sure to cook these alternative patties completely.

Seasoning and shaping burgers

It’s best to shape your burger patties with a ¾-to-1-inch thickness, and roughly 3 to 4 inches wide. Create a small indent in the center of the patty to help ensure an evenly cooked burger.

Keep in mind that your burgers will shrink slightly while they cook. The key to shaping burgers is to not overwork the meat — be gentle yet quick when working with your meat.

A burger doesn’t need a ton of seasoning to shine, so keep the seasonings simple when working with ground beef. Use salt and pepper to spice up your patties after you shape them to perfection — never beforehand.

How to cook burgers on the grill

Cooking burgers on the grill is a hefty task to take on, but with the right knowledge, you can become a grill master in no time. Make sure you set your gas grill to high heat or you prep your charcoal grill for direct heat. You’ll also want to use an oil with a high smoke point, like canola oil, so your patties don’t stick. The exact time to grill your burgers will depend on the target level of doneness.

Let’s go through the different meat temperatures, internal temperatures and exactly how long to grill burgers.

Level of doneness

Not sure about the difference between medium and medium well? Before we get to cookin’, let’s review the different meat levels of doneness.

• Rare: fully pink throughout the patty
• Medium-rare: red center and slightly brown on the outside
• Medium: pink center and brown on the outside
• Medium-well: slightly pink center and brown on the outside
• Well-done: fully brown throughout the patty

How long to grill burgers

The safest way to tell whether a burger is done cooking is to use a meat thermometer and check the internal temperature. However, you can also use these estimated grilling times. Here are the internal temperatures for burgers and grilling times. 

• Rare: 4 minutes in total, or 125 F
• Medium-rare: 6-6.5 minutes in total, or 130-135 F
• Medium: 7-8 minutes in total, or 140-145 F
• Medium-well: 9-9.5 minutes in total, or 150-155 F
• Well-done: 10 minutes in total, or 160 F

According to the USDA, burgers should be cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature of 160 F to destroy harmful bacteria that may be present.

How Long To Grill Burgers

Recipe by InstacartCourse: RecipesCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Follow these easy steps to grill the perfect burger every time.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 2 tbsp melted butter

• 3 slices cheese (we recommend American)

• 3 hamburger buns

• 1 large tomato, thinly sliced

• Iceberg lettuce

• Sliced white onion

Directions

• Shape beef into three equal-sized patties, about 1 inch wider than the bun.
• Season both sides of each patty with salt and pepper.
• Press a wide, shallow indent into the center of each burger.
• Heat the grill or grill pan to high.
• Grill patties until a crust develops and they’re no longer pink, about six minutes.
• Flip and immediately brush with melted butter on top of each patty. 
• Cook for three minutes more, then add cheese. Continue cooking to the desired doneness.
• Sandwich burgers between buns with desired fixings.

Tips for building the best burger

Making the perfect burger takes time, effort and a little patience. Here are some tips for building the best burger.

• Use fresh ingredients: Use fresh, high-quality meat and other ingredients for the juiciest burgers every time.
• Store your patties in the fridge: Keep your meat in the fridge until they are ready to go on the grill to keep the fat as cold as possible.
• Work fast, but gently: Make sure you aren’t overworking the meat when shaping the patties.
• Shape then season: Never season the meat before you form the patties; only add salt and pepper afterward.
• Give some love to the buns: Toast your buns on the grill for a few minutes to create an irresistible crunch.
• Let them rest: To make the juiciest burger, let your patty rest for a minimum of three minutes before building and serving
• Keep things simple: Don’t pile on the toppings or you’ll lose sight of the meat (literally). However, you can get creative with toppings like avocado, a fried egg or barbecue sauce.

Grilling burgers FAQ

Becoming a grill master takes practice and patience. Here are a few commonly asked questions about how long to grill burgers.

Sizzling final thoughts

Now that you’re more familiar with how long to grill burgers, you’re ready to tackle your Memorial Day barbecue or spice up your family dinners. Remember, the first few steps to grill burgers are choosing quality ingredients, shaping your patties and seasoning them to perfection. You can use the chart above to help you determine the correct grilling times or enlist the help of a meat thermometer for a more accurate read.

Craving a juicy burger loaded with your favorite toppings? Place an online order today with Instacart and get cracking on your grilling.

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Author

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