Classic Grilled Cheeseburger
These juicy delicious homemade burgers are perfect on the grill or stovetop on your grill pan or skillet. This is my all time favourite recipe and the easiest all-purpose recipe for perfect hamburger patties every time! They are ready in no time and are a must-make for your next cookout.
How to make grilled cheeseburgers
These are quite easy to make and also freeze well if you are making them ahead. More about that in recipe notes below. Here are the simple steps:
- Season your meat - specifics below.
- Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions and shape into balls.
- Flatten each ball into a ¾-1 inch-thick patty, approx 4 inches across. Create a slight depression in the center of each patty.
- Grill the burgers on a preheated grill or grill pan 4-5 minutes on the first side until nicely browned. Flip once and continue grilling until desired doneness.
- Place cheese on burger the last minute of cooking to allow it to melt
- Serve on your favourite burger buns with your favourite toppings and sauces.
Tips for making the best grilled burgers:
- Season your burger well. If you have quality ground beef, you don’t need much other than some salt and pepper. That being said, we likely to use some extra spices in our blend for maximum flavour without distracting too much from the meaty flavours of the burger. This is optional but I recommend it.
- Do not over mix your ground beef. It will create a tougher less tender burger. Once you have formed your patties you can keep them chilled while you preheat grill so they maintain their shape. I keep mine on a sheet-pan covered with plastic wrap in the fridge.
- Adding a slight indent into the center portion of each burger patty prevents it from puffing up too much during grilling. Using a spoon or your fingers, to add an indent in the middle.
- The perfect burger has to be juicy. Minimal flipping required - I only flip once. The patty itself should be seared on the outside to lock in all that beefy goodness. Do NOT press on the burger on the grill. This will release all of its flavor and makes the burger dry and ends up crumbling.
What makes the perfect cheeseburger?
Simple is always best when it comes to idea of the perfect burger. I realize that we all have differing thoughts and tastes when it comes to burgers but here are a few things that I find key to making a great burger:
- Beef: I tend to agree with the masses when it comes to the perfect fat to beef ratio in a burger. 80 percent beef to 20 percent fat ratio is my ideal for ground meat.
- Bun: No matter what buns you choose for your burger - make sure they are fresh and sturdy enough to hold the burger plus all your toppings. You want them to absorb the meat juices without falling apart. Grilling or toasting them with some butter on them is optional.
- Toppings: Fresh is key when it comes to your toppings. You want your lettuce to be fresh and your tomatoes to hold up - no mushy mealy ones here please. And I love sliced pickles that have some snap to them.
- Sauces: Choose the ones you love! My all time favorites are Mayo, ketchup and mustard. There are so many options though. My hubby loves bbq sauce and sriracha Mayo.
- Cheese: Choose your favourite cheese. I’m a sucker for melty processed cheese and think it makes the perfect cheeseburger.for these burgers I used my go to Metro’s Selection Thick Cheddar Cheese Slices. I tend to use just one slice per burger but I will leave that up to you.
Ideal Grilling Temperature & Cooking Times for Beef Burgers
You want the grill at a medium-high heat, approx 400 to 450°F for direct heat. I prefer grilling these patties quickly over direct heat not using a two zone method. A good sear goes a long way. These burgers won’t take too long to grill – approx 5 minutes per side. Grilling times may vary depending on the thickness of your burgers and your preferred doneness. Having a good meat thermometer always helps when in doubt. Burger Internal Temperature
- Med Rare – 135°F
- Medium – 145°F
- Med Well – 155°F
- Well Done – 165°F
What to serve with grilled cheeseburgers
I serve these burgers with some chips, but there are really no rules on what to serve your burgers with. They are great with fries of course and onion rings but also perfect with all sorts of salads too. Feel free to serve them up with your favourite one.
If you liked this recipe you will love these:
Recipe
Servings: 6
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 5-8 mins
Ingredients
For Burgers
- 2 pounds (32 ounces) 80/20 ground beef, cold
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and finely minced
- 2 tablespoons minced onion
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce or A-1 sauce
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1½ teaspoons freshly ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 hamburger buns
- 6-12 slices of Selection Thick Cheddar Cheese Slices
Burger Toppings
- Lettuce
- Tomatoes, sliced
- Red onions, sliced
- Pickles, sliced
- Ketchup, Mayo and Mustard or your favorite sauces
Directions
- In a medium bowl, mix all the burger ingredients together until well combined. Don’t over mix the meat.
- Divide meat into 6 equal portions and form each into a patty that is approx 4-inches wide across with 1-inch sides and create a shallow depression in the middle. Cover and chill until ready to grill.
- Preheat a grill to medium high. Lightly brush the grill grates with vegetable oil, then grill the patties, indentation-side up, until marked on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook until marked and slightly firm, about 3 more minutes for medium doneness.
- Top with 1-2 slices cheese during the last minute of cooking; cover the grill to melt. Remove patties from grill. Grill buns if desired then serve the patties over the buns and top with your choice of toppings.
Recipe Notes
- Can I make these burgers ahead and freeze? You definitely can. You can either freeze them after they are grilled or freeze them after you have formed them.
- Freezing Raw Patties: Freezing them raw and seasoned helps maintain their quality longer (when frozen) than their cooked counterparts because moisture is lost during cooking. Place patties in a single layer onto several plastic wrap-lined baking trays; cover loosely with plastic wrap and freeze just until meat is firm (1 to 2 hours). Wrap patties tightly in heavy foil or place them into freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight to cook or cook from frozen.
- Freezing Cooked patties: Cooked burgers freeze well, maintaining their full flavor for up to four months. It’s important to wrap them carefully to prevent air from entering the package. Freeze them in individual freezer bags for individual servings, or place them in freezer bags or freezer-safe storage containers with tight-fitting lids.
- How to reheat grilled burgers:
There are many ways to reheat your burger patties. You can reheat them in the microwave. You can also reheat in the oven at 400°F for 3-4 min on a sheetpan. My favourite way to reheat burger patties without drying them out is in a skillet. I heat up my skillet on medium/high heat and then add 1-2 tsp of water in it then add my patties and pan fry for a couple of minutes flipping once. Placing the lid on will create more steam and a less dry patty too.
