Summer and a juicy grilled burger go together like peanut butter and jam… peas and carrots…or in this case, pepper jack and garlic aioli. And since it’s time to start gilling, here are The Organic Kitchen’s Secrets to Making a Fantastic Burger!
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The Secrets to Making a Perfect Burger!
There are common mistakes made when making a burger that can take your burger from fabulous to dry and flavorless in no time. So read, learn and apply these tips and your next BBQ will be the talk of the town…for good reasons;)
The Meat:
Don’t go for lean when it comes to a burger. Lean ground beef makes for a dry, flavorless burger. Keep it 80/20. Yup, 20% fat that is what I’m talking about! Don’t be putting your hands all over it either. Just take a portion of ground beef and form it into a patty with as little handling as possible. Over handling makes a burger less tender. If you can, use grass fed beef. Better for you, better for the planet.
ButcherBox delivers grass fed beef right to your door!
Size matters:
Make the patty a half inch wider than your bun. Otherwise when the burger shrinks on the grill it will appear miniscule, even with toppings. Six ounces of meat made about 3/4 of an inch thick should be just about perfect! Make sure the patty is flat so toppings will stay put.
Seasoning:
Always season after forming patties. Salt dries out food, so add it only to the surface instead of working it in. I use Maldons Sea Salt. And love my battery operated pepper grinder because I can handle the burger patty with one hand and season with the other! I usually keep seasoning simple, sea salt and pepper, most of the flavor comes from the toppings (recipes below)
Prepping the Grill and Cooking:
Before firing up the BBQ, clean and oil the the grill. Actually it’s best to clean the grill after the last use. Simply remove whatever you have been cooking, turn off heat and scrape with wire brush. Then when you are ready to use the BBQ again, just use a paper towel with a little coconut oil on it to wipe down the grill and prevent sticking. And whatever you do don’t press on the hamburgers with your spatula! That presses out the juices that make a moist, flavorful burger. Cook at 400 degrees for 5-6 minutes for medium…that is how I like it. But if you like it well done then cook it for 10 minutes, I won’t judge you (well maybe a little;)
Now that you know how to make a perfect burger let’s talk toppings!
Of course you can choose whatever toppings you wish, but I will be offering you three recipe options below: A bacon cheeseburger with a fried egg, a cheese burger with caramelized onions and blue cheese, and last but not least a Cali inspired burger with pepper jack, avocado, bacon and garlic aioli!
Need Some Sides for Your Burger?
I have some suggestions: Mexican Street Corn, Sweet Potato Fries, and Potato Wedges!
Need Grilling Tips for Chicken?
Click here to see how to grill chicken breasts to perfection!
The Recipe: Three Fantastic Burger Recipes
Tips and what you will need: Homemade mayo or garlic aioli is a great addition to this burger. See my recipe here. If you don’t want to make your own mayo I recommend using a store bought version made with olive oil. If you are making the blue cheese burger, you will need to know how to caramelize onions!
![](https://www.theorganickitchen.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/7.17.18CWMD-29-150x150.jpg)
Read "the secrets to making a fantastic burger" (above) before preparation, then choose a recipe below and make the best burger of your life!
- PER BURGER: 6oz grass fed beef 80/20 ratio (20% fat)
- Sea Salt
- Pepper
- aioli you can use store bought mayo or click the link above to make your own
- good quality hamburger buns, or wrap in lettuce for low carb version
- 2 slices of bacon per burger
- shredded lettuce
- tomato slices
- one fried egg per burger
- cheddar cheese or provolone
- garlic aioli, store bought or use recipe link in blog post above
- avocado slices
- two slices bacon per burger
- tomato slices
- one slice pepper jack cheese per burger
- arugula
- garlic aioli, store bought or use recipe link in blog post above
- caramelized onions recipe link above
- blue cheese as much as desired
- arugula
- mayonnaise
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Depending on what burger you are making have aioli, mayo, avocado, tomatoes, cheeses, caramelized onions (see link above) and bacon prepared in advance. If using a fried egg, make sunny side up right before burgers are done.
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Without overworking meat, form patties making them 1/2" wider than bun.
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Season with sea salt and pepper and set aside.
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Spray grill with organic cooking spray to prevent sticking. Turn heat to 400 degrees.
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Cook meat to liking (5-6 minutes, flipping halfway through for medium) place a slice of cheese on the burger the last minute of cooking.
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Remove from grill.
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Spread bun with mayo or aioli, place burger on bun, add suggested toppings above. Last , add the top bun spread with more mayo or aioli!
MAY I PLEASE ASK A FAVOR?
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Oh my word I’m drooling. I have ruined so many burgers doing the opposite of all your tips LOL! I have it down pretty good now but those things make such a difference! And I love the egg on top! Yummy!
Well I hope your next burger is a big improvement!
I’ve never tried an egg on my burger before, but it sounds good!
Great tips! Wish I lived closer to Valencia!
Oh Linda!
btw….not very iPad friendly here. Could not sign up for the newsletter and it only let me give one star when, come on…
Hi Dave! Maybe you need to be on a computer. Not sure why that would be though. Thanks for trying and yes, this burger is definitely five stars!
I added you Dave. Hope that’s ok:)
This looks amazing, it is really making me hungry!
Where’s the aioli recipe please?
Tammy I link to it just above the burger recipe.
I am guilty of mushing the burger with a spatula. Great Tips. Drooling.
Lol. Aren’t we all:)
I don’t think there is a burger that I don’t like!
I really like the blue cheese and aioli options!!! And I like mine medium-rare, so maybe 4-5 minutes? This is such a good tutorial. I don’t know anything about grilling. The photos are LOVELY, too.
Thanks Megan! I like mine medium rare too and 5 minutes usually does the job. It just depends on how thick that hamburger patty is.
Those are such great tips! I admit I’m not the best at burgers, I usually leave them to my husband. Those tips helped me figure out how I’ve gone wrong in the past. That Cali Burger is calling my name!
I love that one too! And since we are both Californians that makes sense 😉
Such amazing tip! The Cali burger is fantastic.
These tips are absolutely perfect!! I can’t wait to put these to good use!
This is so helpful! I’m going with that Cali burger for sure.
My personal fave!
These are great tips! I am a major burger lover and have not had one since this whole covid thing . . . need to just get going on the grill! Thanks for the inspo