A truly easy grilled burgers recipe. Mix and form the patties in the morning, refrigerate, and when it’s time for dinner, grill them for 10 minutes. Voila – dinner is ready!
This is a truly easy homemade grilled burger recipe, and it produces reliably juicy patties. Burgers are part of my easy-weeknight-dinner repertoire. They are juicy, intensely flavorful, and so easy to make!
I mix and form the patties in the morning and refrigerate. When it’s time for dinner, I grill them in the grill pan for ten minutes. Served with a simple side dish such as a tomato salad, this is as easy as dinner can get.
The ingredients you’ll need when making grilled burgers
You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need:
Ground beef: I use a lean ground beef mixture, 85% lean and 15% fat. I wouldn’t go any leaner than that when making burgers or the patties will end up too dry.
Dijon mustard: It is creamier and less vinegary than yellow mustard.
Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you should reduce the amount you use. A teaspoon of kosher salt weighs less than a teaspoon of regular salt.
Spices: Garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne. Spices are delicious and healthy, but make sure they are fresh. A stale spice can easily ruin a dish!
Chopped parsley: You could use dried parsley instead, but the fresh herb adds great flavor.
Oil for the grill: I prefer using avocado oil, a healthy oil suitable for high-heat cooking.
How to grill burgers
It’s so easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for the details. Here are the basic steps:
- Season the beef. Mix a pound of lean ground beef with mustard and spices.
- Shape into patties. Divide into four parts and form them into patties.
- Cook the burgers. At this point, you can either grill right away, or refrigerate for a few hours until ready to grill.
What beef to use
Ideally, you would use fresh ground chuck from your butcher. But let’s be realistic – most of us just grab a vacuum-packed block of ground beef when we cook at home.
So it’s fine to use that, but do use lean ground beef (85/15). If you use extra lean ground beef your burgers will turn out quite dry and not as flavorful.
How to season grilled burgers?
You can simply season them with salt and pepper. So you could shape the patties, then sprinkle them with salt and pepper and grill.
But I like to use quite a few seasonings, including Dijon mustard, onion and garlic powders, paprika and cayenne. When I have fresh parsley, I add that too.
Should I make a dimple in the patties?
There’s some controversy on whether one should make a dimple in burgers prior to cooking. I do make a dimple, but it’s completely up to you.
How to serve grilled burgers
I usually serve them on cloud bread, although sometimes we just skip the bread and use a knife and a fork. 90-second bread is also good, and easier to make than cloud bread.
As for sides, they are wonderful with baked sweet potato fries. Or go with a keto option and serve them with jicama fries.
Grill them, don’t char them
When grilling the patties, it’s a good idea not to let your grill get too hot, and to keep an eye on the patties so that they don’t burn. Charred meat is unhealthy, especially when eaten frequently or in large quantities.
More delicious ground beef recipes
Another favorite ground beef recipe that’s even easier than this grilled burgers recipe is this very tasty ground beef casserole.
And baked hamburgers are the easiest – though not the juiciest – way to make burgers.
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Easy Hamburger Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb. 85/15 ground beef (not leaner)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley (or 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley)
- Avocado oil spray for grill pan
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large bowl, use clean hands to mix together all the ingredients except the oil.
- Form the mixture into four patties, each of them 4 ounces in weight, 4 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick.
- Preheat a grill or a grill pan on medium-high heat. Lightly spray or brush the grill with oil.
- With your thumb, make a slight depression in the center of each patty, to help the hamburgers cook evenly and maintain their shape.
- Cook the hamburgers, dimpled side up, for 5 minutes. Turn and cook on the other side, about 3 more minutes for medium doneness.
- If you’d like to make cheeseburgers, you can top each burger patty with a slice of your favorite cheese during the last minute of grilling. Cover the grill or the grill pan so that the cheese can melt.
NOTES
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., has been following a healthy real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She has taken 
