Amazing Grilled Hamburger Recipe
November 27th, 2010I’ve eaten lots of grilled hamburgers in my life. I’ve eaten some that were delicious and some that were okay. But then I’ve also had some grilled burgers that were simply amazing.
Here are a few of my secrets to making amazing grilled hamburgers.
- Mix your own burgers from ground beef.
- Season both sides heavily with a tasty barbecue rub (seasoning).
- Don’t overcook them.
If that was all you knew about grilling hamburgers, you could take the above three secrets and make amazing grilled hamburgers. But I’m going to elaborate on these a bit and share a recipe for mixing up some amazing burgers for the grill.
Grilled Hamburger Recipe
- 1 pound hamburger
- 1 egg
- 2 slices onion, chopped
- 8 small Saltine crackers, crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Mix the above ingredients together and form into burgers. If you don’t have a burger press, you can use a 1/3 cup or 1/4 cup measuring cup to measure the burger and then form the burgers with your hands.
Season both sides of the burgers heavily with a decent barbecue rub. If you don’t have anything, you can simply mix equal parts of salt, fresh ground peppercorn, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika. Check out my recent blog post on barbecue rub recipes for more help.
The final secret has to do with not overcooking the meat, and I can’t stress this enough. I personally don’t like to bite into a burger with lots of raw beef in the center, but I try to aim for a slightly pink center.
If you’re grilling thick burgers, turn down the heat and give the centers time to cook. Otherwise, the outside will get overdone and the center will still be raw. This is not a big issue with thin store-bought burgers though.
As they’re cooking, I like to brush barbecue sauce or ketchup on both sides to add a little more flavor and juice. And just as they’re finishing up, throw a slice of cheese on the top of each burger.
Serve them with some good homemade bread or rolls, sweet and tender lettuce, slices of sweet onion, mustard, ketchup, and pickles.
You will end up with more than an amazing grilled burger. You’ll be stunned with an amazing, loaded hamburger sandwich. This is easy deliciousness.
Have fun!
Lavern
PS. The Meadow Creek BBQ26S Chicken Cooker and BBQ42 Chicken Cooker are both great for backyard grilling. Raise the charcoal pan for grilling burgers and drop it for flippin’ chickin’!
December 2nd, 2010 at 12:16 pm
This sounds great, well I added some crumbled bacon to, was great.
December 2nd, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Sounds good, I will try it, thanks.
December 2nd, 2010 at 1:13 pm
I cook for many youth groups and this sounds much better than the receipt I have been using. Will try it out the next cookout.
December 2nd, 2010 at 3:58 pm
Dear Amigo
I have found that you first have to have a good mix of beef 70-30%. When adding ingrideints, I try very hard not to over mix. It makes the meat more soild versus loose. Your not making meatloaf! The rest of your formula is fine and I have used it. It’s very good, but the over mixing and adding too much stuff kills the texture. Some of the best hamburgers I have eaten have been in small college dives in the east coast. They just get that special mix of beef, make the paddy without too much massaging, put course salt, on the grill, two flips and that’s it amigo. It’s like messing around with a filete. It will come out hard if you play with it too much. Last tip is to have the meat out at room temp at least an hour and more the better, before grilling. Luis Ramon
December 2nd, 2010 at 4:17 pm
Thank you so much Lavern I have been waiting for a good grilled burger recipe and thank you so much for publishing this one. All I need now is the burger so off to the store to get some. Thanks again and have a good day.
Calvin
December 2nd, 2010 at 4:44 pm
Hey Lavern .. Wow..WoW..Wow.. that was a great info from you. I spoon some Liquid smoke into the meat..that gives it a little more BBQ taste..Enjoyed your Recipe!!!
December 2nd, 2010 at 6:02 pm
pretty much use this recipe all summer long,works out great! 😀
December 2nd, 2010 at 9:07 pm
I’ll give this a try on my next Packer tailgate.
December 3rd, 2010 at 5:17 am
I will give this a try with the milk and crackers. I do almost the same thing except for those 2 ingredients. I like to grill and smoke my burgers to get the inside just pinkish brown. They come out juicy and taste great. You can heat them up in the oven or in the microwave and they are still juicy.
Thanks for the tips ready to try them today.
Ron
December 3rd, 2010 at 5:28 am
Hi Lavern, thanks very much for this recipe will try it this weekend
December 3rd, 2010 at 10:26 am
great burgers, My mom used to cooked them that way back when we were kids at home. I had forgot about that. Now she is gone and I missed out on alot of good recipes. Thanks for reminding me.
December 5th, 2010 at 10:34 am
Laverne, I would like to know a little more about the Save-A-Lot 8 packs you use. I am director of meat operations for a group of Save-A-Lot stores.
December 6th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
Laverne, I am a proffesional chef way-way up in the Great White North. In the Oil-Rig Camps, we try to serve BBQ Burgers evry 7-10 days. My only addition/change to your recipe is to try flavoured crackers ie. Ritz, Vegetable Thins, Bacon Dippers, etc. You would be pleasantly surprised at how much this little change can add to the taste of the finished product. And of course I do make my own rubs depending on wwhat I feel like serving the burgers with. Keep up the great work and maybe people will treat their BBQ Burgers with a little more respect, after all it doesn’t take long.
December 6th, 2010 at 6:00 pm
Thanks for the tips. I can’t wait to make them!
December 7th, 2010 at 8:09 am
Hey Laverne, that sounds great! I will have to try them and compare them to our homemade recipe that we’ve used for 15 years. Try adding some shredded cheddar to the mix…. the cheese oozes out of the burger as it cooks. Lovely.
December 7th, 2010 at 10:49 pm
Thanks for the great recipe. If you have trouble with your burgers falling apart, Try adding an egg to the recipe. Teriyaki or Soy sauce can also add a great flavor!
July 2nd, 2011 at 1:33 pm
[…] around here. While the charcoal is getting lit, you can mix up your meat. Earlier I posted a good recipe for homemade burgers. Click the link for our recipe and other tips on grilling […]
July 3rd, 2011 at 9:03 am
I’m gonna give this one a try, I am gooing to add my special ingredient though, one packet of original ranch dressing mix…try it!! Gives burgers a great flavor!!
November 26th, 2013 at 8:03 pm
I just made the BEST burger I have EVER eaten using this recipe and I have had many great burgers in my life. I will definitely be using this from now on. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!! My daughters who normally are not fans of red meat liked them too. I can not wait for my husband to come home and try one!