Should you dimple your burgers?

Generously season the patties with the salt and pepper on both sides. Use your thumb to make an indentation at the center of the burger (the resulting dimple will help prevent burger shrinkage).

Should you poke holes in burgers?

Poke a hole in the middle of the patty. This will help the burger cook more evenly and you won't be tempted to overcook it. The hole will close as it cooks. Don't mash the burger down with your spatula as it cooks.

Should you flatten your burger?

Your patties aren't flat

People tend to forget that flattening your patty before cooking is essential to making that perfect burger form," Derek Wolf, fire cooking enthusiast and owner of Over the Fire Cooking, reminds us.

Do you cook a burger dimple up or down?

Cook them on the non-dimpled side first over direct heat. Once a crust develops, flip them over and cook on the other side. Do not press down on the burger.

How do you indent a burger?

Making an indent in the center of the patty solves this problem because it helps the burger to hold its shape as the meat contracts. After shaping your patty, simply place your thumb in the center and gently press to create an indent.

How To Make The Perfect Hamburger Patty - Secrets And Tips

How do you shape the perfect burger?

Why do my burgers ball up?

The basic theory is that as meat cooks, the proteins contract so that the whole patty shrinks and puffs up in the middle. Making a kind of indentation or dimple in the middle counteracts that effect so you end up with a nice, even patty.

Why do people dent hamburger patties?

To ensure that the meat cooks evenly, make a thumbprint indentation into each patty before it goes on the grill. The indentation helps the patty hold its shape—rather than swelling—as it shrinks during cooking.

How many times should you flip a burger?

Flip the Burgers Once and Only Once

Constant turning will toughen and dry out the meat, and if you flip too soon, burgers will stick. Cook two minutes per side for rare, three minutes for medium-rare, four minutes for medium, and five minutes for well-done.

How do you keep burgers from plumping?

Make a thumbprint in the middle of the patty

Using a thumb, make a deep depression in the center of each patty to keep the burger from puffing up and bulging in the center. Otherwise, “It plumps up like a football and people smash it down. That's the last thing you want to do,” Flay said.

How do you make burgers that don't shrink?

Why does my burger patty shrink?

Since meat is sold by weight, many grocery stores have been adding water and salt to their ground beef, chicken, and turkey which increases overall profits of the food. When cooking, this water evaporates and yep, you guessed it, the burgers shrink on the grill.

Why put an ice cube on a burger while grilling?

The ice cube will prevent the burgers from overcooking and add a bit of extra moisture to the beef — something that's especially helpful if you're grilling rather large patties. What you're gonna do is take a ball of ground beef, gently press a little ice cube in the center, and form the beef around it so it's sealed.

How long to let burgers rest after cooking?

“When you cook hamburgers, never push down, because you'll be draining out flavorful juices,” Gallo says. Let the cooked patties rest on a clean platter for about 5 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute. Use a meat thermometer. To be sure you destroy bacteria that can make you sick, cook hamburgers to 160° F.

How long should burgers sit before grilling?

Let the patties sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling to take the chill off.

Should you let burger patties rest?

Letting ground beef rest is also important because a significant amount of fat will drain away instead of collecting in the bun. For perfect burgers (and buns), let the burgers rest for 5 minutes, tented with foil and preferably on a rack so moisture doesn't collect underneath, before transferring them to buns.

Why do my burgers puff up in the middle?

Burgers have a tendency to swell up like a football as they cook. The edges of a patty cook faster than its center, causing the meat to puff up as it shrinks. You can avoid this problem through a few easy techniques, like pressing down on the raw burger patties with your thumb or by smashing them flat.

Are you supposed to season both sides of burger?

That said, don't skimp on the salt and pepper. Season one side of the patty with salt and pepper right before you place it on the grill, seasoned side down. Before you flip the burger, season the other side. Think gentle when forming your burgers; now is definitely not the time to be heavy-handed.

How do you make thin flat hamburger patties?

When the pan is hot, place 2 balls (or more depending on the size of your pan) in the pan and cook until browned, about 1 to 1 ½ minutes. Using a flat, heavy, sharp spatula, flip the meat and press down firmly to smash the ball into a thin patty.

Should you use a burger press?

Uniformity: Burger presses make uniform patties: same weight and diameter every time. Uniform patties cook evenly throughout and will come to temperature around the same time on the grill. Perfect Weight: Burger presses help achieve the weight you're going for.

Why are burgers dry?

If you're making burgers from scratch, you may have run into this issue before, but fortunately it's easy to avoid. According to Eat This, Not That, the main reason burgers dry out is simply that they're overcooked. This typically occurs when you cook the patties straight out of the fridge, or worse, the freezer.

What hold homemade burgers together?

How do you hand pat a burger?

Grab 5 to 6 ounces of meat and lightly toss from hand to hand, forming a ball. The patty should be at least as wide as your bun and about 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Make a divot in the middle of the burger with your thumb to help it keep its shape while cooking. These patties can be made ahead and chilled in the fridge.