Why do 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.

Why do you put an indent in burger patty?

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.

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).

How do you keep burgers flat when cooking?

Shape the ground burger into a patty slightly larger than the bun and no more than 3/4 inch thick. Use your fingers to press in on the sides so that the patty is an even height from the center to the edges. Then, use your thumb or knuckles to make a deep indentation in the center of the patty.

Why you should smash a burger?

When your beef patty meets some heat, the amino acids and sugars within it begin reacting, which results in changes of flavor and color. So when you "smash" your burger patty down, you're creating more surface area for the Maillard reaction to take place.

The Biggest Mistakes Everyone Makes When Cooking Burgers

Do smashed burgers taste better?

This reaction only happens at the surface of the patty, because the proteins need direct contact with the heat. And when you smash burgers, they get flatter - which means more contact area for tastier - Maillard Reaction - meals.

Are smashed patties better?

While a basic grilled burger is great, the benefit of a smashed burger is that since you're literally smashing the burger down, you end up with a greater surface area and more opportunity for a Maillard reaction, which means more flavor.

How do you keep burgers from puffing up?

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.

Should you flatten burgers before grilling?

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.

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 long to let burgers rest before cooking?

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.

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.

What is the secret to juicy hamburgers?

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.

Why place 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.

Should you mix seasoning into burgers?

AND SO: Your burgers aren't tender.

So for the best burgers, don't do ANYTHING to it before you shape the meat it into patties. Don't dump it in a bowl to add seasoning — not even salt and pepper — and mix it around. That includes adding anything other than salt and pepper, like eggs, onions, or herbs.

Should you salt and pepper burgers before grilling?

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.

Why is my burger patty 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.

Should you add egg to burgers?

If you're making your own hamburger patties, adding egg to hamburger meat can help hold the meat together for easier cooking. Without the proper binder, the burgers may fall apart in the pan or on the grill.

How do you know when to flip a burger?

Sear the burgers directly over the coals until brown and crispy on the bottom, about four to five minutes. You'll know to flip the patties when you see liquid pooling on the uncooked surface.

How do you grill juicy burgers?

For a juicy, flavorful burger, skip the extra-lean ground beef patty blends and use ground beef with a higher fat content. Ground beef with an 80/20 mix is the best for grilled burgers—this means a mix 80 percent lean beef and 20 percent fat.

How do you make hamburgers taste like a restaurant?

Use cold, wet hands when making the patties, and let the meat rest in the fridge until you're ready to hit the grill. We want the fat in the patties to be super chilled so it rapidly expands when exposed to heat, creating flavor pockets inside the patty. This leads to a burger with a nice sear and maximum juicy flavor.