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Grilling Hamburgers and Other Homemade Burgers: 10+ Recipes and Tips to Try

January 30, 2025

Grilling hamburgers is not just about the food itself but about the love and care that goes into the creation of this meal. From patty and bun prep to the curated toppings and condiments, not to mention grilling hamburgers and other homemade burgers to order, this meal takes effort and is often the focal and celebrated activity at gatherings with family and friends. At Freddy’s, we understand the desire to ensure that people have the steakburgers and other sandwiches that they are craving made to order. In addition to the availability of our specialty sauces and seasonings for your homemade burgers, explore tips and recipes that may inspire your next grilling endeavor, as well as frequently asked questions about grilling hamburgers!

 

12 Recipes with Tips for Grilling Hamburgers and Other Homemade Burgers

 

Since grilling hamburgers is an expression of affection as well as a great dinner plan, trying different homemade burger recipes provides the opportunity to explore the versatility of burgers and glean new tricks for your burger preparation. As you continue to expand your skills in grilling hamburgers and other types of homemade burgers, discover additional guidance and recommendations shared by other cooking professionals and enthusiasts in recipes such as the ones included here:

 

man and young girl looking at recipe in kitchen

 

1. Try putting cheese directly into the patty. After trying steakburgers, like the Single Steakburger at Freddy’s, home cooks may be inspired to make their own version. This recipe from Ree Drummond at Food Network incorporates cheese directly into the patty mixture. It also offers similar customization options to those available at Freddy’s, including grilled jalapeños, fresh lettuce, tomato and onion, and a variety of condiments.

 

2. Bring on the butter! In this recipe from The Kitchn, grilling juicy hamburgers is possible with the addition of one ingredient – butter! Add a grater to your list of kitchen tools for this burger preparation and make sure to pay attention to temperature recommendations.

 

3. Crush crackers to use as a binding agent. Breadcrumbs are a frequent binder used in burger recipes. If you are out of this key ingredient but grilling hamburgers for dinner is still on the menu, take inspiration from A Spicy Perspective and use saltine crackers instead. You might even find that you prefer the texture that results from using this crispier swap.

 

4. Explore grilling hamburgers made of different cuts and styles of beef. As emphasized at Saveur, different types of hamburger meat impact the results of grilling these burgers. So, your choices may enable you to make healthier burgers or create ones with a greater depth of flavor than your standard pack of ground beef. If you are looking to try out a different cut of meat, consider trying this burger recipe that uses brisket.

 

5. Think salad plate versus dimple. One recommended strategy for ensuring that burgers cook evenly and don’t puff up in the middle is to put a “dimple” in the burger. Understandably, the size of that dimple may vary according to burger dimensions. At Simply Recipes, their recipe encourages the burger indentation to be spread out across the patty more like a salad plate versus a thumbprint.

 

6. Prioritize pre-mixing everything but the ground meat! Turkey burgers are another popular choice for grilling. However, as with grilling hamburgers, there is often even more concern that these burgers may become dry, especially since ground turkey is often leaner than ground beef. This recipe from Taste of Home recommends mixing the ingredients that will be added to the ground turkey, such as binding agents, vegetables, sauces and seasoning, before adding them to the ground turkey. This step helps prevent overmixing which can also lead to textural concerns.

 

7. Add sauces to the patty mixture, not just to the bun. At The Wholesome Dish, Worcestershire sauce is an important part of the foundation for the classic burger, not just a finishing sauce. This sauce often appears in hamburger recipes because it enhances the layers of beef flavor in a single ingredient.

 

8. Cool patties before cooking in the fridge or even freezer. This patty preparation tip is especially helpful when you plan to be grilling hamburgers, shrimp burgers as in this recipe from Marcela Valladolid at Food Network, or veggie burgers. Cooling the burger patty mixture not only makes it easier to mold uniform patties prior to cooking but also helps keep the patties together during grilling.

 

9. Incorporate mushrooms into homemade burger mixtures. While portobello mushrooms often appear on grills for use as a vegetarian substitution for beef burger patties, using mushrooms inside of hamburger patties as well other types of homemade burgers offers many benefits. As shared at Oprah, adding mushrooms further increases the layers of a burger's flavor and also contributes to the overall juicy texture. As a bonus, the inclusion of mushrooms may be an asset to those looking to continue enjoying beef burgers but want to do so in a healthier manner.

 

10. Consider using multiple binding components. Burgers with vegetable or bean bases can be challenging to grill because they may be a bit more fragile than other types of burgers. However, whether grilling hamburgers or veggie burgers, exploring the uses of different types and combinations of binding agents can be helpful, as experienced in the process of developing this veggie burger at Minimalist Baker. Knowing the available range of binders for different homemade burgers may also help reduce food waste, since leftovers like the rice from the week’s meal prep can become part of a burger dinner.

 

11. Time your herb additions accordingly! Food Network recommends adding fresh herbs into the patty mixture but adding dried herbs on top before grilling the hamburgers. As another option that combines two tips for mouth-watering burgers in one, this recipe from Food.com encourages making butter with fresh herbs first. Then, the patties are wrapped around the herbed butter portions before grilling.

 

12. Make sure your burger bar is ready in advance! To enjoy the benefits of your efforts, you want to move from grilling hamburgers to their indulgence without too much time in between. While even a minute of rest is sometimes suggested to ensure that burger flavors and juices can be consumed at their peak deliciousness, finalizing the complete burger often takes that very amount of time or longer. Consider setting up your burger bar in advance, perhaps with some inspiration from these ideas from The Spruce Eats. If you love the idea of a burger bar for an upcoming event but want some assistance with its creation, both Standard and Deluxe Burger Bars are available on the Freddy’s Catering Menu.

 

Frequently Asked Questions about Grilling Hamburgers and Other Homemade Burgers

 

preparing burger patties on kitchen counter with seasonings

 

As with any dish, practice and patience are key to finding out exactly what approach and outcome works best for you. As part of the practice component, you may try a variety of different tips from friends and family, cooking enthusiasts you follow online or professional chefs – a very helpful way to refine and perfect your favorite dishes! However, just as the recommendations in one recipe may align or differ from others, the efficacy of any guidance is also subject to other factors including types of burgers, thickness and more. In grilling your hamburgers and other homemade burgers, the following tips may help address the more common questions about grilling hamburgers.

 

How important is it to achieve grill marks when grilling hamburgers?

In grilling hamburgers, grill marks are primarily a visual sign of where and how they were prepared, but they may also be an indication of nicely cooked meat, as further discussed at Martha Stewart. Preheating and lightly oiling the grill, as well as making sure that the grill is hot enough, contributes to the browning process that creates grill marks. To achieve those preferred grill marks, angle the burgers on the grates and rotate while cooking. On the other hand, Food&Wine explains how and why skipping the grill marks and taking a more oven-like approach on the grill might actually result in more flavorful burgers.

 

Do any specific tools help with grilling homemade burgers?

Whether for moving burgers on the grill or ensuring the desired level of doneness on the burger, using the right tools for grilling homemade burgers contributes to their appearance and ultimate enjoyment. For example, grill brushes or stone cleaners should be used to remove any grease or other food particles, as their presence may cause burgers to stick or interfere with flavor in addition to being a food safety issue. Using flippers or specialty hamburger spatulas or turners, typically made of stainless steel, are designed to keep burgers together while maneuvering them. As emphasized by Taste of Home, a thermometer aids in grilling hamburgers to perfection, as well as turkey or veggie burgers, as this tool helps ensure that burgers are cooked to the necessary temperature.

 

How can I maximize flavor while grilling hamburgers?

Many of the tips provided with the recipes above target building flavor. However, personal preferences and choice of burger patty make a big difference. For example, if you like mushrooms, this new trick may be one that you are eager to try with your next meat or veggie mix. On the other hand, adding more butter may not be right for you if you are trying to reduce fat consumption in your diet. The practice component is perhaps most important here, as it will help you determine the flavor combinations and methods you most enjoy for different types of burgers, as well as how to adjust them for guests or based on what’s available in your pantry if needed.

 

Should I flatten the patty to help with even cooking or speeding up cook time?

As with the “right” number of times to flip a burger, whether or not to press a patty continues to be a hot topic of debate, as highlighted at Mashed. While creating even patties prior to cooking is beneficial, trying to make that happen once they are on the grill may result in dry burgers, especially after they have already been on the grill for several minutes. However, if you are going for a burger style that is designed to achieve a rich, crispy brown crust, pressing or smashing patties should be done ASAP and is better achieved using a different cooking method, as explained by Serious Eats.

 

Are there any common burger pitfalls to avoid?

As you may have already discovered from previous efforts in grilling, making this dish sometimes requires troubleshooting during cooking. From the temperatures of your grill and burger patty mix to incorrect utensils and servingware, there are a variety of mistakes that may occur while grilling burgers. Previewing the potential issues like the ones in this collection of burger mistakes by Tasting Table can help you avoid them, but patience is also important, especially as you try out different techniques. If you have the time, one recommendation from various culinary experts is to consider making a test burger with each different batch or recipe to see if any unexpected issues occur and resolve them prior to cooking all of the patties.

 

What are some safety considerations to employ in grilling hamburgers?

Grilling hamburgers is not just about achieving the most delectable flavor and textures but also ensuring the safety of that food for those you are serving. Interestingly in relation to the burger flipping debate, UC Davis Health recommends turning patties approximately every minute to lessen the chance of carcinogens forming. Additionally, a food thermometer is an essential tool for safety, and this guidance from FoodSafety.gov can help inform you as to the appropriate internal temperature needs for grilling various burgers. Having extra utensils on hand further helps in avoiding the accidental transfer of any potential bacteria from raw meat to grilled hamburgers. Finally, routine hand washing and work space cleaning are similarly important, as are these other preparation and storage tips from the USDA and fire prevention tips from the National Fire Protection Association.

 

Grilling hamburgers is an experience that creates many moments to savor from the first bite of that scrumptious cheeseburger to discussing grilling tips with your grandchild. At the Freddy’s near you, we do our best to offer you a similarly joyful experience with our celebrated customer service and customizable menu items, including steakburgers and frozen custard. Whether you opt to have our team cater your next burger bar or take a break from grilling hamburgers to enjoy one from our menu, we hope that you’ll be able to make more memories with those you love when you enjoy our dishes together.