DinnerCountGrilled Hamburgers
These are backyard burgers with crisp edges. The beef is 80/20, because the fat keeps the burgers juicy over high heat. A dent pressed into each patty with your thumb keeps it flat as it cooks. The cheese goes on in the last minute while the buns toast. Then everyone builds their own with the lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup, and mustard on the table.
Ingredients (serves 4)
- Ground beef (80/20)1½ lb
- Hamburger buns4 buns
- American cheese4 slices
- Salt1½ tsp
- Black pepper1 tsp
- Lettuce¼ head
- Tomato1 each
- Pickles¼ cup
- Ketchup2 tbsp
- Yellow mustard1 tbsp
How Much to Make for 2, 4, 6, or 8
For 2 people, you’ll need ¾ lb ground beef, 2 hamburger buns, and 2 slices American cheese.
For 4 people, you’ll need 1½ lb ground beef, 4 hamburger buns, and 4 slices American cheese.
For 6 people, you’ll need 2¼ lb ground beef, 6 hamburger buns, and 6 slices American cheese.
For 8 people, you’ll need 3 lb ground beef, 8 hamburger buns, and 8 slices American cheese.
| Ingredient | For 2 | For 4 | For 6 | For 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef (80/20) | ¾ lb | 1½ lb | 2¼ lb | 3 lb |
| Hamburger buns | 2 buns | 4 buns | 6 buns | 8 buns |
| American cheese | 2 slices | 4 slices | 6 slices | 8 slices |
| Salt | ¾ tsp | 1½ tsp | 2¼ tsp | 1 tbsp |
| Black pepper | ½ tsp | 1 tsp | 1½ tsp | 2 tsp |
| Lettuce | ¼ head | ¼ head | ½ head | ½ head |
| Tomato | ½ each | 1 each | 1½ each | 2 each |
| Pickles | 2 tbsp | ¼ cup | 6 tbsp | ½ cup |
| Ketchup | 1 tbsp | 2 tbsp | 3 tbsp | ¼ cup |
| Yellow mustard | 1½ tsp | 1 tbsp | 1½ tbsp | 2 tbsp |
The amounts are rounded to what you can measure at home. Pounds are rounded to the nearest quarter or third, cups to the marks on a measuring cup, and spoons to real measuring spoons. An egg stays whole. Because of the rounding, some amounts are the same at two sizes.
- For 2: This recipe is written for 4 adult-size portions. You are cooking about 2 adult portions, which is roughly 0.5 times the recipe. With fewer pieces on the grate, the time is the same.
- For 6: This recipe is written for 4 adult-size portions. You are cooking about 6 adult portions, which is roughly 1.5 times the recipe. At about 1.5× the recipe that’s more than one batch on the grate. The time for each piece is the same. Keep the first batch warm under foil.
- For 8: This recipe is written for 4 adult-size portions. You are cooking about 8 adult portions, which is roughly 2 times the recipe. At about 2× the recipe that’s more than one batch on the grate. The time for each piece is the same. Keep the first batch warm under foil.
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Steps
- Divide the beef into one ball for each bun. Press each ball into a patty a little wider than the bun, because the patties shrink as they cook. Press a shallow dent into the middle of each patty with your thumb so it stays flat on the grill. Season both sides with the salt and the pepper.
- Heat the grill on HIGH with the lid closed for 10 minutes. The grill is ready when the grates are hot. If the grill has a lid thermometer, it reads about 450°F on high. You can also flick a drop of water onto the grate, and it should skitter and vanish at once. While the grill heats, slice the tomato and separate the lettuce leaves.
- Keep about a third of the grate empty and cooler, with one burner on low or with no coals under it. Grill the patties on the rest of the grate for about 4 minutes on each side with the lid closed, and flip them only once. If the fat flares up, move that patty to the cooler part until the flames die down. The burgers are done when the centers read 160°F on a thermometer. Color is not a reliable test on a burger.
- For the last minute, lay a slice of cheese on each patty and close the lid. Set the buns on the grill with the cut sides down for the same minute. They are ready when the cheese has melted and the buns are lightly toasted. Move the cooked burgers to a clean plate, and never to the plate the raw patties sat on.
- Set out the buns, lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup, and mustard so everyone can build their own.
Good to Know
- Contains Milk, Wheat. This comes from the ingredient names, so it is not a complete list. The ingredient names do not show what is inside a jar, a mix, or a sauce, and formulas change. For an allergy or intolerance, read the package every time, and never decide from this line.
- 🌡 Hamburger: cook to 160°F at the thickest part, the USDA minimum for ground meat. A thermometer is the test, and color is not.
