As a chef, I strongly believe the best way to feed a crowd is to have all of your party foods prepped and ready to go — and that includes your burger patties.
When I worked as a line cook a few years ago, I learned the subtle art of working with ground meat and making the perfect burger that’s nice and juicy.
As you prepare to make those burger dreams a reality, remember these tips.
Thaw your meat completely
Whether you ordered good-quality ground meat from your local farmer or stocked up at the grocery store during a sale, the most important thing to do is fully defrost it before cooking.
There are three main ways to defrost ground beef: in the refrigerator, in the microwave, or in cool water.
I recommend the refrigerator method, which is great if you’re planning a day or two in advance. Simply place your frozen meat into a bowl or container, leave it on the bottom shelf of the fridge, and your meat should be fully thawed the next day.
If you’re using a microwave, use the defrost setting and thaw the meat in three- to four-minute increments, remembering to turn it over. Microwave for as long as 12 minutes or until the meat is thawed.
For the cool-water method, place the sealed package of meat in a large bowl and weigh it down. Fill the bowl with cold, running water, turning it on and off. Refill the bowl with fresh water every 20 to 30 minutes until the meat completely softens.
Pay attention to the grind of your meat — and consider trying to do it at home
If possible, ask your grocery-store butcher if they’ll grind fresh beef chuck to medium-coarse to coarse, about ¼ inch, for you.
This grind allows the fat to appropriately integrate with the meat and retain a beefy texture and moisture, even when it’s dripping juice on a hot grill.
You can also ask your butcher if they suggest any other meat combination or if they can throw in some fancy scraps at a lower cost.
If you can, try grinding it at home with a hand-crank meat grinder, food processor, or attachment on a KitchenAid mixer.
Simply dice cold meat into 1-inch chunks, freeze on a sheet pan for about 10 minutes, and then grind.
Pay attention to the meat’s fat percentage
Good beef just tastes better, and the best butchers know how to balance tender or sinewy meat with fat to enhance its potential.
If you can, try to find a local farm that sells whole cuts or its own frozen ground meat. The most common burger cut is chuck steak, which has 80% meat and 20% fat.
In a pinch, 85% ground meat will do just fine, but be very cautious about overcooking, and don’t go higher than a medium-level temperature to retain moisture and flavor.
Remember that the shapes of the patties matter
To avoid dry patties or ones that bulge and resemble meatballs, you want to be careful shaping your burgers.
Gently shape your meat into evenly round, 1-inch-thick, flat discs. Once those patties are formed, press your thumb in the center to make a dimple to help it cook evenly.
Be careful not to overwork the meat when forming your patty, since this can lead to a dense, tough burger.
Only use salt right before cooking
Once you’ve got your formed burger disks, it’s time to add some salt.
Right before placing it on the grill, take a large pinch of kosher salt and gently cover the outside of the patty with a thin layer. Add the burger salt-side down on the grill and sprinkle some on the other side.
This shouldn’t make the burger overly salty — it should help the meat be more flavorful.
Cook everything to the right temperature, or just below
Keep in mind that a big burger’s temperature will go up a few degrees after cooking. So, you may want to stop grilling your patty just before it hits the ideal internal temperature.
Medium-rare burgers are cooked to 130 degrees Fahrenheit and have a cool, pink center with a charred exterior and a beefy taste with tons of juices.
A medium-well burger is cooked to 150 degrees Fahrenheit and has a hot pink center. However, this can quickly lean toward tasting dry, especially if the fat content is low.
Feel free to go above those temperatures to enjoy a well-done burger, but don’t expect it to be the juiciest of the bunch.
This story was originally published on July 1, 2022, and most recently updated on May 19, 2025.
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