HomeBeef Recipes › Barbecue Hamburger RecipeIf you’re looking for a pure, simple barbecue hamburger recipe, then this is the recipe for you. It’s very simple: ground beef and a touch of salt, nothing more. And you end up with a delicious burger with a pure, beefy taste.

Cooking hamburgers isn’t hard, but there are a few little tricks that you need to know to make a great burger. This is a great recipe to follow, but if you want a more in-depth look at hamburgers, check our our article on how to make a hamburger.

And now for the recipe!

 


Barbecue Hamburgers

Preparation Time: 15m     Cooking Time: 15m     Total Time: 30m


Servings

Serves 6.


Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef (15-20% fat)
1 tsp salt


Instructions

 

  1. Preheat the grill to high.
  2. In a bowl, mix together the ground meat and the salt.
    • It’s best to mix the ground meat with a spoon or spatula. If you mix the meat with your hands, you risk warming the meat, melting the fat. This’ll make a burger that’s more dense and less juicy.
  3. Separate the beef into 6 to 8 even portions.
  4. Shape the beef portions into hamburger patties.
    • Check out our article on making hamburgers for more information on shaping hamburger patties. Shaping the patties is one the most important parts of making a burger, and can mean the difference between an awesome burger and an ordinary one.
    • Hamburger patties should be flat, and between half an inch and an inch thick. The smaller the buns, the thinner you should make the patties.
  5. When the grill is hot, place the patties on the grill. Cook on one side until the beef is browned 1/3 of the way, about 5-8 minutes. Flip the burgers, and cook another 5-8 minutes, until firm but not hard.
    • Thinner burgers (1/2 inch) will only take about 5 minutes per side. 8 minutes is for thicker burgers.
    • Hamburgers should be cooked until they reach an internal temperature of 165F. If you monitor your burgers with a meat thermometer, you’ll get perfect results.
  6. Serve the burgers on buns with any condiments and toppings you like.

 


Tips

 

  • This barbecue hamburger recipe relies on the natural flavor of the beef to give an outstanding taste. That’s why it’s important to use ground beef with a higher fat content, because the fat adds lots of flavor. If you prefer to use a leaner meat, try out our best hamburger recipe.
  • You can omit the salt if you like. But salt enhances the natural flavor of foods. This amount of salt will enhance the beefy taste, without making it salty. Definitely worth it!
  • When making hamburger patties, it’s best to use ground beef that was never frozen.
  • Hamburgers have a tendency to round up in the center when they cook. Making them perfectly flat and not too thick will fight that. You can also press a small indentation in the center of the burger, and cook it indentation side up first.
  • Remember, hamburger patties shrink as they cook, especially with ground beef with a higher fat content. With 20% fat ground beef, the patties need to be about 20% wider than the bun.
  • This barbecue hamburger recipe makes well-done burgers. Most ground beef should be cooked to well done, because the surface bacteria was ground up into the meat and could multiply all over. It needs a high temperature throughout to be safe to eat.
    • However, if you have a freshly ground meat from a reliable source (like yourself or a good butcher), you can cook it to medium rare. Just reduce the cooking time to 4-6 minutes per side, depending on the thickness.

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