Understanding the burger grill time chart is not an easy task. Most people would agree that a burger is the best food to serve at a barbecue party. To serve your guests the tastiest burgers, some would suggest hiring a professional chef to do so.
However, there is no need to hire a chef as everything that it takes to grill the perfect burger is introduced in this post.
If you follow this burger grill time chart, you are capable of preparing mouth-watering burgers for your backyard barbecues.
Grilling A Delicious Burger Is Not Challenging At All
There are various factors to consider when grilling a flavorful burger. However, the most important points that you have to focus on are:
- Time
- Internal temperature
- Meat type
- How you would like your meat cooked
Let’s follow this post to master the technique of grilling burgers. This post alone does not stop at the beef burger grill time chart. In addition, you will learn about the variety of grill times for different meat types, as well as other tips for the perfect burger.
How Long To Grill Your Beef Burger
Grilling time is the essential factor that affects the quality of a burger. The time it takes to cook hamburgers is determined by several factors. Different burgers require different grill times. All the time charts listed are for ¾-inch thick burger patties.
Fresh Beef Burger
Classic burgers are made from fresh ground beef and vary in size from 6 ounces to 8 ounces. Therefore, you should notice the exact portion of meat in each patty for the exact grilling time.
Fresh Beef Burger Doneness And Internal Temperature
Another factor that possibly affects the quality of the burger is the doneness. Ranging from well done to rare, most people would prefer something between, yet doneness is a component that pretty much depends on each person’s preference.
Rare Beef Burger
Patty grilled to a rare or ‘blue’ level of doneness is still red on the inside and barely cooked outside. You don’t want to use very high heat or grill it for too long. The right internal temperature for rare doneness is 120 to 125°F.
Medium-rare Beef Burger
Medium-rare beef is the all-time favorite type of meat. The outside of the patty is brown, whereas, on the inside, it is slightly red.
Once you bite into it, you can feel the sweetness of the beef juice. It is soft, it is juicy, and it is the best type of doneness for many people. The ideal internal temperature for medium-rare doneness is 130 to 135°F.
Medium Beef Burger
Medium-cooked meat is about 75% cooked. The meat no longer has the fresh color of blood but gradually turns pale pink and has very little juice left.
Medium doneness is the go-to choice for people who want to try medium-rare but are a little afraid of blood in their meat. The juice that comes from beef is called myoglobin – a type of protein. It is usually mistaken for blood.
To serve the perfect medium burger, the internal heat of your burger should be around 140 to 145°F.
Medium-well Beef Burger
A medium-well burger is cooked to 90%, and only some pinks are spotted in the center of the patty. The structure of the patty is firm, and there is barely any juice found.
Medium-well doneness is practically safe to consume. You must pay attention to the internal temperature for this type of doneness, which is around 155°F, as it can easily turn into well-done meat.
Well Done Beef Burger
The safest burger to eat is also the least flavorful is well-done beef. For this type of doneness, the meat is completely cooked. Therefore, the burger is hot, firm, and brown.
The meat has a certain degree of dryness but is not too dry and still retains an attractive aroma. This level of doneness requires a very high internal temperature which is 160°F and up.
How Many Times To Flip Your Fresh Beef Burger?
The number of times you flip also affects the quality of your burger. Many home cooks or those who are new to cooking often have the habit of constantly turning the meat. However, by constantly flipping the burger, it will become hard and dry.
Another point you must notice is not to turn the meat too early as it will damage the form of the burger, and the ground beef will stick to the grill. Only flipping your burger once after a certain amount of time depends on the level of doneness that your guests want.
By following the table above as well as flipping the burger only one time, you will be able to reach the beef doneness level you desire.
The table below illustrates the grilling time required for the fresh beef burgers, internal temperature for suitable doneness.
The most accurate way to flip your burger during the grilling process.
Frozen Beef Burger
For a big barbecue party or garden cookout, you might inevitably run out of fresh ground beef burgers, that is when frozen meat comes in handy. However, it is important to know that the process of grilling frozen burgers is much longer than fresh burgers.
This is because frozen meat will take longer to be cooked completely. Another significant thing to pay attention to is the number of times you flip your burger. The frozen burger needs to be turned 3 times in total.
Depending on the size and the doneness that your guests want, below is the table for the grill time chart for frozen beef burgers.
Find out the most suitable frozen beef burger for your cookout or party.
How Long To Grill Other Types Of Burgers
Besides beef burgers, there are other types of burgers that are favored by your guests in cookouts and backyard barbecue parties. Your guests might be vegetarian or allergic to beef, and that is when you need a backup plan which is to serve them another type of burger.
Therefore, I am here to help you with the grill time for other types of burgers.
Chicken Burger
Some people may argue that chicken burgers are dry and tasteless. However, that is not true. The moistness and flavor of chicken burgers pretty much depend on the seasoning and the grilling. Deep into this section and carry out the perfect burger for every breakfast meal + (breakfast recipes).
Chicken patties are made by combining chicken meat, eggs, breadcrumbs, and other ingredients. Altogether, these ingredients help form a firm but not sturdy structure of the patty as well as provide moisture to the burger.
This type of burger is suitable for those who are on a diet and want to avoid red meat as chicken is much leaner compared to beef.
Regarding the doneness of chicken, you cannot eat rare or medium-rare chicken as it is extremely dangerous. Raw chicken and its juice contain various dangerous bacteria that cause foodborne poison to our bodies. The only option for chicken’s doneness level is well done. (1)
The grilling time and internal temperature for chicken burgers are greater than for beef burgers. To eliminate all the harmful bacterias that damage our body, the internal temperature of the chicken must be higher than 165°F.
The grilling time for fresh chicken patties is around 5 to 6 minutes for each side and 7 to 8 minutes for each side for frozen chicken.
You only need to flip your chicken one time. However, to ensure that they are perfectly cooked and safe to eat, you can flip it multiple times as you wish but make sure it is not rare or still pink.
A small tip for you when grilling chicken burgers is that when you start to see grill marks on the patty, it means that the patty is ready to be flipped.
Pork Burger
If you and your guests are tired of beef or chicken burgers, go for a pork burger. This kind of meat + (type of meat) is super tasty and there can be various delicious recipes from ground pork (ground pork recipe). Ground pork goes well with various seasonings in comparison with ground beef.
As you might notice, just like chicken, pork cannot be eaten raw or undercooked. Pork is chewy at low temperatures and rare pork contains various bacteria. (2)
Low-temperature heat cannot kill all the bacteria, especially trichinae. Therefore, pork burgers should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F.
For fresh pork burgers, you only need to flip the patty one time each 5 to 6 minutes, and 7 to 8 minutes for the frozen ones. It will result in a sugar brown color and the inside pork is nicely grilled.
Learn how to make delicious pork burgers that have the perfect fat content here.
Fish Burger
You and your guest are getting too bored with beef, pork, or chicken burger. Take this opportunity and try something different. Why don’t you try to grill some fish burgers? Fish burgers are super easy to grill.
You will be surprised at how healthy and flavorful these fish burgers could be in comparison with traditional beef burgers.
A basic fish burger consists of fish filets that are skinned and boned. There are many types of sauces + (types of sauce) and toppings that work well with fish. I highly recommend grilled fresh pineapple in your fish burger.
Some people might think that a fish burger is not good at all because they are afraid of the fishy smell. If you follow this grill time chart and internal temperature for fish burgers, once people try your burger, they will no longer have that fear anymore.
Now for the important grilling time, fresh-made fish burger patties take only 2 minutes on each side. For frozen fish, the time is a bit longer which is around 4 to 5 minutes for each side.
Bison Burger
Another option for the big fans of beef burgers is the bison burgers. Ground bison’s recipes are various + (ground bison recipes) since bison is very rich in flavor and that’s why it can make the best burgers.
If you want to cut back on your calories or fat, bison might be a great choice as it is leaner and lower in fat than beef.
Similar to beef burgers, there are a variety of ways to grill bison burgers in terms of the level of doneness.
I would suggest the best way to grill your bison burgers is similar to beef burgers which are medium-rare to medium. At this level of doneness, the meat would taste best.
The advised internal temperature for grilling bison is a little higher than beef burgers and it is applied for both fresh and frozen bison burgers. Here are the time charts for both fresh and frozen bison burgers.
Fresh Bison Burger
Fresh bison burger is quite similar to a fresh beef burger, however, the time that it takes to cook it to an exact level of doneness is a bit longer. Follow this chart for detailed information.
Frozen Bison Burger
Just like a frozen beef burger, a frozen bison burger also needs more and higher internal temperature time on the grill. Take a look at this chart to grill the perfect frozen bison burgers.
Turkey Burger
Turkey is also a lean and flavorful alternative to burgers. It is a great source of lean protein.
In comparison, turkey contains more protein and fewer calories than chicken. They are also slightly different in terms of sodium cholesterol levels.
When you grill turkey burgers, just like chicken, always make sure that they reach the doneness level of well done before taking them out of the grill. If these burgers are undercooked, the risk of food poisoning is greatly increased.
I would suggest grilling turkey burgers at 165°F to eliminate all the bacteria. For the fresh turkey burgers, the grilling time for each side is 5 minutes, and for frozen patties, it should be 7 to 8 minutes.
Mushroom and Veggie Burger
Worrying about serving vegetarian food to your guests at a barbecue or backyard party will not be a problem with mushroom and veggie burgers. These plant-based burgers are not just healthy but also appealing once they are grilled.
People might think that veggie burgers and mushrooms are bland. They are wrong, if veggie and mushroom burgers are seasoned in the right way, they can be as flavorful and delicious as meat-based burgers. The good news is that there are various mushroom varieties + (type of mushroom) for you to try.
Not only vegetarians can enjoy veggie and mushroom burgers but those who want to improve their diet can also try them. These burgers contain no cholesterol and are very low in fat. They also provide a lot of fiber which is good for our digestive system.
For these types of burgers, there is no internal temperature regulation, as long as you keep them hot throughout the process. However, be mindful that they can be easily overcooked. Therefore, pay close attention to the patties because you only want them to be a bit crispy on the outside.
I would suggest grilling the fresh mushroom and veggie burger for 5 to 6 minutes on one side and the frozen ones, which take around 7 to 8 minutes on each side.
You should not be flipping these burgers too many times as their structure is not very sturdy and might fall apart easily.
Tips For Grilling The Perfect Burgers
Grilling your patties for the right amount of time and internal temperature may result in savory burgers. However, you can push it to the next level with intense flavor by applying some of the techniques below.
Seasoning
All flavorful burgers start with a well-seasoned meat patty. Salt and black pepper are the most basic combination to add to your patties. These simple two will bring out the best flavor of your meat patty.
Try adding some freshly chopped onions to your patty as they will add some extra sweetness to your patties. Once you bite into a burger that has onions inside, you will instantly notice the crunchiness and aroma of the chopped onions.
If you don’t have time or are not confident in your cooking skills, try using some of the ready-made seasonings that can easily be found in any supermarket. There is a variety of them that you could choose for your homemade burgers.
Preheat Your Grill
Even though you can easily turn on your grill with very high heat, you should resist the urge to start cooking right away, instead, you should wait for the heat to spread throughout the grate.
Before you begin cooking, allow your grill to heat up for 10 to 15 minutes with the lid covered.
By heating your grill before grilling, your meat patties will be cooked evenly.
Preheating your grill will also result in attractive grill marks as well as prevent your patties from sticking to the grates.
Follow this video’s instructions to prepare for the perfect grilling.
Adding Cheese To Your Burgers
Cheese and burgers are the perfect duos that are loved by everyone. Once your patty is almost cooked, put a slice of cheese on top and watch it melts over the burger.
Some of the best cheeses to add to your burger are Cheddar, American cheese, and Monetary Jack. These cheeses have distinctive flavors and are the ideal match for beef patties that complete your delicious burgers.
Learn these 5 tips to make the best home-cooked grill burgers.
FAQs
Grilling the perfect burgers that suit your or your guests’ tastes when they come to your party is not an easy task at all. Hence, this section is used to answer some problems that may arise during your burger grilling process.
Burger Grilling Is No Longer A Challenge
The fact that burgers have always been the number one choice for cookouts and barbecue parties has brought home cooks or new cooks many concerns. However, by reading through this post, now you can be confident serving your guests the best burgers.
Do not forget to pay close attention to the heat and time. Moreover, only flip your burger once and ensure it reaches the right internal temperature before being served. Chicken and pork burgers are great alternatives, but you must notice their doneness as these two cannot be eaten rare.
I hope that with this guide, you will successfully grill many types of burgers for your friends and family. If you find this post useful, do not hesitate to share it with your friends or leave some comments below. Wish you the best of luck!
References
- What Will Happen if You Eat Raw Chicken?. (2022). Retrieved 29 June 2022, from https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-happens-if-you-eat-raw-chicken.
- Uncooked pork: The safety risks of Raw Meat. WebMD. Retrieved June 29, 2022, from https://www.webmd.com/diet/is-it-safe-to-eat-rare-pork.
