Thin but Juicy Chargrilled Burgers Recipe (2024)

RE: forbidding ketchup, or anything else that is simply a matter of taste, as Ringo Starr said: "I don't subscribe to your religion."

Ketchup on a burger or (gasp) a hot dog is delicious. And I’ll have a glass of white wine with it because that’s how I roll.

Massaging ground meat (which additionally disrupts muscle fibers and releases intracellular protein) is widely used in Middle Eastern/Turkish/South Asian cooking, often combined with light salting. For kebabs, if you DON'T do so, the meat is likely to fall off the skewers during flame-roasting. Sometimes, chickpea flour, egg, or breadcrumbs are added as both binders and meat extenders.

@jet I guess you didn't notice the emoticon, which generally signifies a joking (or in this case, semi-joking) comment. If you like ketchup on your beef, or your prime rib well done or even Coca-Cola in your cognac, have at it. :-)

Kenji spends three paragraphs in his article explaining why you knead these and not other burgers. Long story short, if you don't they will fall apart immediately due to how thin they are.

Putting the veggies on the bottom only causes the juices to flow out and into your hands or onto your plate. Put mayo (or another similar condiment) on the bottom bun instead. This slows the progression of juices into the bottom bun long enough to eat the burger without having them drip all over you. Also, a griddle is for frying, not for grilling. If you want to fry your burgers that is fine, just don't confuse it with grilling, which is what this recipe calls for.

Looks like theres some beef in this thread...8)

This is almost exactly how my parents grilled hamburgers in the sixties. My mother used wax paper and a wooden hinged hamburger press to flatten the burgers, then my father threw them on a hot charcoal grill, and flipped them once. I can still taste them. Simple. Perfect.

Here in Texas, it's not unusual to dice up some smoked brisket and add it into the ground beef, which adds some smoky deliciousness to the finished product. Of course, do not add ketchup as the picture shows topside. That is, quite simply...verboten. :-P

I have always found that if you lightly form your thin patties but then put them in the freezer for an hour before you put them on the grill, they hold together on the grill grate and sty juicy in the thin center.

I thought the point of the article (and smashed burger concept) was to use a griddle on the grill, not to place the patties directly onto the grate.There's a must-read New Yorker article from years back, easy to find, on how Pat LaFrieda conquered the gourmet chuck-sirloin-brisket burger market (your butcher can do it for you), which was followed by a NYT Food Section piece on how to prepare the burgers at home using rye bread, caramelized onions and pimento cheese. Best burger in my book.

I made these last night, and they were a surprise hit -- 10/10 would make again; in fact I may have to update my default technique. Didn't have parchment, so I used a pair of silpat sheets; peeling off the patties was a bit of a pain, so in the future I'll probably use silpat for one side and parchment on the other.

When using Impossible or Beyond, thin burgers tend to cook too fast and dry out before you get a good char even on a hot grill. To solve this stick formed patties in the freezer for at least a couple of hours (we keep a few patties in the freezer at all times) and drop them directly onto a hot grill still frozen. This lets you get a good char and still have some pink left. Impossible/Beyond are shipped to stores frozen so refreezing causes no change to taste/texture of your burger.

@Michael B - as I "fondly" recall my 4 month career slinging burgers at Wendy's in college 30+ years ago ... White, Red, Green; White, Red, Green (mayo, ketchup, pickle, onion, tomato, lettuce). I still use that sequence today!

Made as written and they were a hit. My wife and son enjoyed a smaller burger and I made mine a double stack. I always struggle with getting grilled burgers just right and this technique made things very easy. Will definitely be a repeat and perhaps my new default grilled burger technique!

What is the purpose of placing the hot coals on only one side of the charcoal grill. I f you only cook the burgers on the side with the hot coals why do you have a side without any coals?

When rounding the patties, are they really supposed to be golf ball sized? That seems quite small considering it says the meat should overhang on the bun when served. Maybe I'm not pressing hard enough? Or maybe my burger buns are too big? Is this just me or did anyone else have this issue?

Wow Kenji, where have you fled? Been reading and following you for many years and have learned much. Recognize most of what you do is about technique not "recipe", but this oversimplification and unoriginal offering sadly equates to one star. :((

I've made these twice and plan to make them again this week. These are the best cheeseburgers I have ever eaten. Juicy, a bit of crunch and lettuce, tomato, red onion! for me ketchup! As a kid I hated thick burgers, didn't eat burgers for years and years (etc) but I found this recipe last year and can't recommend it enough.

Veggies on bottom makes sense to me because I always eat burgers upside down so the juices hit the "top", usually thicker bun.

I do not have access to a grill. How can I cook a burger inside so that it tastes that it was cooked outside on a grill?

Rather than butter, spread mayonnaise on the buns and toast. Less wet than butter and less likely to result in smoking or a "burnt butter" taste on a hot grill. Another approach is to use ghee or clarify your own butter.

These were perfect! THE perfect grilled burger. And so very simple. I didn't bother with pressing another pan on top, I just pressed them out with my hands until they were very thin.

Only in our times will this be called a thin patty and a thin burger. Looks very thick to me. And I wonder how some of the advertised taller burgers are eaten? Knife and fork? Who knows?

Cast iron pan smoking hot no oil or butter. Nix the outdoor grill for 100 good reasons starting with cleanliness

For a delicious sauce, try your favourite BBQ sauce and mayo - nothing else.Also make sure it is a good potato bun like Martin's Potato Rolls.Good Montreal Steak Spice doesn't hurt either.

These were fantastic!! I’m not much of a meat cooker, nor am I very good on the grill, but the method worked great! Thank you! I used Penzeys Chicago steak seasoning and a tortilla press to flatten the patties between wax paper. I will definitely be making these again!

This is the burger grill recipe I’ve been searching for. Super fast, thin burgers that hold their shape, a good crust, not a hockey puck.

These turned out great. Except, my “golf ball” sized balls of meat didnt make burgers 1/2-1/4 in wider than my buns (standard brioche- not huge). I guess i underestimated how big a golf ball is! I’d go for at least an 2-2.5inches in diameter for each ball.

Lid closedTook a little longer to cook. Went by look rather than time.