SeriousBBQs.com grilled hamburger recipes | SeriousBBQs.com (2024)

Sometimes we barbecue lovers just need to come back to the simplicity and “commonness” (if that’s a word?) of good ole’ burgers on the grill. They are easy and fast to make, and if you do it right, outstandingly edible and impossible to beat.

I really wanted to share something special with you for this fourth of July weekend. Sadly, I’ve been feeling under the weather yesterday and today, so I decided to simply show you how I grill burgers and fries on my Meadow Creek SQ36 Smoker. If you really want an enjoyable cookout with the family, grill up some burgers and fries and serve them right off the grill. It’s a lot of fun to pick at the fries and dip them in ketchup right on the grill. 🙂

To the right is the finished product, for your drooling convenience. 😉

I’ll be using a Meadow Creek SQ36 Smoker with a grill pan in this recipe.

First, I pile my charcoal together and light it with a propane torch.

We usually mix our own burgers because they are so much better than what we can buy in the store around here. While the charcoal is getting lit, you can mix up your meat. Earlier I posted a good recipe for homemade burgers. Click the link for our recipe and other tips on grilling burgers.

After the charcoal has white edges, I spread it out evenly and set my stainless steel food grate on the grill.

In my homemade burger recipe here, I explain in more detail my secrets for grilling amazing burgers, but it’s really not that hard. Season them well on both sides and get ’em cookin’!

Now, here’s where it gets really fun—grilling fries. 🙂

Spread aluminum foil on the grate and use a fork to poke a bunch of holes in it. This way the smoke can travel through the foil. Dump your fries on the foil and season them with Meadow Creek’s regular seasoning or another rub that tastes great on vegetables. “Stir” them a little partway through to help them cook more evenly. Once they’re hot and soft all the way through, they’re ready to eat.

I like to add a slice of cheese to each burger as they finishing up on the grill. It makes a great presentation and the “eaters” will love it too.

If the fries are getting close to done, but you need more time with the burgers, slide the foil over to a cool spot on the grill.

Time to dig in! 🙂

Add some bread, lettuce, onion, and ketchup—and get your jaws in gear.

Now it’s your turn. Please leave a comment to share your thoughts. Like it? Ideas for improvement?

Just go do this and have fun,

Lavern

I’ve eaten lots of grilled hamburgers in my life. I’ve eaten some that were delicious and some that were okay. But then I’ve also had some grilled burgers that were simply amazing.

Here are a few of my secrets to making amazing grilled hamburgers.

1. Mix your own burgers from ground beef.
2. Season both sides heavily with a tasty barbecue rub (seasoning).
3. Don’t overcook them.

If that was all you knew about grilling hamburgers, you could take the above three secrets and make amazing grilled hamburgers. But I’m going to elaborate on these a bit and share a recipe for mixing up some amazing burgers for the grill.

Grilled Hamburger Recipe

• 1 pound hamburger
• 1 egg
• 2 slices onion, chopped
• 8 small Saltine crackers, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Mix the above ingredients together and form into burgers. If you don’t have a burger press, you can use a 1/3 cup or 1/4 cup measuring cup to measure the burger and then form the burgers with your hands.

Season both sides of the burgers heavily with a decent barbecue rub. If you don’t have anything, you can simply mix equal parts of salt, fresh ground peppercorn, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika. Check out my recent blog post on barbecue rub recipes for more help.

The final secret has to do with not overcooking the meat, and I can’t stress this enough. I personally don’t like to bite into a burger with lots of raw beef in the center, but I try to aim for a slightly pink center.

If you’re grilling thick burgers, turn down the heat and give the centers time to cook. Otherwise, the outside will get overdone and the center will still be raw. This is not a big issue with thin store-bought burgers though.

As they’re cooking, I like to brush barbecue sauce or ketchup on both sides to add a little more flavor and juice. And just as they’re finishing up, throw a slice of cheese on the top of each burger.

Serve them with some good homemade bread or rolls, sweet and tender lettuce, slices of sweet onion, mustard, ketchup, and pickles.

You will end up with more than an amazing grilled burger. You’ll be stunned with an amazing, loaded hamburger sandwich. This is easy deliciousness.

Have fun!

Lavern

PS. The Meadow Creek BBQ26S Chicken Cooker and BBQ42 Chicken Cooker are both great for backyard grilling. Raise the charcoal pan for grilling burgers and drop it for flippin’ chickin’!