America has an undeniable burger obsession. So great is their love for these delicious, flavor-filled delicacies that they consume 50 billion of them yearly. That works to about 3 hamburgers a week for every American. Most people prefer to get their burgers from their favorite fast-food joints as opposed to making them at home.
While you might not be a college-trained chef who’s spent years honing your burger making skills, you can still churn out delicious mouthwatering burgers at home. You only need the necessary burger-making ingredients and most importantly, the right cookware, which in this case is a griddle.
Griddles come in various shapes, sizes, and designs that will let you wow your friends with your fantastic burger making skills. If this sounds good, read on and learn how to cook burgers on a griddle.
How to Cook Burgers on a Griddle
The secret to making the perfect burger lies in having the right ingredients – from the condiments, meat patties, buns – and the ability to work your griddle skillfully. While you can still achieve great results from a stovetop griddle, electric ones make the best options. They give you the freedom to set and regulate the cooking temperature, which is crucial to your success.
Ingredients
- A pound of finely ground beef
- Ground black pepper, onion and garlic powder
- Vegetable oil
- 4 hamburger buns
- Butter
- Onion slices
- Lettuce leaves
Preparing the Meat Patties
- Go for finely ground patties if you don’t want the hassle of breaking out the grinder. Otherwise, use the small holes on your grinder to ensure the ground beef comes out fine. You want an excellent patty consistency that won’t come apart during the cooking process.
- Mix together the finely ground beef with black pepper, onion, and garlic powder in a bowl until all the ingredients blend well.
- Roll the mixture into a series of balls that are about two inches wide in diameter and weighs about four ounces.
- Shape the meatballs into patties with your hands and press the center of each ball to create a dimple on one side. Since meat expands as it cooks, creating a divot keeps the patty from swelling into a ball.
- Season each side of the patties with salt and any other spice you wish to use. Seasoning the patties in advance and let the meat absorb the flavor fully for a delicious and appetizing taste.
- Place the patties on a tray and refrigerate them for at least two hours before cooking. Keeping them in the fridge gives them a firm consistency to ensure they don’t come apart as you grill them.
Preparing the Sauce
Preparing this sauce gives your hamburger a delicious taste. You can make this sauce as you wait for the patties to season in the refrigerator and set it aside until it’s time to use it.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons of sour cream
- 3 teaspoons of ketchup
- 3 teaspoons of mustard
- 1 teaspoon horseradish
- 1 teaspoon apple cider
Put all the ingredients into a bowl and mix them thoroughly until you get a thick consistent mixture.
Grilling the Cheeseburger
- Fire up your griddle and ensure that it’s well above 300 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have an electric skillet, set the temperature at precisely 310 degrees.
- Coat the griddle with a thin layer of cooking oil, then place the burger meat on top.
- Press the meat patties on the griddle and cook them for 4 minutes until they are golden brown and slightly charred.
- Flip the patties with a silicone spatula if using an electric griddle to avoid damaging the nonstick cooking surface.
- Cook the other side for 3 minutes then add the cheese slices on the cooked topside for the last minute of cooking time. That allows the cheese to melt. Cook for the 4minutes if you’re not making a cheeseburger.
- Cut the hamburger buns into halves so that you have upper and bottom halves.
- Butter the cut sides of the buns lightly and lay them on the hot griddle for about a minute or so, until they achieve a golden color or are toasted.
Preparing The Hamburger
- Lay the buns on a plate or flat surface.
- Pour some of the sauce on the bottom halves.
- Lay the grilled cheeseburger patty onto each of the bottom halves of the buns.
- Top up the sweet onions, lettuce, and any other condiment that strikes your fancy and top it off with the other toasted half of the burn.
Useful Hamburger Cooking Tips
The amount of fat content in the ground beef has a considerable effect on how your hamburgers turn out. Ground beef that is 80 percent lean makes for juicy and tender patties that in turn give you sumptuous burgers. Going any leaner than 80 percent causes the patties to dry out and stick to the cooking surface of the griddle. Again, ground beef with too high-fat content makes for greasy tasting hamburgers.
Cooking patties at a high temperature ensures that they achieve an internal temperature that is above 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Unlike other beef cuts such as steaks that are from a specific part, hamburger meat is derived from different animal parts. As a result, it has a higher likelihood of being contaminated with harmful bacteria. A high internal temperature neutralizes any harmful microbes to protect you from diseases.
Different hamburger meats require different cooking times. At 3 or 4 minutes, ground beef requires a relatively lower cook time compared to turkey meat which needs at least five minutes of cooking time. You have a limitless choice when it comes to making hamburgers aside from beef burgers. Some options include lamb, chicken, pork, and venison. Vegans have the option of using mushroom, black beans, and more.
Cheeseburgers taste better with all the cheese melted as it causes the entire patty to be covered in the tasty cheese. If using a griddle with a lid, add the cheese when cooking the second side then cover it for about a minute. That ensures all the cheese will melt and engulf the patties.
Electric skillets make the best choice when making hamburgers at home. The come with a nonstick cooking surface that heats evenly to let your patties cook evenly. They also give you greater control over the cooking temperature to ensure that your meats are well-cooked to kill any disease-causing organisms that might be present.
