Grilled Cheeseburgers
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Entree
Serves: 4-6 burgers
Ingredients
Burgers:
  • 1½ lbs ground chuck (80% lean ground beef)
  • ½ cup bread crumbs
  • 3-4 Tablespoons milk
  • 1 very small onion, grated
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon tomato paste (or 1½ Tablespoons ketchup)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Toppings:
  • 4-6 hamburger buns or 4 Kaiser rolls
  • 4-6 slices cheese
  • 1-2 tomatoes, sliced
  • 4-6 lettuce leaves (Iceberg, Romaine, Boston Bibb, etc.)
  • ½ of an onion, sliced
Burger Sauce:
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • 3 Tablespoons ketchup
  • ½ - 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
  • 2 pickles, minced (or 1 - 1½ Tablespoons of dill pickle relish)
  • ½ Tablespoon minced shallot (or any onion)
  • 1 very small garlic clove, minced
Instructions
  1. Make the burgers first. In a medium bowl, pour the milk over the breadcrumbs, until the breadcrumbs are completely covered in milk. Grate the onion into this same bowl, add the minced garlic clove, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste (or ketchup), the salt and pepper. Mix to combine. Add this mixture to the ground beef.
  2. Mix to combine, being careful not to overwork the beef.
  3. Divide the meat into 4-6 even portions, and shape each into a burger patty. If you use Kaiser rolls or hamburger buns made in a bakery, you will have 4 burgers. If you use the smaller hamburger buns from the bread aisle, you will have 6 burgers. Use your hamburger bun as a guide to how big to make your patties. Your raw burger should be slightly bigger than the bun.
  4. Make a slight indentation in the center of the patties. As the burger cooks, the center will puff up a little. The indentation in the center will make it nice and even all the way across.
  5. I line a rimmed baking sheet or a large cutting board with aluminum foil or parchment paper and place the burgers on top, so it will be easy to carry to the grill.
  6. Heat your grill on high heat for at least 15 minutes. Dip a wad of paper towels in oil, and go over the grill grates with the oil 3-5 times.
  7. While you are waiting for the grill to preheat, prep all your toppings and make the burger sauce by combing all the ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate. You can make the Burger Sauce up to a day in advance as well.
  8. Place the burgers on the preheated grill and grill the burgers about 4 minutes per side. Don't fiddle with the burgers and most definitely DO NOT press on the burger with your spatula. You will press all the juiciness out of the meat and your burgers will be very dry. Just set your timer to 4 minutes, step to the side and after 4 minutes give them a flip. You should see beautiful grill marks.
  9. Grill the burgers for another 4 minutes.
  10. Place a slice of cheese on top of the burgers and grill for 1-2 minutes, just until the cheese melts. If your burgers are smaller and you are making 6 instead of 4, place the cheese on the burger after 2 minutes of grilling on the second side.
  11. Place your hamburger buns on the grill for a minute or so, just until they get slightly golden.
  12. Spread the Burger Sauce on your hamburger buns and load it up with the burgers and all your favorite toppings.
Notes
If you are making burgers for a crowd, you can place the raw burger patties one on top of another, separating the layers with parchment paper.
You can even make the meat mixture or the patties ahead of time, up to a day in advance and they will be ready to be slapped on the grill whenever your guest arrive. I've even frozen extra patties. Just thaw them and they are ready to go on the grill.

If you have leftover grilled burgers, you can reheat them the next day. Pour in just enough water to cover the bottom of a nonstick skillet. Place the grilled burgers into the skillet and cover with a lid. Cook on low heat until heated through all the way, flipping the burgers over halfway through. The burgers will stay nice and juicy if you are using this method.
Recipe by Olga's Flavor Factory at https://www.olgasflavorfactory.com/recipes/main-course/grilled-cheeseburgers/