Ingredients Meat & Poultry Beef Recipes Ground Beef Recipes Thick Burger Make perfect, juicy burgers every time with this straightforward recipe. Prep Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 10 mins Total Time: 15 mins Servings: 4 Jump to recipe If you like a thick burger that's oozing with juice and full of beefy flavor, this is the recipe for you. While most burger recipes call for a pound of ground beef, we increase that weight to one and one-half pounds to make four substantial patties that will hold up to any and all toppings. Follow our tips for shaping them to ensure they hold together and don't shrink up into domed pucks as they cook. After a few minutes on the grill, you'll be rewarded with thick patties that are seared on the outside and juicy and mouthwatering within. How Long to Cook Burgers on the Grill—From Rare to Well Done Credit: Kelsey Hansen The Best Type of Ground Beef for Burgers When you're making burgers as thick and meaty as these, the type and fat content of the meat is more important than ever. Seek out ground chuck that's 80 percent lean—it will have the beefiest flavor and enough fat to stay moist and juicy on the grill. Don't worry if ground chuck isn't available, but do make sure you're using a blend of 80 percent beef to 20 percent fat. Anything leaner and you risk ending up with a dry burger. Shaping Thick Burgers for Grilling When it's time to shape the ground beef, you want patties that will neither fall apart on the grill nor dome up as they cook. Here's how to achieve that: Divide your meat into four equal-sized portions, about six ounces each. (If using a kitchen scale, set a piece of plastic wrap or parchment on it before weighing to keep the scale nice and clean.)Toss each portion back and forth between your hands a few times; this will help compact it just enough to hold together as it cooks. Avoid overworking the meat, though, which can cause the proteins to bind too tightly with one another and lead to a tough result. Shape each portion into a one-inch-thick patty, about four inches in diameter.Use your thumb to make an indentation in the center of each patty. As the beef shrinks on the grill, this indentation helps prevent doming. Don't forget to season the patties! Just before transferring them to the grill, sprinkle the patties generously on both sides with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. Doing this too early can pull moisture from the meat, which can cause it to dry out. Be sure to wait until your grill is hot and you're ready to cook. 3 Ways to Tell When Burgers Are Done The most accurate way to judge the doneness of your burgers is with an instant-read thermometer. For medium-rare, pull them off when they're between 125 and 130 degrees Fahrenheit. If you like them closer to medium, aim for 140 degrees instead. If you don't have an instant-read thermometer, give the patties a gentle squeeze on the sides—they shouldn't feel overly soft or mushy but shouldn't be completely firm either. Alternatively, use the tip of a sharp knife to peek into the very center—but avoid cutting all the way through the burger to prevent losing the precious juices. Directions Credit: Kesey Hansen Preheat grill and oil grates: Preheat grill to medium-high; brush grates with oil. Form patties: Divide meat into four equal portions. Toss each portion back and forth in your hands a few times, then gently form beef into four 1-inch-thick patties, about 4 inches in diameter. Make an indentation in the top of each patty. Generously season both sides with salt and pepper. Credit: Kelsey Hansen Grill burgers; flip and top with cheese: Grill burgers 3 minutes. Flip, top with cheese, and grill 4 minutes for medium-rare. Credit: Kelsey Hansen Tip If using an instant-read thermometer, aim for a temperature between 125°F and 130°F. Toast rolls: Toast rolls face-down on grill until just lightly charred, about 30 seconds. Spread them with mayonnaise if you're a condiment die-hard (though our food editors swear you won't need it). Credit: Kelsey Hansen Assemble burgers Sandwich burgers in rolls with tomato, onion, and lettuce. Credit: Kelsey Hansen How to Top and Serve Thick Burgers The buns: A bakery roll, rather than a packaged bun, is worth it here; it will soak up the juice without getting gummy. The cheese: We find that the sharpness of white cheddar does the best job standing up to the beefiness of this burger. Add the cheese immediately after flipping to maximize melt. The toppings: It's all about crunchy leaves of lettuce and thick slices of tomato and sweet onion—dainty slivers would get lost in this mammoth sandwich. Beyond the tried-and-true trio, consider other toppings like grilled onions, crunchy pickles, crispy bacon, and sliced avocado. The Best Sides to Serve With Grilled Burgers Summery salads: Balance out all that meaty richness with a bright-tasting salad like this mixture of tomatoes and avocado or a tangy green leaf salad. A classic cookout standby like potato salad—try our test kitchen's favorite recipe or this zippy, mustard-laced version—or pasta salad, like this marinated-artichoke and green bean number, would also be an excellent accompaniment. Simple sides: You can't go wrong with corn on the cob (keep it classic or try our take on the Mexican street-food favorite) or some grilled summer squash. Craving crispy potatoes instead? Pop some potato wedges in the oven before you get started on the burgers, or put that hot grill to use by making these vinegary grilled potato slices. 5 More Burger Recipes to Try Our Favorite Turkey Burger Bistro Burgers Cheese-Stuffed Portobello Burger Thin Burger Shrimp Burgers Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.