Perfect BurgersNothing says summer more than a burger fresh off the grill. These days, burgers are more than the classic beef-and-cheddar variety. We’ve taken to making burgers out of everything, from chicken to seafood to beans!
When choosing your burger, don’t be afraid to mix things up a little. Try adding international flair through toppings like kimchi or tzatsiki sauce, or mix some pesto right into the meat before cooking. Adding chopped olives, onions or jalapeños can add so much flavor with minimal effort.
Even if you’re a red meat fan, branching out with a burger made from mushrooms or lentils will surprise your taste buds, in a good way. Vegetarian burgers are often a little more finicky on the grill, so if you’re worried about them falling through the grates, use a special grilling sheet, or stick to cooking on the stovetop or baking in the oven. No matter how you cook it, you’ll get a meal worth celebrating.
Our Best Burger Tips
Our culinary expert Molly is sharing her tips for making the most of your burger experience:
Keep the ground meat very cold and handle it as little as possible.
Make the patties much bigger than you would normally (check out our premade burgers in the meat department for examples!) — as the burgers cook they will shrink up significantly. (This doesn’t apply to veggie burgers.)
Use your thumb to make a dent in the center of each patty. This helps the burger from becoming too round when it cooks.
If you're a fan of melty cheese, add a square to the center of an uncooked burger patty then fold the ground meat around it. The cheese will melt as the burger cooks but remain in the core.
Don't salt the burgers until right before they hit the grill. Salting too early will change the texture of the burgers making them springy instead of tender.
Be sure to prepare the grill, oiling and cleaning the grill grates and getting the fire nice and hot.
Recipes to Sink Your Teeth Into
There’s so many ways to prepare a burger, it’s hard to choose! Here are a few of my favorites.
Grilled Pork Burgers with Savory Pickled Peaches opens in a new tabWant even more inspiration? Check out all our burger recipes opens in a new tab. You can also pick up pre-made burger patties in our meat and seafood departments for quick cooking.
What’s your favorite burger? Share in the comments section below.
