Best Way To Grill Burgers on the Kamado Joe

We have covered quite a bit in our series for the best way to grill burgers.

This is the forth post in our series on Kamado Joe burgers.

We’re going to cover some new ground here and put together the all of the other pieces we have explored so far.

Get ready for some juicy and delicious grilled burgers! The neighbors will be climbing your fence.

So let’s get started …

Best Way to Grill Burgers

We have our ingredients list:
●  Fresh ground chuck, 80/20 blend
●  Fresh burger buns of choice
●  Kosher salt
●  Cheese, more on this burger topping in future posts

We’re not fans of big honkin’ mega-burgers. We work hard to tame all of those outdoor cooking variables and optimize for consistent cooking results … the best way to grill burgers.

Consistency is key:
●  We build out five-ounce patties shaped into a 4 1/2 inch diameter burger
●  We set up our Kamado Joe the same way every time for predictable cooks

That 4 1/2 inch burger hot off the grill will center up nicely on that toasted burger bun.

Aim for Consistency

Study that burger package label. Most packaging labels are precise to two digits. Aim for something close to what you’ll be grilling up for family and friends. Of course, you can always nudge those individual meat patties up or down a bit as needed. We’re looking for the best way to grill burgers. We want consistency.

●  One five-ounce burger = 0.31 pounds (142 grams)
●  Two five-ounce burgers = 0.62 lbs (284 grams)
●  Three five-ounce burgers = 0.93 lbs (426 grams)
●  Four five-ounce burgers = 1.25 lbs (568 grams)
●  Five five-ounce burgers = 1.56 lbs (710 grams)

Optionally, you can freeze any extra meat for another cooking event. Think here a big ole pot of Kamado Joe chili — something where the texture of the frozen and thawed beef is not a critical component of the meal.

Chances are you can find a package of fresh 80/20 ground chuck close to your desired weight. Otherwise, get your new friend behind the meat case to package up something special close to your desired package weight.

Go Ahead, Make Their Day

Don’t forget to tell her how well your last special order turned out. Yes, going out of the way to commend these folks does go a long long way on the quest for the best way to grill burgers.

Dale Carnegie said something along these lines, give honest and sincere appreciation. My take on these words, the behind the meat-counter folks work long hours every day and contribute to our successes behind the grill and smoker. Quality meats, quality eats!

Do everything you can to express gratitude and make their day, make it special whenever you can. Ask for cooking tips, advice, upcoming sales and specials; tell them how everyone just loved that last cut of meat you smoked or grilled. You’ll be surprised. No, it’s not schmoozing; you’re being honest and providing unbiased feedback.

Best Way to Grill Burgers – Temperature

We like to grill our Kamado Joe burgers at temperatures ranging from 400 °F to 425 °F (205 °C to 218 °C) as measured on the dome thermometer. The actual grill grate temperature might be closer to the 450 °F to 475°F (232 °C to 246 °C) range. This is our optimum grilling temperature that gives us a nice grilled appearance without overcooking the burger internals past that desired doneness.

Of course, the USDA publishes their ground beef and food safety guidelines. In part, for burgers to be considered safe to eat, they should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 F (71.1 C) as measured by a food thermometer.

Best Way to Grill Burgers – Time to Flip

The burger will tell you when it’s time to flip. After three or so minutes, lift the grill dome lid and take a quick peek. Look for any reddish liquid starting to pool on the uncooked surface of the burger patty. Look for browning around the edges of the burger. Maybe that browning is creeping from the edges to the burger surface.

See some of that?

Slide that burger-flipping spatula right underneath the edge of the patty. If you feel any resistance, back off and close the dome lid and wait another minute.

That burger spatula should slide right under the meat patty with no resistance. If so, then it’s time to flip. If not, wait a bit more and try again. It’s the best way to grill burgers. Flipping too early will lead to broken and torn burgers.

Best Way to Grill Burgers – Experience Counts

From one day to the next, every cookout, the process and variables will be slightly different. That is what makes these experiences fun. Yesterday’s backyard burger cookout will be different from the chief grilling officer manning the grills at the neighborhood cul-de-sac burger bash. Understanding the best way to grill burgers, the parts and pieces, twists and turns that Mother Nature might offer up makes for a most memorable cookout.

Best Way to Grill Burgers – Take Notes

As you dial in your skills, consider keeping a log on the best way to grill burgers. We track periodic grill dome temperature readings, grill grate readings using our multi-probe thermometer, environmental conditions, rain, wind, sun, clouds, and ambient temperatures. We’ll jot down our thoughts of the results and what we might try next time. Yes, grilling during the colder winter months is different than warm summer days and you need to change up your game. Keeping detailed notes helps.

Check out my other Kamado Joe and JoeTisserie recipes and links here on my Outdoor Eats page.