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Kitchen Tips

9 tips for making the best-ever homemade burger

From forming the perfect patty to our secret for maxing out on toppings, here's how to make every burger you grill this summer your best ever.
A fresh Italian burger—a burger on an Italian bun topped with pancetta, cherry tomatoes; 2 red onions, thinly sliced; black pepper Boursin and lemon-pepper aioli. The burger is made with ground beef, an egg, worcestershire sauce;

(Photo: Roberto Caruso)

This weekend, your burgers will be perfectly cooked and packed with all the toppings they can handle thanks to these grilling and assembly tips, straight from our kitchen:

1. Start with medium ground beef
It has a lot more flavour than lean or extra-lean beef, and most of the fat drips away while it's cooking.

2. Mix the meat with your hands, not utensils
This will ensure you don't over-mix the meat, and it creates a nice texture.

3. Keep your patties thin
Take a handful of ground beef and shape it into a ball, then flatten it out. Don't make the patties too thick — half an inch to an inch thick is the perfect size.

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4. Indent your patties
Use your thumb to make a little impression in the middle of each patty to prevent them from puffing up into balls as they cook.

5. The grill should be hot before you add the patties
This will ensure they don't stick, and they'll achieve that caramelized exterior.

6. Don't over-flip
And never, ever press down on the patties with your spatula (that will make all the flavour escape).

7. Use grated cheese
It melts faster than sliced, while still giving your burger that extra oomph. (We like using smoked cheddar.)

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8. Hollow out the lid of your bun
It's all about making room for more toppings. (Our fresh Italian burger has seven in total.)

9. Try different condiments and toppings
Our favourite condiment is sriracha mayo—just stir some of the hot sauce into mayo and slather it on.

Vegetarian? See how easy it is to make our popular veggie-quinoa burger below:

Related:
Summer Grill Guide
How to get your barbecue ready for grill season
How to cook ribs on the grill

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The cover of the Chatelaine Summer 2025 issue, featuring a pink drink with a paper straw.

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In our Summer 2025 issue, we get real about what sex is like after 40. Plus, living together after divorce, our favourite beauty products of the year and 17 incredibly summery recipes, from ceviche to sour cherry cobbler.