Making the Perfect Burger Patty for Grilling

I usually put in a packet of Lipton Onion Soup mix, an egg, some bread crumbs, and some A1 sauce.

Another way is to add a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch and an egg.
The egg helps hold the meat together.

The first suggestion makes a hell of a meatloaf too!!!!!
I just put in a roaster and put a big can Campbell's Tomato soup mixed with a half a can of water over it and bake. The tomato soup makes a fantastic gravy.

If you're wanting a super easy one - the Angus Beef Patties from Schwans are delicious! They come pre-made frozen into packs of two. You just remove them from the freezer, salt and pepper (I also add the seasoned salt from Walmart - it's the blue bottle that's like 50 cents and just called seasoned salt), and grill. Normally, I hate the pre-made patties you can buy, but these are great and I always get compliments on them when we make them for people. It's $14.99 for 8 patties. Kind of pricy, but very yummy!

We put an egg & some spaghetti sauce in the meat. Everyone loves them! We saw them do it on the food channel.

After many trials, and errors, to achieve a well done burger that’s still juicy with a lot of flavor…here are my results. I start off with meat that hasn’t been frozen. The 85/15 vs. 90/10 is going to make a juicier burger (you can use either). Per pound I add half a medium onion pureed, A1 (about a tbsp), Worcestershire (about 2 tsp), a smidgen of Stubbs Hickory Smoke (go easy on the Stubbs – a little goes a very long way) and three dashes of Red Hot or Tabasco (more if you’re not catering to kids). Don’t make the mixture too wet – you can always add more liquid. After I shape the burgers I place a hole in the center to keep them from mounding up too much in the center. I place the burgers on a hot grill and turn only once removing when the juices that surface on the burger are almost clear and let rest for 5 minutes.

For the sodium conscious only 
One package of Lipton Golden Onion soup mix has 8 (1 tbsp) servings at 610mg (25%) each which is 4880mg per pkg. OUCH! A1 has 280mg per tbsp (12%), Stubbs has 45mg per tbsp (2%), Red Hot has 200mg per tsp (8%) and Worcestershire has 65mg per tsp. (3%). If I had to guess…all wet ingredients combined total 22% max of sodium vs. 25% of one dry tbsp of Lipton. Guess you can tell I have to monitor sodium intake in our house…lol.

Hope this helps.

my hubby has taught me how to make the best burgers ever! we tend to use 80/20 and usually make the full 5 pound log of meat from kroger. mix in one (or two) packets of onion soup mix (we'll use store brand if it's what's on hand), lea & perrins, salt & pepper. then make them into BIG (much bigger than i would have thought they'd need to be!) patties - usually about 5 inches across and around 3/4 inch thick. then - and this is a big deal - put the patties in a pan lining each layer with wax paper and stick them in the fridge! the longer they are in there (2 hours up to 1 day), the more moist and juicy the burgers are!

good luck!!

Paula Deen says to add a bit of water to the mixture, 2 tbsp or so. It really does work....I wasn't a believer until I tried it!

I get compliments on my burgers and they want to know how I make them.... it's easy - I mix in Lipton onion soup mix and Worchester sauce. I also sometimes add real bacon bits. Yum Yum! Have fun with it!

I don't cook great usually but I can make a mean hamburger. I put some Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing (Dry Powder Package), and I know this sounds crazy but I put in a little molasis and I get nothing but rave reviews on my burgers!!!!!!!!

i use 80/20 ground (you want the fat for a burger) i make large 1/2inch thick patties because they will shrink. after i form the patty (make sure it's pretty tight so it doesnt fall apart) i season with season salt & pepper

thats usually all i do sometimes i add bacon or blue cheese

Be careful how much you handle the meat. The more you handle it, the tougher and chewier it is. If you don't overwork it, all you really need to add is a little seasoning (I use salt, pepper, and a little garlic powder) Fillers like saltines and eggs aren't really needed, either since they tend to make the meat chewier. Use 80/20 meat because you need fat for burgers. With a pound of meat, divide it evenly into 4 parts. Make a ball out of each quarter pound part, flatten it making sure the middle is flatter than the edges and you'll end up with a nice flat burger. On the grill, start it out on the hottest area to brown it, flip it to brown the other side, and then move it to the cooler part of the grill to finish cooking the inside.

First make sure you buy GOOD meat, second, don't overwork it, third...don't overcook it, that is not to say it has to be pink in the middle, but if you leave it on the grill too long it goes rock hard. Season your meat with season salt, onion powder, anything that you think sounds good. Also go to foodnetwork.com and look up tasty burgers, there are at least three chefs on there that will give you great hints.
Good Luck!

I agree with using 85/15 meat. Season however you want. My family likes a little cajun seasoning. What I have found makes my burgers turn out perfect everytime is by having the grill good and hot (I use a gas grill) prior to putting them on. When I put them on, I turn it down to low and turn only once. They turn out looking and tasting perfect!

We like the frozen Bubba burgers best. You cook them from frozen. I buy them at Target. They are more expensive then making them yourself but they are the perfect size and they always turn out perfect.

Hi T. -

No matter what type of meat you decide to use. Mix in some Worchester Sauce and you will have the most incredibly moist and juicy burgers ever. We also use barbeque sauce sometimes in the mixture of before placing the meat on the grill.

I repeat the thumbprint advice. If you don't make that little dent, your burgers can end up a bit charred on the edges before they're cooked in the middle. And, as others have said, make those patties really big. They shrink and sort of pull up, so you may end up with tiny hamburger patties. The thumbprint helps with that, too--they don't seem to pull together when I make the dent.

I use plain meat and salt and pepper, but everyone's mixture ideas sound really yummy!

I mix 80/20 chuck (yes, you DO want fat, as the first responder said), a little shredded cheddar cheese, 2-3 shakes of w-sauce (lea & perrins, NOT the french's), and chopped onion together with a little bit of garlic salt, and make the patties that way. The cheese helps hold it together, and if the fire is hot enough, you'll have no problems...wait til the grill is hot, then when you're actually cooking, lower the temp.
Our family also loves "taco burgers": I mix the meat, some cheese, some drained rotels, some onion, and a packet of taco seasoning together to make patties, and serve with fresh guacamole and tomatoes. That's a great tasting burger and a different twist when you feel like a little spice.
I also like to do burgers with a little W-sauce and a packet of Lipton Onion soup mix. There's no reason they have to be flavored the same every time you eat them. (All 3 are very popular here).

Add one pound of sausage to the mix and season the meat as you like. You might check out Bobby Flay's website and google in hamburger recipes and see what you find. I like to add Worchestershire, about 1 Tabl. and S & P and then grill slowly.

Hi T., I've been grilling burgers & steaks for 40 yrs. I've used a little of everything but I find that no matter what kind of meat hamburger or ground turkey, as well as porkchops or steaks, lemmon pepper & season salt are the best for bringing out the flavor of the meat. The lemmon pepper seems to seer in the juices and the are great. I do use soy souce on pork chops & worchestershire on everything as well but most of the time just Lemon Pepper & season salt.Try not to grill them to long. Sometimes over cooking gives them the bad taste. You may have to cut one open a few times until you figure out how long to grill. Good luck hope this helps.

for really tasty burgers use 85/15 or 80/20 angus meat
I use a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch dip mix 1 packet per pound of meat mix w/hands and form patties then grill

I've never added anything to my burgers and people rave about them.

I purchase ALL my beef from Hirsch's in Plano ( NW corner of Parker/Alma)

Gary has the highest quality beef (as well as chicken and pork) you can buy in the metroplex area. For burgers... I buy ground chuck ( more fat) and I make patties about 1/3+ pound. Neighbors call my burgers "Flintstone burgers" as in BIG and juicy. They are awesome with nothing added other than salt/pepper before grilling.

Now..If I grill them... Not as great. My Hubby is the master griller and our guests love them.

In my opinion.... If you are buying cheap meat then you need fillers..... If you buy qualty to start with..... You are set.

Happy burger making!!!!! It is a favorite around here with daughter and her friends!!

Gary does sell premade frozen patties, which I keep on hand that are great for a quick grill.

When my husband and I grill burgers we add all the seasoning into the meat, an egg, and 7-12 saltine crackers. They are always very good tasting and juicy. We have also used a Ranch seasoning packet to the meat. That turns out really well and tastes awesome. Good luck with your grilling.

I add egg, bread crumbs, and the jarred minced garlic. The egg and crumbs help to bind it altogether. Yummo! Good luck!

I like to use angus beef (it is often on sale at Kroger for 1.99/lb). It is more flavorful. Be sure to use 80/20 if you want it juicy. I just make a patty with the ground angus, put it on the preheated grill. Don't turn until one side is doen. I like to season with Jane's Crazy Mixed-Up salt (w/ the spices at Kroger)on each side of the almost cooked burger. Yum! Good Luck.

I agree - my "boys" love the meats from Hirsch's. My son, when grilling, adds Lipton soup mix to the meat. He says not to use the generic/store brand soup. Also, America's Test Kitchen says when making a thick hamburger, put a thumb print (press down w/ thumb) in middle and that way you don't char the burger while trying to cook it all the way through and you don't notice it when it's in the bun.

I buy the 85/15 fat content. Then I salt the meat with garlic salt and add a tablespoon of ground flax seed to keep them moist and add the benefits of flax. I pepper the tops when I cook them because my 2 year old doesn't like pepper. I make mine wide, but thin because the do shrink up.

there's this new contraption i saw billy mays advertising on cable. it's a teflon type pan that has i think six slots for burger patties. there's no mess! you can place this item on the grill/stove and it cooks! i'm betting if you go to wal-mart you can purchase this item. i have not but will when i find it! good luck.

I always use fresh ground beef b/c previously frozen - thawed beef made into patties fall apart on the grill. I mix some smoke sauce into the meat with my hands first. After I shape the patties, I put them on the grill and sprinkle a fair amount of seasoned salt and then some pepper. That's it! The smoke sauce makes them taste incredible!

Cook them on a lower heat. I mixed them with Worstshire Leah Pepper and spices. But our grill I turn down a tad. You are probably cooking to high a heat. I had a cheap grill my neighbor always burned things on and gave it to me and it took me awhile to get the hang of it. Then years later got a nice grill that now is still working after about 15 yrs. It looks like H++++ but cooks anything on it great. Good Luck G. W

I use ground turkey and they turn out pretty dang good too with a little less fat, and they dont get dry, plus the rolls of jenni-o are a little cheaper then ground beef. I put worstershire and some tony's or season-all in mine and I also add crumbled crackers. The usually turn out REALLY good!

I agree with all the mixture ideas. Also you can get the McCormicks BBQ seasoning and season your meat. When cooking on the grill don't over cook your meat. It doesn't take long for the patties to cook so watch them and when they are firm take a peak inside one to see if it is cooked good enouh for your taste. Before long you will know exactly how long to leave them on.

I agree with someone else that said to use the 85/15 meat. It has a little more fat. The meat with less fat makes for dry burgers. I saw that on a cooking show. Also, never flatten the burger as it is cooking with your spatula because it squeezes all the juices out. I saw that on the same show. :)

Good luck!

Use Chopped Sirloin meat & add a little of your favorite BBQ sauce (not too much it will not patty-up) and a slice of bread shredded up add powdered onion & powdered garlic & a little season salt & garlic salt& mixed with the sirloin.
The grill, get some mesquite wood, not all charcoal.
Bon appetite' !!

Just like Judy I use egg, bread crumbs and minced garlic. ALot of the time I also add finely chopped onion, worchestershire sauce and sometimes chopped mushroom. In place of the worchestershire sauce I have also used 1/2 can of light beer.

I buy the pre-formed patties from Braum's and they are cheap and good! Their beef is raised without growth hormones so it's safe for kids.