How to make the BEST cheeseburgers

I want you to nail how to make cheeseburgers because when you do this is a foolproof way to get solid nourishment and bioavailable protein into your system.

You might think that you already know how to make a freaking cheeseburger. And, maybe you do.

But, there are a few things when it comes to making cheeseburgers such as how to source your meat and cheese, how to prepare the meat, when to season it and how to season it that will make your burger that much more delicious.

We tend to get caught up in dietary trends like Carnivore and Paleo and Keto where we focus dogmatically on the linear nutrient profile and throw the tastebud profile out the window.

Listen, you don’t have to eat bland food in order to achieve your health goals.

In fact, if your food isn’t delicious you’re going to grow tired and weary of cooking. You’re going to think of it as a chore. You’re going to think of it as something to just check off your To Do List. And, you’re going to get so sick of it that you throw in the towel and start Post Mating your food again (gross).

Something that I highly recommend when it comes to cooking that will make your life and meals a whole lot easier…is to get a gas grill.

The most common question I get asked around cooking is, How do you cook meat and fish?

It’s a good question because learning how to nail it in the kitchen when it comes to animal protein does take practice, skill and, often time, a meat thermometer.

Having a gas grill makes this process so much easier.

Today, I’m going to walk you through how I make cheeseburger’s starting with how I go about purchasing the meat all the way to getting that first bite into my mouth.

Today, I’ll go over making burgers on a gas grill (if you don’t have one, get one! It is well worth the investment. I love Weber Gas Grills).

PURCHASING YOUR MEAT

First, I strive to get the cleanest meat, sourced from regenerative farmer’s. This way, I know that not only am I getting the most nutrient dense product but I’m also supporting small family farmers, I’m supporting carbon sequestration, I’m supporting animal welfare and I’m supporting soil and planetary health.

Those are all BIG wins for me and for you!

While it’s rare to find regenerative beef (at least at this time) in your grocery store, it isn’t impossible.

If you live in the states, look for Thousand Hills Beef. They are regenerative and you can often find them in food coops or even at Whole Foods (even though I despise of Jeff B-e-z-o-s).

I source all of my meat from regenerative farmers.

If you cannot find regenerative raised beef, your next best bet is 100% grass-fed + grass-finished beef.

When purchasing your ground beef, you also want to consider the fat ratio. And, honestly this depends on what taste and texture you’re going for with your burger. I know this may be a little more nuanced than you bargained for with cheeseburger 101 but understanding this will make your cheeseburger making endeavors all the more successful and enjoyable.

The leaner the meat, the less cooking time needed. If you cook a lean piece of meat for too long it will taste like shoe leather (unless, of course, it’s a low and slow cook in a stew).

Not only do I find lean ground beef to resemble a desert sand cake, it’s also chewy and lacks flavor all because it’s low in fat.

The human body needs animal fat to support cellular health, mitochondrial health and to make hormones. So, I look for 80/20 or 85/15 ground beef.

Honestly, my favorite grind to make cheeseburgers with is ground chuck. It has more flavor that ground beef, it has great marbling (fat distribution) and this is because it comes from the neck and shoulder of the cow which has a naturally higher fat profile than ground beef.

PREPARING YOUR MEAT

Once you’ve purchased your ground beef or chuck, now it’s time to prepare your meat for cooking.

I cannot emphasize this point enough…

BRING YOUR MEAT TO ROOM TEMPERATURE BEFORE COOKING.

No, you will not get a bacterial illness by brining your meat up to room temp.

What you will get though is a much more tender burger.

Throwing cold meat into a pan or onto your grill will result in chewy, less flavorful meat.

This is because when cold meat hits a hot surface it causes the protein molecules in the meat to wring tightly together. This pushes the water in the meat to the surface which creates, tougher meat. AKA shoe leather.

Allowing your meat to come to room temp before cooking will make your meat more tender because it allows the proteins in the meat time to relax and the water (moisture) in the meat is then distributed evenly throughout the meat.

Bringing your meat to room temp = tender AF meat.

SEASONING YOUR BURGER

The world is your oyster when it comes to seasoning your burger. Focus on the theme of your meal and choose your seasonings accordingly.

For example, if you’re having a good ol’ American meal and burger, go with fine sea salt, black pepper, onion and/or garlic powder.

If you’re having a Mexican themed dinner, add some red chile pepper or smoked chile powder to your burger.

If you’re going Thai, add some Thai chile paste to your burger.

You get the gist here…

It’s also important to consider the timing of your seasoning…

There are 3 ways I suggest seasoning your burgers…

1) Season your burger immediately before cooking

2) Season your burger and let set for 10 minutes before cooking

3) Season your burger and let set for a minimum of 40-45 minutes before cooking

Seasoning your burger (or any meat besides fowl for that matter) and letting it sit between the 10-30 minute range will pull moisture to the surface of the meat without giving it enough time to distribute back to the middle of the meat. This will result in tougher meat.

Personally, I always go for the 10 minute season when making burgers and steaks.

COOKING YOUR BURGERS

Once your burgers are at room temp and seasoned, they’re ready to go on the grill!

Preheat your grill to a minimum temperature of 400°F.

[When making burgers, I keep my grill on high throughout the entire cooking process].

Place your burgers on the hottest part of the grill and close the lid.

CHEF’S NOTE
I highly recommend cooking your burgers to rare or medium rare. This not only makes for a tastier burger but also improves digestibility of the proteins and enhances nutrient content of the meat.

Let the burgers cook for about 5-6 minutes. Flip, add cheese and cover. I like to use a hard or semi soft raw cheese for my burgers such as manchego or buffalo mozzarella.

CHEF’S NOTE
If your burger sticks to the grill when you go to flip it, it’s either because your grill surface wasn’t hot enough when you put your meat on the grill or the meat wasn’t cooked enough before flipping. Every grill is different so get to know it, cultivate a relationship with it and you will have a win-win relationship for life.

Cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Do I use a meat thermometer to test when my burgers are done?

F*%k No. I use my sense of touch. Once I think my burgers are done, I’ll take my index finger and press gently on the middle of the burger (I do this with steaks and pork chops too). If it’s super mushy, I know it’s not quite done. If it’s too firm, I know I overcooked it. If there’s the perfect give, I know I nailed it and it’s right around medium rare.

Pull your burgers from the grill and let rest about 5 minutes before eating.

ALL MEAT NEEDS A REST PERIOD BEFORE EATING

This is because meat contains muscle. And, resting the meat allows the muscle fibers to relax and the water to redistribute to all parts of the muscle. The rest period is dependent on the cooking time.

The longer the cook time, the longer the rest time.

The shorter the cook time, the shorter the rest time.

Burgers take 10 minutes or less to cook. So, a 5 minute rest time is perfect in this case.

Now that your burgers are ready, don’t forget to add your favorite condiments like homemade ketchup (I see a recipe in your future), mustard, guac, grilled onions, a fried egg (why not?), BBQ sauce…

Once you prepare burgers in this way, you’ll never go back.

Enjoy!

~Heathar

PS We are starting to prepare for our annual Fall Farm Fundraiser Dinner. Even if you cannot attend in person, your donation helps our cows get more pasture this 2025 and helps get our A2A2 dairy products to pregnant moms, indigenous cultures as well as our local community. To learn more about the dinner and/or to make a donation to our farm, click here.