Tuesday, March 30, 2010

The secret to juicy hamburgers

Hubby bought a book on grilling a few weeks ago and has treated us to some fabulous dinners as a result. This weekend we tried blue cheese burgers. Yum!

But the simplest thing he's learned about grilling hamburgers is to add water when mixing them up. For each pound of ground beef, add 2-3 TBSP of ice cold water. And season them lightly with a little salt and pepper. You don't need fancy seasoning blends that are expensive. Just salt and pepper. We've tried this method several times, and each time, the burgers were fabulously juicy!

We use ground chuck or regular ground beef. Lean ground beef will leave you with dry burgers because of the lower fat content. And be sure not to overcook them. You want the burgers to be done, of course. But depending on the thickness of your patties, cook for 5-7 minutes per side. You don't want charcoal burgers!

Happy Grilling!

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9 comments:

  1. We love burgers on the grill, so can't wait to try this tip out! Ours have been really dry lately.
    A little tip we do for our cheeseburgers is we make 2 thin patties, put a slice of cheese on 1 patty,top with the other patty and pinch the sides closed. Yummy cheesburgers, no messy,cheesy grill!

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  2. Thanks! We're getting ready for grilling weather ourselves. :) Do you have any suggestions for getting the burgers to not fall apart? Mine are always pretty moist, but they sort of fall apart on the grill.

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  3. I use a hamburger press to shape them. I got a cheap plastic one at Bed Bath & Beyond a few years ago. I sandwich the meat between pieces of wax paper so it doesn't stick to the press. After I take it out of the press, I push the edges of the patty in with my hand to squish it more tightly together.

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  4. I'll have to remember this - thanks! My burgers tend to dry out, so this is a much needed tip!

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  5. This makes absolute sense! Did you know it also works for meatballs? For years, I couldn't figure out how my mil made the moistest, most delicious meatballs. Then one day, she sat down to show my daughter how to make them and I learned the secret--add water to the mix. Mom P has since passed away, but her meatballs live on.
    I'm going to try the idea for burgers, now, too. Thanks!

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  6. Wow, so simple, yet I would have never thought of it! Thanks! Ok...now I'm hungry :-)

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  7. Wow! I haven't ever heard of this. I'm so ready for grilling season!!

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  8. I love to grill more then any other type of cooking-- what a great tip! Thanks.

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  9. Great tip. We also splash a dash of
    Worcestershire sauce pn them too.

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