There are several ways to cook a patty on the grill, but let’s start with the cooking grid method. You’ve only got one side to utilize if you’re using a stainless rod grid. However, if you have cast iron or cast stainless grids, you can utilize either the pointed side or the grooved side. The pointed side will give you those perfect sear marks you aim for with a steak. But flipping over your grids to use the grooved side helps keep some moisture in your burger, as the juices sit in the grooves and baste the meat as it cooks.
No matter which cooking grid you’re using, you want to cook your burgers over medium heat, flipping four times to get that sear mark cross-section. You’re trying to reach an internal temp of 150-160˚F without charring the outside. You can also move the burgers from direct to indirect heat if the outside is getting too crispy and you still need the internal temperature to climb higher. The warming rack on your grill is suitable for this, or simply move the patties to another grid without a burner turned on below it.
The other option for cooking a burger patty is to use a griddle. We have several options to fit any grill. The exact fit cast iron griddle replaces your cooking grids inside the cook box. The side burner griddle can turn your side burner into an additional flat top cooking surface. And there’s the narrow stainless griddle if you’re tight on space and only want to cook one or two burgers at a time.
You’ll follow a similar cooking method with the griddle, keeping an eye on the patties to make sure they don’t brown too quickly while the interior cooks. But with a griddle, you’ve got a much broader, even heating surface that acts as a barrier between your meat and the direct flame. This avoids flare-ups for a more controlled cook. You can also use a griddle to make smash burgers (a recent popular trend). Grab a super flipper and press down on your patty as it’s cooking for a super-thin burger. Keep in mind that the meat will cook much faster with a smash burger since you’re flattening the patty for more direct contact with the cooking surface.