When it comes to grilling, nothing tops a perfect grilled burger. We collected the best burgers for grilling with our top 50 favorites, from smoked brisket burgers to butter stuffed burgers. Lamb, turkey, chicken, and of course beef burgers make up this collection of burger recipes along with everything from griddle smashburgers to classic chargrilled patties to make sure no matter what you’re grilling or grilling on, there’s something for you!
It’s no secret we crush pretty hard on flavourful burgers here. And for good reason. Is there any better dish that sums up summer grilling, Americana, and all the good that goes along with it? No. We didn’t think so.
Did you know May is #Nationalburgermonth? Whether you’re grinding your own beef or just casually flipping patties on a weeknight, this list of 50 of the best burgers for grilling this summer is exactly what you need to kick things off. From Memorial Day to Labor day (and long after that), the classic juicy flavors of flame kissed patties are begging to be topped with a single slice of American cheese or mountains of fun toppings.
When it comes to what grill to cook your burgers on, the best answer is the one you have. I have had amazing burgers from classic campfires, simple Weber Kettles, pellet smokers, fun Blackstone griddle burgers, and even gas grills (bonus points if you’re smoking on your gas grill). Sure, for a delicious hamburger, charcoal is my favorite. But every grill makes amazing burgers.
Check out this list along with our tips and tricks below for the juiciest and most delicious burger recipes!
These are the best hamburger recipes for grilling!
Juicy Ground Venison Burgers
These juicy ground venison burgers are the BEST way to use up deer meat. They are mouthwateringly delicious burgers topped with an umami mayo, thick cut bacon and crispy shallots!
Philly Cheesesteak Burger with Roasted Garlic Aioli
Roasted garlic aioli rakes these ridiculously good hamburgers to the next level piled high with sauteed onions and peppers over top an all beef hamburger loaded with tons of provolone cheese.
Surf & Turf Burger with Fried Oysters
Crispy panko fried oysters layer on the Cajun kick to these delicious hamburgers!
Cheddar Stuffed Burger with Apple Slaw
Stuff a burger with cheddar for the ultimate upgrade! These chargrilled burgers are everything you want topped with crispy bacon and a fresh apple slaw.
Ultimate BBQ Cheeseburger
Drizzle, or pour, on spicy and sweet bbq sauce for the ultimate Treager smoked bbq cheeseburger!
Roasted Garlic Butter Burgers
Add a layer of flavor with roasted garlic and butter in the all beef patties with bacon and fresh pickles.
Harissa Butter Stuffed Lamb Burgers
Ground lamb makes for an incredibly delicious hamburger and these are no joke – stuffed with a harissa butter that melts as the burger is grilled for a serious bonus.
Veal Burgers with Sage Aioli
Veal isn’t just for fancy restaurants. This burger makes a play on an old-school classic with a veal patty, prosciutto, havarti cheese, and a creamy Sage Aioli.
Argentinian Chimichurri Butter Burger
This burger is stuffed with a chimichurri compound butter that melts into the patties before being topped with more fresh homemade chimichurri and red onion for an amazing recipe (and a personal favorite of mine).
Cheddar Burger with Candied Bacon and Brisket Jus Mayo
Crazy good chargrilled beef hamburgers topped with cheddar and candied bacon piled atop a bun slathered with brisket jus mayo!
Shrimp Po Boy Burger
Cajun flavors are layered onto this recipe with spicy grilled shrimp, fresh tomato and remoulade sauce.
Char Grilled Fajita Burgers
Char-grilled burgers are made for skillet sauteed peppers onions and piles of guacamole!
The Secret to Creating a Smoked Smashburger
Have you mastered a smashburger on your own griddle yet? This is the ultimate smoked Smashburger is smoked then smashed for amazing tastes!
Irish Brat Burger
Bratwursts add a fun twist of tastes along with a creamy kicking dijon sauce and sauteed red cabbage all in one big bite.
Jack Daniels Whiskey Barrel Smoked Pork Burger
Tender pork burgers are smoked with Jack Daniels wood chips and topped with a variety of fresh flavors for an amazing double stacked bite!
Bobby Flay’s Crunchburger
Have you tried chips on your burger? We LOVE the texture and crunch that this trick adds to flavourful burger patties!
The Spud Muffin Burger
Tater tots tossed in melted cheese are a fun topping for these mushroom cheeseburgers!
Traeger Grilled Stuffed Burgers | Smoked Juicy Lucy
This juicy lucy is a perfectly pellet grilled patty bursting with melted colby jack cheese.
Bourbon and Blue Burger
Nothing is as smooth as good beef and blue cheese, except maybe bourbon and this recipe has it all. A thick patty, smooth bourbon bbq sauce, crisp bacon and melting piles of blue cheese all in one bite.
Onion Cheddar Pork Burgers
Want a juicy burger? Try ground pork. These onion cheddar pork burgers topped with BBQ sauce are so good you’ll come back for more.
Meatloaf Burger
Go classic with this meatloaf burger. Crispy onions, and of course ketchup for an ode to old-school recipes with a modern twist.
Asian Chicken Burgers
These chicken burgers are loaded with big bold umami flavors and topped with a shredded carrot hoisin sauce mushroom mix.
Steakhouse Smash Burgers
Smoked prime rib, zesty aioli, umami onions, and of course a smashed patty make this steakhouse burger a must-try.
Crunchy Pork Belly Burger
Pork belly goes on everything! Even on top of a burger, especially with an added onion ring. This behemoth of flavor is everything you want in one bite.
Beef Burgers with Crunchy Sour Cream Onions
Crispy crunchy onion rings add tons of texture and flavor to these bold grilled beef cheeseburgers!
The Best Burger Recipe So Good It Went Viral
This one goes down in the records books as the best burger recipe, and I know, cuz I tasted it. This perfect diner-style pork burger is indeed the best burger recipe. You’ll never guess the secret!
Pesto Burgers
Fresh basil pesto and marinara sauce is a delightful flavor for fun mozzarella topped cheeseburgers.
Barbecue Chicken Burgers
Drizzle on the barbecue sauce over these juicy chicken burgers!
Caprese Burger with Artichoke Pesto Sauce
The fresh flavors of mozzarella, tomato, balsamic, and basil bring a bright burst to this flavorful burger!
Sausage Burgers with Sriracha-Honey-Mustard Sauce
Ground sausage makes a delicious burger patty especially when topped with the sweet heat of a spicy sriracha honey mustard mayo.
Turkey Sliders with Avocado-Ranch Dressing
Love avocado? This fun turkey burger is topped with fresh slices of tomato, bacon, and a zingy ranch avocado mix.
Tasty Reuben Burger
A perfect combo of steamed pastrami and sauerkraut over top a mouth-watering juicy burger.
Ranch Beef Burgers
Use a ranch mix to add flavor to your ground beef mix for these simple and perfectly grilled cheeseburgers.
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Lamb Burger
Roasted red pepper hummus is a delicious addition along with fresh tomato and cucumbers for these delightful lamb burgers.
Tortas Hamburguesas
Pile on the toppings in this Latin-inspired big messy tortas hamburguesas!
California Burrito Style Burger
Is Cali adding fries to a burrito is a thing. And this burger makes a nod to that with crazy layers of melted cheese sauce, fries, and grilled beef patties.
Whiskey Burgers & Zesty Potato Salad
The blend of smooth whiskey adds a subtle note to this juicy big bite!
Smoked Brisket Burgers
Ground brisket is the base for this perfectly smoked burger. It comes out tender, juicy, and loaded with flavor!
The Ultimate Steak House Burger
This is the ultimate steakhouse burger with a blend of beef and bacon along with garlic, cheddar, and more sliced bacon on top.
Carolina Burgers with Mustard BBQ Sauce and Green Onion Slaw
Tried a Carolina bbq sauce yet? It’s a tangy mustard sauce that works perfectly over this thick burger and fun slaw.
Tex-Mex Bacon Cheeseburgers
This kicking queso topped burger is a Tex-Mex fiesta that you’re gonna need a napkin for.
Apple-Brat Burgers for Two
Try juicy brats as the grind for your next hamburger! They make excellent patties and stay juicy over the grill grates. With a bright slaw on top, it’s the burger combo you never knew you needed to try.
Evergrilling with Cheese Stuffed Barbecue Crunch Burgers
Pile on the chips for these cheese-stuffed barbecue crunch burgers!
X-Tudo Brazilian Everything Burger
This one has it all. Egg, cheese, ham, and tons of flavors all inspired by the infectious energy of Brazil!
Short Rib Burgers with Lemongrass & Fennel Slaw
Short rib makes a great grind, especially with this deliciously fragrant lemongrass and fennel slaw.
Caribbean-Jerk Lamb Burgers with Tostones
Take a trip to the caribbean with these jerk lamb patties, pickled red onions and of course fried tostones on the side!
Bison Burger with Maple Brussels Sprouts Slaw
Ground bison is a perfect base for a great hamburger! And these grilled patties are topped with a sweet Brussel slaw that you have got to try!
FAQs & tips for perfectly grilled burgers
Use 80/20% beef for the best burgers. Skip the lean ground beef when it comes to burgers. An 80/20 (or even 70/30) is the key to juicy burgers. Look at the label when buying your meat to make sure you’re getting a good fat ratio (bonus, 80/20 is cheaper than lean grinds)
Why go for an 80/20 blend? The fat cooks while the burgers are grilling and keeps things moist. Fat = Flavor. Just like with that perfectly cooked ribeye, the fat adds the rich beefy flavor of the meat.
Other tips for juicy burgers are adding an ice cube over the burger or stuff the burger with butter. Use caution though, too much ice or butter can cause flareups and water down the flavor.
Be gentle with your meat. Use caution when forming your patties. Overworking the grind can cause the burger to become dense and dry when cooking.
Tip: If using a hamburger press, do not smash the burger in place, use it to gently tap the meat into shape and that’s it.
Another common cause of dry and dense patties is smashing with your spatula. Unless you’re making an epic smashburger (on a griddle) don’t smash the meat! This just pushes our juices and feels like unnecessarily rage-y against the meat. And no, that isn’t blood you’re squeezing out of the ground beef, it’s myoglobin flavor, so don’t
To get grill marks, gently press the patty, don’t flex while you’re at it.
Season the outside of the meat. For the best flavor, make sure you season the outside of the raw hamburger patties. It’s the only thing you need to add to burgers before grilling. Sprinkle salt over the outside of the burger before grilling.
If you really want to double down, add a layer of umami by sprinkling my ooomami spice blend on the outside (oh, and it’s great to mix in mayo too. Learn how to add bonus depth to tons of dishes with it on my guide to adding umami)
Why do people indent their patties? When patties cook, they plump up, and if they are an even thickness from edge to edge, this can cause a curve in the center causing the burger to cook unevenly. Adding an indent, or thumb print, to the patty, helps the burger to cook evenly over the heat.
Try it! Using your thumb or the back of a spoon, press into the center of the hamburger.
If the meat is too warm when you put it on the grill, the burger can fall apart.
Chill your patties to prevent this. When working with meat and forming the patties, you heat up the fat. To make help your burger hold its shape while grilling, place it in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm back up before tossing it on the grill.
To keep those perfect patties from sticking to your grill:
Preheat the grill. Just like with a cast iron pan, a pre-heated grill grate will reduce the chance of ‘sticking’ or tearing the meat.
Clean the grill grates. Clean your grill grates after every cook by heating the grates and using a grill brush or stone to remove any stuck on build up. That build up rusts and damages the grates and causes future cooks to stick to them.
Don’t flip until ready. If you go to flip the patties and they stick, give them another minute. All you will do is tear them if you fight them.
Don’t press on the burgers. Grill grates are designed to sear, pressing down can cause the meat to stick.
Unless you’re cooking over a campfire, close the lid. This allows less heat to escape, circulating the heat around the patty. Note, if you’re using frozen patties or know your grill gets flare-ups, don’t close the lid for long or walk away from it. Keep a squirt bottle of water on hand to man any unwanted flames.
Tip: If you’re using a flattop griddle, use a metal bowl to cover the patties to keep steam and heat in for really juicy burgers.
Yep! Add wood chips or wood chunks to your grill to layer on that authentic barbecue taste. Here’s my guide on how to use woodchips to smoke a burger. You won’t want to miss the major myth about using woodchips I bust too!
The thickness of your burger and the heat of the grill will determine how long you cook them. But a general rule of thumb is 4 to 7 minutes a side.
If you are making a cheeseburger, add the cheese at the last minute of cooking so it melts perfectly.
Don’t guess when it comes to burgers. Ground beef, pork, lamb, and chicken are all recommended to be cooked to 160 – 165F. Use an instant-read meat thermometer like a Thermoworks One when testing your cook temps.
Tip: To accurately test the hamburger temp, remove the patty from over the open flame and then insert the probe from the side.
Store burger patties in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Make sure to store any other toppings in other containers so they won’t get soggy.
To reheat the patties, try steaming them with a little water, covered in a preheated skillet, or microwaving them in short 30-second bursts, flipping each time, until heated through.
When it comes to using the leftovers, try making a hamburger salad, leftover cheeseburger omelet, or turning it into a pizza topping!
Tools for perfectly grilled burgers
Don’t over think it, you don’t need a ton of fancy tools for burgers. But here are a few that certainly make the job easier.
- Instant read thermometer
- Spatula
- Cutting board
- Sheet pan
- Wax sheets – they make patty-sized wax sheets now, and they are handy if you are forming your own patties ahead of time or want to minimize clean up.
Side dish ideas
When it comes to great cheeseburger recipes, it’s hard to imagine any side more perfect than the French fry, but when cooked in beef tallow they are the most amazing fries ever!
Depending on how much you want to serve, smoked pork and beans, creamy rich mac and cheese, or even bbq’d brussels sprouts are great pairings along with fresh cold sliced watermelon.
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