Ultimate Broiled Burger Guide (Recipe)

Friday night at the Frederickson house means burgers!! And it’s a meal our whole family looks forward to each week.

We never seem to get tired of them, either. Perhaps in part because they change with the seasons.

At the end of summer we pile on the fresh tomatoes. In the cool months of Spring and Fall we are glad for the local lettuce to add a nice crunch. In the winter it’s time for crunchy onions and lots of fermented pickles.

And of course there are different cheeses to try and a whole range of condiments. You don’t have to stop at mayo, ketchup and mustard. Why not barbecue sauce? Or a fried egg, sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions…

Until recently, we always had grilled burgers. This is fantastic for a good part of the year and I love that it’s a meal with no pans to scrub. But outdoor cooking does become a challenge, and less fun, in wet and windy weather. Despite this, Farmer/Grill Master Martin has always mustered through the weather to grill our burgers anyway - until last fall.

This year the return of the wet weather coincided with a failed gas hose on our outdoor grill and somehow, with the wind whipping around the house, getting it repaired just didn’t seem like a priority.

And then all of a sudden it was burger night! We couldn’t possibly eat something else on a Friday night so it was time for Plan B.

With my fingers crossed I busted out the broiler pan and made -  the best broiled burgers!

They are SOOO juicy and delicious.

Honestly I have always been a bit leery of using the broiler, and I had expected they’d just be a passable substitute for grilled burgers until we got the grill fixed. But after several months of making them I may actually prefer the broiled burgers!

And no one has to go outside in the dark to fire up the grill in the rain. Ha.

Not only are the burgers delicious, but if you have the ingredients on hand and prepared it’s actually a pretty fast meal to put together.

The “recipe” below is really a step-by-step guide to getting the burgers and buns perfectly done, at the same time, with the least fuss, and without the smoke alarm going off – all while creating the most flavorful, juicy burger.

Because it is so quick cooking, I suggest you have everything prepped and ready before starting the cooking steps.

Perhaps even put all those condiments and toppings out on the table first. You don’t want to get distracted when cooking with such high heat and burn the buns or set off the smoke alarm.

Then, while the burgers are resting, you have a couple of minutes to sip your beer before diving into the important business of eating a comforting and satisfying meal!

Grab a stack of napkins and pile on those toppings. We hope you enjoy these burgers as much as we do!

Ultimate Broiled Burgers

Ingredients

1 lb One Straw Ranch Ground Beef

Salt

Pepper

Burger Buns

Sliced cheese, optional

Your favorite burger toppings.

Preparations

Prepare a broiling pan by covering the tray (the part with holes) with aluminum foil. Or you can use a lightly greased roasting pan or cast iron pan. I don’t like to use a cookie sheet type pan as they can buckle/twist at high temperatures and splatter meat juices around the oven.

Position an oven rack so that the top of the pan/cooking surface will be about 4” inches below the heating element. If you want to toast the burger buns (highly recommended!), position a second rack in the bottom half of the oven. See photo below as an example of positioning.

Preheat the oven on broil/highest temp. For my oven that is 500 degrees.

To form great burger patties that cook up nicely without falling apart or shrinking up into a ball that’s way smaller than your bun:

• Divide the ground beef into 3 or 4 even amounts, depending on if you like 1/3 or ¼ lb burgers. The pictured burgers are 1/3 lb patties.
• Press each ball of ground beef in your hands very firmly until the meat is packed well. This step helps keep the burgers from falling apart later, so press hard. It’s also a good triceps exercise.
• Flatten each ball between your hands and press out evenly into a thin, flattened disc. You can also do this step on a plate or clean surface. You want to form a patty that is thinner and wider than your desired finished dimensions, as they will shrink up in the oven. For a 1/3 lb patty I press them out to about a 4.25” diameter. As you work, press the edges of the patty back in a bit to seal up the larger cracks.
• Carefully transfer the burger patties onto the roasting pan.
• Generously season each patty with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Tip: If the ground beef begins sticking to your hands, dampen them with water.

If you’re toasting the buns (highly recommended!), get them ready now.

• I like to toast them on a cookie cooling rack set on a cookie sheet. This allows the air to circulate all around them. If you place them directly on a cookie sheet they may get soggy on the underside and you’ll have to flip them.
• Slice the buns, if necessary, and place them on the prepared cookie rack – cut side up. Set aside.
• Tip: Invest in quality artisan buns that are nice and sturdy and have good flavor on their own. Great meat deserves a good serving vessel!

If you’re making cheeseburgers, slice the cheese now and set it aside.

Cooking

• Place the burgers in the pre-heated oven on the pre-positioned top rack, shut the door, and set the timer for 4 minutes.
• Take the burgers of the oven and flip them over, being careful not to tear the aluminum foil.
• Quickly give them a light dusting of salt and pepper on the second side.
• Place the pan of burgers back on the oven rack under the broiler.
• Slide the prepared tray of buns onto the bottom rack of the oven.
• Shut the door and set the timer for 4 more minutes.
• When the timer goes off, take the burgers out of the oven and take a quick peek at the buns. The buns should still need a few more minutes but if they’re browned already take them out.
• Using a meat thermometer, test the burgers for desired doneness. Remember that the temperature will continue to raise about 5 degrees after they’re removed from the oven. We like our burgers a little pink so I try to get them to about 150 degrees at this stage. (Note that the USDA says all ground meat should be cooked to 160 to be safe.)
• If the burgers need more time, place them back under the broiler for 1 minute at a time, removing after each minute and testing the temperature. Keep an eye on the buns.
• When the burgers have reached the desired temperature, place a slice of cheese on each patty and place back under the broiler for 20 seconds. Remove from the oven. The cheese will likely look like it’s barely starting to melt and this is perfect. It will continue to melt out of the oven. If you leave it in too long the cheese will all slide off the burger and onto the pan.
• Remove the buns from the oven. They should be nicely browned on the cut side and just a bit crispy around the edges.
• Allow the burgers to rest about 5 minutes before eating.

Top with your favorite additions and enjoy!

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