We Asked 5 Chefs For Their Go-To Burger Grilling Tips

When the weather starts getting warmer, it becomes prime grilling time. That means it's time to make your favorite rib recipes and throw some steaks on the grill, but it's also burger season. Whether you're throwing a party for a big group of friends or you're just trying to make a restaurant-worthy dinner for two, cooking some burgers on the grill is a great way to get a delicious barbecue lunch or dinner without breaking the bank. But even if you're an experienced griller, you can probably still benefit from some tips from the burger-grilling experts.

We consulted five different chefs to get their go-to burger grilling tips so you can make incredible burgers in your own backyard. Pat Martin, pit master and owner of Martin's Bar-B-Que and Hugh-Baby's BBQ & Burger Shop; Chef Zach Engel, owner and executive chef behind Galit and Cafe Yaya; and Chef Bob Broskey of RPM Restaurants share some of their best insights for grilling burgers that can apply to burger-grilling newbies and more experienced grillers alike. Additionally, Kent Rollins, chuck wagon cook, YouTuber, and host of the Outdoor Channel's "Cast Iron Cowboy," and Dean Harper, chef and founder of Harper Fine Dining, shed even more light on the burger-grilling skills you need to succeed this grilling season. Let's take a closer look at their tips.

When you're selecting the kind of ground meat you want to use for your burger from your local grocery store — or, if you're lucky, your local butcher — it can be difficult to decide what to get if you're not a super-experienced burger maker. After all, you may have heard that leaner meat can be healthier or that fattier meat packs more flavor. But if you ask Pat Martin of Martin's Bar-B-Que and Hugh-Baby's BBQ & Burger Shop, there's one obvious answer: "When choosing the meat for your burger," he says, "go with the standard 80/20 ratio." This means that the meat is 80% lean and 20% fat.

Why do you want to select ground beef with a higher fat content? Well, that extra fattiness makes the burger taste richer, while also delivering more juiciness in every bite. While you technically can use ground beef that's leaner, you'll also be sacrificing the flavor and texture you love from classic burgers. If you can find it, Martin also suggests using meat that's been freshly ground that day. This could be easier to find if you're buying your meat directly from a butcher.

We get it: Once you start making your burger patties, your mouth is probably going to start watering immediately. Just the thought of biting into one of those juicy burgers is enough to make your stomach grumble. However, it's best to prepare your patties well ahead of time so you can throw them on the grill when you're actually ready to eat. This is because you don't want to start grilling a just-formed patty. Instead, according to Kent Rollins of Cast Iron Cowboy, it's best to put those patties in the fridge before you fire up that grill.

"Letting the patties rest in the fridge for [one and a half] to [two] hours helps them hold together on the grill and cook evenly," explains Rollins. If you skip this step, you could have burgers that are too warm and pliable, which means that they could more easily fall apart on the grill.

If you're in a hurry to cook your burgers, you might assume that you can just throw the patties on the grill and wing it until they look like they're cooked well enough. But if you want to be a bit more strategic about it, Dean Harper of Harper Fine Dining suggests cooking your burger in two stages to better control how done you want the meat. First, he says, "Sear over high heat to develop color and a crust." Once you've developed that nice, crispy crust you're looking for, you can move the burger to the cooler side of the grill.

"Lid position matters here," explains Harper. "Over direct high heat, keeping the lid up can help prevent the top from cooking too aggressively and reduce the chance of scorching. Over indirect heat, closing the lid turns the grill into an oven so the burger cooks through more gently and consistently." By moving your burger around the grill as you cook it, you can better guarantee the middle of your burger won't be too pink or the exterior too burnt.

Salt is arguably one of the most important ingredients in your kitchen. Not only does it enhance the flavor of foods, but it also improves texture as well. So, it shouldn't come as a big surprise that a simple burger patty can be massively improved with some salt. For Chef Zach Engel of Galit and Cafe Yaya, salt is an especially important addition to a good burger.

Don't wait until the burger is already cooking to salt it. According to Engel, "By simply seasoning it with salt before hitting the heat, the burger develops a deep, savory flavor that is so rich you might even think there's cheese, even when there isn't." Of course, this doesn't mean you should skip the cheese — there are so many different underrated cheeses you should consider adding. But if you're trying to achieve maximum richness, it's important not to skip the salt before you start cooking your burgers on the grill.

If you're new to grilling, then lighting the grill might seem like one of the trickiest parts of cooking burgers on the grill. And since grills can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing, it's always important to read up on critical grilling safety tips to ensure you don't have an accident.

The way you start the fire in your grill can also have an effect on how your burgers end up tasting, though, which is why Kent Rollins says you shouldn't use lighter fluid. "Avoid using lighter fluid to start the grill," he says, "as it can leave a chemical taste." He suggests using a "chimney, torch, newspaper, or other natural method to get the fire going." Make sure to check out these tips for starting your grill without lighter fluid as well.

Another grill tip that will ensure better-tasting burgers? "It's always important to clean your grill with a brush between cooking rounds," says Rollins. That'll get rid of residue and ensure that you're not tasting yesterday's meal on tonight's burgers.

If you're feeling really hungry, then you may be inclined to try to pack your burger with as much meat as possible. However, that may not be a good idea if you're looking for a burger that's easy to handle and that actually tastes good. According to Pat Martin, "Like any great sandwich, a burger needs to be balanced and small enough that you don't have to wrestle with it."

This means that you'll want to choose buns that match the size of the patties you're planning on making. "Aim for a patty-to-bun ratio that ensures the burger holds together without spilling over the sides, or onto your shirt," suggests Martin. Not only should you take a close look at the size of the buns you're buying, but you should also pay attention to how they taste on their own. You can check out our ranking of hamburger buns to ensure you're getting a good brand.

There are times when you're on a tight budget or when you're feeding a crowd that you may not want to spend too much money on meat. That's when you should stick with the plain ground beef you can buy in a package at the grocery store. But when you're feeling fancy and want to elevate your burger, one of the best ways to do so is to snag yourself some especially high-quality beef. Although it can be pricey, you might want to consider wagyu beef if you can get your hands on some.

Chef Bob Broskey of RPM Restaurants says that at their steakhouse, they start with wagyu. This is because, according to Broskey, wagyu "boasts a higher fat content than most ground beef due to the way these high-end Japanese cattle are raised." If you take a close look at a cut of wagyu, you'll notice that it's significantly more marbled with fat than most other cuts you'll find. "This choice adds richness and depth of flavor to the burger once it is grilled," explains Broskey.

We've said it before, and we'll say it again: You need to have a meat thermometer in your kitchen. They're super important for food safety when you're cooking meat, since many types of undercooked protein can harbor harmful bacteria that could potentially cause food poisoning. But meat thermometers aren't just about making sure you don't get sick — they're also perfect for ensuring that you don't overcook your food, including burgers.

This is why Dean Harper says that you should have your meat thermometer on hand when you're making burgers. "Use a thermometer rather than guessing," he says, "especially with thicker patties or when cooking for a group." Generally, he says, you'll want to cook burgers made with ground beef to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. "But if you're cooking to a specific preferred doneness," he says, "it helps to pull the burgers a few degrees early because carryover heat will continue cooking them as they rest." Per Harper, that rest time allows the juices to redistribute so you don't end up with a soaked bun or a dry first bite of burger.

Sandwiches in general are about more than the basic ingredients on their own — they're really all about how you assemble them. This definitely applies when it comes to burgers. Not only do you want to ensure that you're working with really high-quality ingredients if you really want the best-tasting burgers possible, but you should also pay attention to the order in which you layer on the ingredients.

According to Pat Martin, "There's a method to the stacking that I personally think is non-negotiable: it starts with lettuce on the bottom bun so everything doesn't shift around with the sauce and pickles." After that, it's time to add the patty itself — hopefully, it's topped with a slice of just-melted cheese. Martin says that you can use that melted cheese to hold your onion slices in place so they don't move around every time you go in for another bite.

"The final step," Martin says, "is spreading pickles out on the top bun so they don't overlap — using the sauces as an adhesive ..." And, perhaps controversially, he says that you shouldn't add on a tomato unless it's in season.

Naturally, the most important part of any burger is the meat itself. But you shouldn't downplay the importance of toppings ... especially cheese. Choosing a good-quality cheese is the first step. We love American cheese, as long as it comes from a solid brand, but Bob Broskey recommends cheddar cheese. Knowing when to add the cheese to your burger can really make or break the sandwich, since you want to get it sort of melted but not so melted that it's dripping out of the back of the burger.

Broskey says, "If I am adding cheese, then I top each patty with a slice of cheddar and place it in the broiler until the cheese is melted, about 30 to 60 seconds." Yes, this does involve an extra step, and it also might mean that you have to run the burgers back into the kitchen to use your broiler. But you'll realize it's so worth it when you see how perfectly melted that cheese gets on top of the patty.

Sometimes, it's those little touches and attention to detail that can take an average dish and turn it into something really special. Although you may not think too much about the bun you're using, it's an absolutely integral part of a good burger. It holds the whole sandwich together, providing structure and form as well as a flavor of its own. So, to really bring that hamburger bun to the next level, Pat Martin says, "Toast your buns — always!"

There are a few different benefits to toasting your hamburger buns. First of all, it creates a crispy texture. Ideally, you'll just experience this crispness on the exterior of the bun, since you still want it to be soft in the middle. This will also guard against the bun getting too soggy after you place the bun on it. Toasting a bun also enhances its flavor, infusing the bread with some of that barbecue smokiness that makes burgers taste so good in the first place.