How To Grill Flawless Burgers: Lid Open Or Closed?

With the varying temperatures, vents, coals, and surfaces, grilling can seem like a science. Grilling burgers might seem like an easy task, but there are plenty of ways to mess things up. Overcooked patties are nobody's friend, and one of the best ways to prevent them is by leaving the grill open while they cook. However, there are reasons to grill with the lid closed.

Keeping the grill covered will have two main effects on your burger: higher heat and more smoke. Keeping the heat up isn't bad for thicker cuts like steaks, but burgers cook faster because they're made of ground meat. Closing the lid for too long can result in quickly overcooking the burgers. A one-inch-thick burger can take three to three and a half minutes per side to cook to medium at 450 degrees Fahrenheit, but thicker burgers can go for longer. Still, some experts like grill master Silvio Correa say that closing the lid can ruin the grilled taste of the burgers, leaving them tasting steamed or baked.

Leaving the lid closed can lead to smokier burgers. This can be a good thing, but avoid putting the burgers directly over the coals. To achieve smoky-tasting burgers, cook them (lid closed) on indirect heat at a lower temperature, allowing them to smoke for around 30 minutes, giving them a quick sear over the coals near the end. Although grilling with wood chips can add a delightful smokiness to your burgers, charcoal smoke might not be ideal for everyone. Be sure you know what you're looking for before closing the lid.

While keeping the lid open while grilling can be beneficial to your burgers, it's not even half the battle. There are plenty of ways that grilling burgers can go wrong, so be sure to avoid some of the major pitfalls. One common mistake when grilling hamburgers is not preheating the grill before adding the burgers. This will cause your meat to stick to the grates, preventing a great sear and leaving you with a headache.

Another hack that can transform the way you cook burgers is to leave a dimple (about the size of your thumb) in the top of the patty. Ground beef tends to puff up as it cooks, so if you leave your patties completely flat, they're going to swell into an unsightly dome and shrink to smaller than your bun. Pressing a divot into the meat allows the swelling to fill the space, resulting in a flat patty that cooks evenly.

Grilled burgers also require seasoning. Some of that flame and smoke is going to get into the burgers, but it never hurts to add just a sprinkle of kosher salt and black pepper just before throwing them on the grill. The salt helps draw out some of the moisture, making for juicier burgers, while pepper adds a slight kick that won't overpower anyone's palate.

Static Media owns and operates Daily Meal and The Takeout.