The Best Grilled Burger Recipes

Ground beef gets smashed directly into a pile of thinly sliced onions on a screaming hot griddle. As a result, the onions caramelize and fuse into the patty while the edges go lacy and crispy. Furthermore, this is the method that changed how people think about burgers at home. Consequently, the Oklahoma Onion earns its spot as the single best burger recipe on the grill if you want to understand why smash burgers took over.

Seasoned beef patties hit the pellet grill first, then get loaded with sharp cheddar and fresh jalapeno slices that soften in the smoke. Moreover, smoking the burger before the sear builds a layer of wood-fired flavor that a flat griddle simply cannot deliver. Additionally, the cheddar melts slowly in the smoker and bonds to the patty instead of just sitting on top. For this reason, this is the burger recipe on the grill for anyone who wants spicy, smoky, and cheesy in every bite.

Lacy smash burger patties get topped with a sweet and savory homemade bacon jam that melts right into the cheese. Specifically, the jam brings a depth of caramelized onion, brown sugar, and smoky bacon flavor that plain strips of bacon cannot match. Furthermore, a little goes a long way so one batch of jam covers an entire cookout worth of burgers. Consequently, this is the burger recipe on the grill that turns a simple smash into something worth bragging about.

This is the foundational smash burger recipe cooked on a flat top griddle with nothing but beef, salt, pepper, and American cheese. Moreover, the stripped-down method proves you do not need a list of fancy toppings to make a great burger. Additionally, the flat griddle gives you full surface contact for maximum crust and caramelization. As a result, this is the burger recipe on the grill you should consequently master first before building on top of it with everything else on this list.

Juicy beef patties get stacked with crispy bacon and melted cheese between two slices of buttered, grilled Texas toast instead of a bun. However, the Texas toast gives you more surface area, more crunch, and more butter than any hamburger bun ever could. Furthermore, this format holds up under the weight of extra toppings without falling apart in your hands. Therefore, this is one of those burger recipes on the grill that consequently changes how you think about what a burger can be.

A well-seasoned beef patty sits sandwiched between buttered, toasted bread with melted cheese, caramelized onions, and a homemade baconnaise spread. In contrast to a standard burger on a bun, the patty melt format gives you crispy, griddled bread on both sides. Meanwhile, the onions cook down until sweet and jammy while the baconnaise adds a smoky richness that ties everything together. As a result, this burger recipe on the grill sits right between a burger and a sandwich and consequently beats both.

Pellet-smoked beef patties get topped with a jalapeno popper-style cream cheese and bacon filling that melts down the sides. Specifically, smoking the burger first at low heat builds a smoke ring and wood-fired flavor before the final sear locks everything in. Additionally, the cream cheese and jalapeno topping melts while the patty finishes on high heat. Consequently, this burger recipe on the grill shows exactly what a smoker can do to a simple beef patty.

Wood-smoked beef patties finished with a rich, sweet and savory bacon jam that melts into the cheese as the burger rests. In contrast to the smash burger version, smoking the patty first gives you a deeper, wood-fired beef flavor underneath that sticky jam. Moreover, the thicker patty holds up to the weight of the jam and toppings without falling apart. Therefore, this burger recipe on the grill brings the smoker and the bacon jam together for the best of both worlds.

These smash burger patties get basted in rendered bone marrow for an insanely rich, buttery flavor you cannot get from any other fat. Moreover, bone marrow adds a depth of beefy richness that regular butter or tallow simply cannot match. Furthermore, it bastes into the patty as it cooks, consequently creating a glossy, luxurious crust on every edge. As a result, this is the premium burger recipe on the grill for the cook who wants to experience what steakhouse-quality beef fat does to a simple smash burger.

Every one of these crispy smash burger patties gets finished with a homemade baconnaise sauce that combines smoky bacon flavor with creamy mayo. Specifically, the baconnaise is made from rendered bacon fat blended into a mayo base, so consequently every bite carries that smoky, salty richness. Additionally, this is the kind of custom sauce that separates a good burger from one people remember. Therefore, this burger recipe on the grill proves the sauce makes the burger just as much as the patty does.