BBQ Infused Grilled Burger

Grilled burger seasoning hamburger patties recipe for BBQ

The simplest trick for the most delicious grilled burger

When I make these BBQ infused grilled burgers for a cookout, it seems like I always want to keep a small side of BBQ sauce so that I can drizzle it on my burger.

Full disclosure. I don’t measure anything when I make homemade hamburger patties.
I do have a pretty good guesstimate of my quantities, however. The good news is that if you also eyeball it, it will likely turn out fine.

Here's my favourite trick... take the onion, garlic, and BBQ sauce and whiz it up in the blender (you can also add a splash of water to help it along). Why? Because giant onion chunks make the burger patties fall apart and pureed onion gets an excellent distribution with no weak points. Burger structural integrity, my friend.

You can also use garlic powder and onion powder if you have them. I happen to be one of those people who always have whole garlic and onions available, and my powders are usually solidified into a brick in the back of the cupboard soooo...yeah. Both ways work!

Speaking of structural integrity, that is also the purpose of the egg and the bread crumbs. It helps things stick together. They aren't strictly necessary, though, so if you are working around food sensitivities, feel free to leave them out.

Mealtime conversation starters

Here is a conversational pairing that will have your companions battling it out to see who really has the most unique taste buds.

QUESTION: “What nationality of food do you enjoy the most?"

BONUS QUESTION: “Do you cook that nationality of food at home, or do you get it elsewhere?”

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BBQ sauce and onion infused grilled burger. Hamburger patties recipe for the grill that won’t fall apart

Print Pin Recipe

4.80 from 5 votes

BBQ Infused Grilled Burger

BBQ sauce infused onion stuffed burgers for the grill

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Resting Time5

Total Time20

Servings: 6

Calories: 259

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

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Equipment

Ingredients

2 lbs lean ground beef
1 large egg optional
¼ cup bread crumbs optional
½ cup onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic (sub in 1-2 tsp garlic powder)
3 tbsp BBQ sauce (see notes for homemade BBQ sauce option)
½ tsp salt to taste
1 pinch pepper 2-3 cranks of grinder, to taste

Instructions

Mix together in a bowl with a spoon or by hand (hands are easier).
Next, press the meat down in the bowl, even across the top. Use a knife to divide the hamburger mixture into 6 – 1/3 pound burger portions.
Shape each portion by hand into patties.
Set your patties on a clean plate and put a bit of a thumbprint in the middle of each because it’s cool. (Ok, the thumbprint actually helps the burger stay burger shaped and cook more evenly. Strange science for the win!)
Pop these beautiful hamburger patties on the grill on medium-high heat and cook 3-5 minutes per side depending on the thickness you shaped your patties. You want each side to be golden brown with nice grill marks before flipping.
Do. Not. Press.
Your burgers should be nicely browned on the outside and well-cooked on the inside (a hint of pink in the middle is cool; the final internal temperature should be 160 F**).
Let the grilled burgers rest for 5 minutes, tented with foil, before serving.

Notes

*The bread crumbs can be replaced with oats or another gluten-free option. We happen to almost always have the dried-out ends of Baguettes Past kicking around the house so I rough chop them and then let the food processor turn them into crumbs as needed. Leftover cooked quinoa also does a standup job as bonus glue/moisture holders.

**Food safety note: Because of the high surface area in meals with lean ground meat, it has a high contamination risk. It is NOT safe to cook burgers to medium or rare unless the meat is ground immediately before making the patties. E. Coli is not a guest you want at your BBQ, friends. If you want rare beef, buy steaks.

Pro Tip: Whenever you are making homemade hamburger patties recipe, it will keep well tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, or in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

You can certainly use your favorite commercially available BBQ sauce, but if you'd like a homemade option, check out the recipe for The Best Homemade Kansas City Style BBQ Sauce

Hand Size Portions

Nutrition Facts

BBQ Infused Grilled Burger

Amount per Serving

Calories

259

% Daily Value*

Fat

Saturated Fat

Trans Fat

Polyunsaturated Fat

Monounsaturated Fat

Cholesterol

125

Sodium

429

Potassium

588

Carbohydrates

Fiber

Sugar

Protein

Vitamin A

Vitamin C

Calcium

Iron

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Palm: 1.5

Fist: .25

Handful: .25

Thumb: zero

Hand Portions

Some handy advice: You can use your hands to practice calorie control without weighing and measuring.

Using hand position size is an alternative way to decide how much to eat visually. It gives you a way to quickly estimate what's on your plate, using protein, vegetables, carbohydrates, and fat. It's an alternative to counting macros which generally has you weighing and reading nutrition labels to count protein, carbohydrates, and fat.

To learn more, read How to Get Started with Hand Portion Sizes.

Connect with me!

Health Ninja Jeanette Marcotte is a health coach and professional geologist, who is obsessed with helping fellow professional women and couples reclaim their time and energy by building healthy choices into their daily lives.

When she is not coaching or looking at rocks, you can find her hanging out in her garden, collecting new hobbies, and/or reading far too many books at once.

Find other articles written by Jeanette on her coach profile. Hang around for mindset strategies and micro-habits that will transform your health & confidence so that you feel like a Health Ninja, too!