Everyone can grill up some meat and call it a burger. You might even know how to make a good burger. It’s “rare” to find someone who actually knows how to make a Great burger. Most restaurants fail at this task.

I’m not a chef or a grill master but if there is one thing I know how to cook it’s a Great burger. Follow the tutorial and make sure to catch the bolded notes. If you have anything to add please comment below.

Step 1. Get Great Ingredients

Your ingredients really do make a difference. Make sure you’re select quality ingredients. This doesn’t mean you have to pay $15 a pound for ground beef but it does mean crappy frozen patties are out.

Today we’re gonna make a Honey Smoked Bacon Cheddar Burger. We’re gonna need:

1. Ground Beef
2. Marinade
3. Bacon
4. Sharp Cheddar Cheese
5. Salt and Pepper
6. Sweet Rolls

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Step 2. Form the Burgers

This is an important step because misshapen or poorly formed burgers will not cook evenly and will release juices which you want to keep in that burger.

• Poor your marinade over your beef
• Work the meat a bit to make sure your marinade is evenly distributed
• I like to work the meat back in forth in my hands making them large balls
• Then give the beef little “smacks” until they are rounded but flat

The marinade I’m using is a Honey Balsamic Glaze that is out of this world.

Step 3. Start Grilling

Make sure your grill is already hot. I put the heat all the way up and let the actual grill grate is hot enough to sear the beef once it hits the grill. The goal here is to keep the juice inside the beef.

TIP: NEVER EVER PUSH DOWN OR FLATTEN YOUR BURGER.

If you’re putting bacon on your burger don’t be afraid to grill the bacon. If you have a shelf up top put the bacon right on the rack and for added flavor but the burgers under the bacon. As the bacon grease drips it will fall on and around the burger which will burn and essentially smoke the burger. Since the bacon is maple flavored this will add to the honey glaze we used earlier.

Step 4. Flip

Since your meat is on a high heat grill at the moment, pay close attention to it. You want to make sure your meat is being seared not burned. Once you can move the burger (it’s not stuck to the grill) flip it. Sear the other side. Then flip it back to the original side. This time rotating the burger so you get those nice cross grill lines.

Now that the burger is seared and we aren’t losing those flavorful juices. Turn your grill down to medium heat and cook to your liking. I prefer rare to medium rare but these are big burgers so if you want medium or well (you probably shouldn’t cause it takes away all the flavor) then you’re gonna have to wait a bit.

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Step 5. Warm Your Rolls and Melt Your Cheese

Now that the burgers are basically done thrown on your cheese and toss on your rolls. I like to have my rolls just slightly warmed but this is a personal preference. Don’t be afraid to throw some butter on the roll or if you’re cooking the right type of burger some garlic.

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Step 6. Enjoy

When you bite into you’re burger your mouth should be flooded with delicious juices. In this video you can see I cut the burger and it’s a perfect rare to medium rare. Warm red meat in the middle. Topped with bacon this burger is ready to eat.