Tips on how to make grilled cheeseburgers at home:

To ensure your grilled cheeseburgers have the perfect texture — DON’T OVERHANDLE the BEEF. Don’t compress the beef too tight…as a looser patty retains juices better which means a juicier burger. In a book called, The Food Lab, he stated, “working the meat unduly will cause proteins to cross-link with each other like tiny strips of Velcro, making your finished burgers denser and tighter with every manhandling of the beef.”

A Cheeseburger isn’t meatloaf! Forget the fillers — the onions, the bread crumbs, the herbs. Keep it simple! You want the beef to be the star ingredient and that means just simple salt and pepper will do the trick. I remember watching Bobby Flay years ago, who is such an iconic grill master, say this over and over again. “Do sprinkle the outside of the burger liberally with salt and pepper. But do not season the meat mixture itself or add herbs, onions, or garlic to it.

Season well but don’t salt and pepper the ground beef until the burger patties are formed. You want that coveted crust on the exterior of the burger and salt helps to create that. Sprinkle the salt on right before putting the beef on the grill.

HEAT the GRILL on HIGH HEAT. You want the grill to be hot to maximize the crust formation on the burger and to brown the exterior. But how do you know when the burger is done? Let me share a temperature guide to know when your burger is cooked to your own personal perfection.

What toppings to put on a Cheeseburger:

Cheese — many people love American cheese because it melts so beautifully but my personal fave is a medium or sharp Cheddar cheese or Pepper Jack for a bit of spice.
Lettuce — I suggest green leaf for a beautiful pop of green or iceberg lettuce for the crispness.
Tomatoes — a thick, juicy tomato brings all of the freshness. Sprinkle with a touch of salt to bring out the flavors of the tomato.
Pickles — you either love them or hate them but they bring some tang and crunchy texture to a burger.
Red Onion — this is where things can get tricky. You don’t want to overpower your burger with onion flavor so I like to add just a few rings instead of an entire slice of onion. I also prefer using a red or sweet onion because they are milder in flavor.
Bacon — do you want to elevate your burger? It is as simple as crisping up some bacon and adding it to your burger. It just puts it over the top!
Roasted Jalapenos — you want to add a little spice to your burger? I love slicing up some jalapenos and cooking them at 400 degrees for about 8-10 minutes.
Avocado — this just adds such a creaminess to the burger that compliments bacon and tomato so well.
Ketchup — this is a must on a burger. It complements the beef perfectly!
Mustard — it is the tanginess for me. Mustard has an incredible flavor pay-off on a burger.
Mayonnaise — this may be debatable because some people can’t eat a burger without it. It depends on personal preference.
Burger Sauce — this burger spread is famous at In-N-Out Burger. It is made with ketchup, mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, sugar, and a touch of white vinegar.