Why You Should Be Grilling Those Burger Patties Straight From The Fridge

There's nothing like firing up the grill and slapping on some burger patties that sizzle and ooze with juicy flavor. But you don't get the perfect patty without proper preparation, and that doesn't just mean using the right seasoning. When it comes to grilling burgers, it's all about temperature — most importantly, it's all about their temperature before they even touch the grill.

The key to the perfect burger is keeping the raw meat cold until the very last possible minute before placing the patties on the hot grill. Storing them in the fridge after they've been formed into patties helps each burger retain its shape and fat content, ensuring more flavorful bites. Additionally, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service says keeping the raw burger meat cold (at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower) also helps prevent bacteria that can form if the beef sits at room temperature for too long. The benefits of this burger tip, combined with the ease of storage, make it an un-skippable step for your next cookout.

Most other meats benefit from being left at room temperature before cooking, but beef burgers benefit from the opposite. Keeping the patties cold prevents them from loosening up and falling apart, and this applies when you're both shaping and storing them. Most importantly, though, the cold locks in the meat's fat, which not only holds the flavor but also determines the burger's texture. Using meat with a high fat content often yields a juicier burger, but that hinges on keeping the fat content intact and the burger packed tightly.

Cooling the patties also gives grillers more mastery over how evenly the burger is cooked, both inside and out. With this method, the inside will stay moist, but you'll also get a nice outer sear because the whole burger will be the same temperature — unlike at room temperature, where the outside burns before the meat inside is fully cooked. Storing your pre-formed patties on a pan in either the fridge or an ice-filled cooler is the best way to keep them cold until the last minute — just make sure you keep the patties covered. Also, remember that keeping raw meat cold is essential to kitchen safety, as bacteria can grow in beef that isn't kept below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, much cooler than room temperature. So, when the patties sit outside next to the grill or even just on the kitchen counter, you increase the risk of growing bacteria.

Aside from keeping your patties refrigerated until the last minute, there are other burger tips that will up your grill game for even more success. One reason restaurant burgers are better than homemade is because they're made with gentle hands. Overworking beef causes it to toughen up, so handling it as gently and as little as possible will result in more tender burgers. The science of keeping your burger from shrinking and turning into a hockey puck dictates that putting a dimple in the center of the burger helps with even cooking and prevents the center from puffing up. Remember, though, to always measure the heat at the center of your burgers for safety; they should be 160 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the USDA. Note that refrigerating your meat doesn't affect cooking time, only freezing does.

Once you've actually got the patties on the grill, you'll want to keep them as flavorful as possible, meaning you have to watch how often you handle them. The crucial reason you should only flip your burgers once — yes, only once — is because the more you flip, the more the meat dries out. After putting in all that work to keep your burgers tender and juicy, don't ruin it by excessively rotating them on the rack. In general, the difference between a good burger and a great burger is letting it rest as much as possible, and the longer it spends in the refrigerator, the better.