All-American Burgers

Ingredients

• 1 ½ to 2 pounds ground chuck beef (80/20)
• Burger seasoning blend
• 4 slices sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 sesame burger buns

Toppings and condiments

• Green leaf lettuce
• Sliced large tomatoes
• Red onion slices – thinly sliced into rings
• Mustard
• Ketchup

Instructions

1. Make sure you have your toppings sliced and prepped.
2. Divide the ground beef into 4 portions and form 4 burger patties without overworking the meat. Do not season the ground beef before forming the patties. Each burger patty should be about ½ to ¾ inch thick, and about 1 inch larger than the size of the burger bun (they will shrink on the grill).
3. Make a slight indentation or depression in the center of each burger patty, and if needed, press around the edges a few times to smooth it out. This will prevent them from puffing up in the center.
4. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. If needed, clean the grill grates.
5. Right before you’re ready to grill, season each side of a burger patty with ¼ teaspoon of my homemade burger seasoning blend. Alternatively, you can also season with salt and pepper only.
6. Grill the burgers: Cook the burgers to your liking. For medium well, cook 4 minutes on one side and 2-3 minutes on the other side, and then top with a slice of cheese and cook for another 1 minute (covered) until the cheese is melted. For more cooking times, see the recipe notes below. Tips: Only flip the burgers once, after you get a good sear. Do not press the burgers with the spatula as they cook, as this can squeeze out all the juices.
7. Assemble the burgers with the toppings. I usually do it in this order: bottom bun, burger with melted cheese, tomato, onion, lettuce, ketchup and mustard, and top bun.