For The Hands Down Best Cheeseburgers, Use This Grilling Method

The perfect cheeseburger can feature sliced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, ketchup, pickles, mayo, and more. While these additions can go some way toward rescuing an accidentally dry and overdone patty, the very best burgers — juicy, succulent, and moist — only require a simple slice of cheese. For the hands-down best cheeseburgers, using quality meat with plenty of flavorful fat is key, but the method you use to cook them has to be on point too. We'd advise creating two zones on your grill, which allows you to cook your patties across a couple of temperatures. This technique produces burgers with a seared exterior and juicy middle.

The truth is that better barbecue starts with arranging your charcoal properly by creating zones of direct and indirect heat. If you have a wood or coal-burning barbecue, you can create two temperature zones by pushing the hot embers to one side; the area where the flames lick the bottom of your burgers is the hotter, direct heat zone, while the opposing area is the indirect zone that works more like an oven. Alternatively, if your electric or gas grill has a shelf or several different levels, simply place your burgers higher up to create some distance from the fierce heat below. Many gas grills have separate controls for creating different temperature zones. The cooler zone will still receive some heat, as well as plenty of those smoky smells, so don't worry about your patties getting cold.

To make your burgers, place your patties onto the hottest area of your grill first so their surface can immediately develop some color and caramelized flavor. It's this flame-grilled quality and aroma that will lend your finished burgers their savory character and inviting smell. Once you've achieved that umami crust, move the patties over to the indirect heat zone so they can continue to cook without becoming overcooked and dry in the center. This is also the opportune moment to add your cheese so it can melt without bubbling over the sides and dripping over the coals (for the best cheeseburgers, slice that cheese as thin as you can so it melts faster and doesn't overpower the meatiness of the patties).

Bear in mind that the cook time of your burgers very much depends on their thickness and whether you like them rare or well done. Rare burgers should be 120-125 degrees Fahrenheit, while medium should hit the 140-145 degrees Fahrenheit zone (stick a meat thermometer in the side to check).