PBS reports that Americans consume a whopping 500 billion burgers every year. That’s an average of 3 burgers per week or 100 per year for every individual.

If you’re addicted to McDonald’s hamburgers, you can pretty much relate to these stats.

And now, you can easily prepare your juicy burgers on the griddle in the comfort of your kitchen or backyard. The good thing about using a griddle is that it makes cooking easy and fast.

But first, get the answers to the top common questions about making burgers on griddle below.

1. Can you cook burgers on an electric griddle?

If you’re wondering whether you should use your griddle for cooking your hamburgers, the answer is a resounding YES! The easiest and fastest way to cook burgers is using your electric griddle. Cooking on a griddle requires pretty little preparation time, and your meat cooks in a few minutes.

Burger chefs prefer griddle for cooking burgers because their flat and smooth cooking surfaces take a lot of heat evenly—giving your hamburger the perfect sear while ensuring it’s well rounded and evenly cooked.

cook burgers on an electric griddle

Since your electric griddle is a highly versatile appliance, you can simultaneously brown your burns, cook up some onions, melt your cheese, etc. It makes it an all-purpose hamburger cooking machine that saves you time and effort.

2. How long do you cook burgers on a griddle?

How many minutes you should cook burgers on your griddle will depend on the thickness of the burgers you’re cooking.

If your burgers have a reasonably standard thickness, you should let them cook for four to five minutes per side, which equals a total cooking time of approximately 10 minutes.

Thin burgers should cook for approximately three minutes on each side.

For thicker burgers, especially the handmade ones, you should let them cook for a little longer. But make sure you keep checking them, so they don’t burn.

Also, before serving your burgers, always check whether they’ve cooked through. It is regardless of how long you’ve cooked them. A meat thermometer will come in handy when it comes to checking whether your burgers are well cooked. 

The thermometer inserted at the very center of the burgers should read 160 degrees Fahrenheit for perfectly cooked patties.

cook burgers on a griddle

In case you don’t have a meat thermometer with you, you can check for through cooking by making a small incision to the center of your patties. If you can’t see any red, it means the meat is well cooked and safe for you and your family to eat.

You can also press the patties and inspect the juices coming out—if they appear friendly and clear, the meat is safe for consumption.

3. What temperature do you cook burgers on a griddle?

The ideal temperature for cooking burgers on a griddle is 350 degrees Fahrenheit (medium heat). It is the lowest temperature you should set your griddle to ensure your burger gets thoroughly cooked through.

cook burgers on a griddle

If your electric griddle has only one temperature setting (this is usually 400 degrees Fahrenheit), then you have nothing to worry about because it’s a perfect temperature for cooking your burgers.

4. How do you cook burgers on a Blackstone griddle?

Cooking your burgers on a Blackstone griddle is a pretty straightforward process. You start by coating the surface with healthy cooking oil and preheat it to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook the meat for approx. 4 minutes on one side and 3 minutes on the other side.

Complete instructions for cooking burgers on a griddle:

Step 1. Coat your griddle with cooking oil

The first step is to coat your griddle cooking surface with cooking oil lightly. The right type of oil to use should withstand high-temperature cooking.

Step 2. Preheat the griddle

Next, you’ll need to turn on your griddle and preheat it to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (this translates to a medium heat setting) before you put on the burger.

 burgers on a Blackstone griddle

TIP: You can test whether your griddle is ready by a few water drops on it; it should instantly sizzle and evaporate.

Step 3. Put your burgers on the griddle

When your griddle is preheated to the recommended temperature, it’s now ready for cooking, and you can put your burger on the cooking surface.

Assuming your burgers have a thickness of about ¾-inch, you should cook them for around 4 minutes on one side and another three minutes on the other side.

It is sufficient time to cook them through and ensure they’re safe for you to consume.

However, if you have thicker burger patties, you might want to leave them for a little longer.

Step 4. Your burgers are ready!

When your burgers have cooked through, remove them from the cooking surface and add them to your burn, as well as any other tasty additions you made.

Well-cooked burgers should have an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.

If your meat thermometer reads this temperature, it means any potential disease-causing bacteria in the meat have been killed or reduce to safe levels, and your burgers are 100% safe to consume.

5. How do you cook frozen burgers on a griddle?

Though burgers taste great when you griddle them fresh, you might not have time to thaw them. And you might start asking yourself whether you can still griddle them when frozen form.

The answer is YES.

But keep in mind that griddling burger patties straight out of the freezer means they’ll take a little longer to cook through.

Step 1. Please turn on your griddle and set it to low heat.

Step 2. Coat your griddle cooking surface with a light layer of healthy cooking oil, e.g., avocado oil.

Step 3. Place your patties on the griddle and sprinkle them with your favorite seasoning, whether it’s pepper, smoke salt, and garlic.

Step 4. Now cover the patties with a griddle cover or a tin foil dome over the patties.

It will help create the heat convention needed for thawing the patties right away.

Step 5. After about five minutes, check if your patties are thawed (thawed patties should have a red, blood appearance).

If they are, turn the heat to medium-high.

cook frozen burgers on a griddle

Step 6. Let them cook for three minutes on one side and then flip them to cook for another five minutes.

You don’t need to cover them at this point if you’ve thawed them, and you can cook them the way you usually do.

Step 7. This step is optional.

Add cheese to your patties for the last few minutes to allow for proper melting action.

Step 8. Finally, your patties are well cooked.

Turn off the heat and remove your patties using a spatula.

Side Note: We don’t encourage you to cook frozen burgers. If you have time, consider thawing them first before you can griddle. Fresh patties tend to cook more evenly, resulting in juicer burgers with a better taste than frozen hamburgers.

6. Can you cook turkey burgers on a griddle?

If you prefer turkey burgers, the good news is that you can also cook them on a griddle, whether you own a flat top, stovetop, or electric griddle.

Though the process of griddling turkey burgers is relatively simple and involves the same steps as beef burgers, there are few measures you need to keep in mind.

 turkey burgers on a griddle
  • The perfect temperature for cooking turkey burgers on a griddle is 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Turkey requires a slightly higher griddling heat setting than beef because it’s poultry. And [poultry meat generally has a higher of salmonella compared to other meats. Be sure to use this temperature to ensure your burger cooks through and is safe for you to eat.
  • You should cook turkey burgers on a griddle for up to five minutes on each side to ensure you’ve cooked them through and are safe to consume. However, the cooking time can vary depending on the thickness of the burger. To be on the safe side, we advise you to check your burger with a meat thermometer. It should read at 165 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.

7. Are burgers better on grill or griddle?

Grilling or griddling are popular ways of cooking burgers. But which of these two methods will produce the juiciest burgers? Let’s find out.

The main difference between a griddle and a grill is that the former features a smooth, flat surface while the latter comes with distinctively raised ridges (for solid plate design) or bars with spacing in between to let your food cook directly over the heat. You can fuel both appliances with charcoal, gas, or electricity.

Now, when you cook your burger patties using a griddle, it will transfer the heat evenly across the entire surface—ensuring the patties cook and brown evenly. But the heat source or the flames will not touch your food.

The exact opposite happens for a grill. Heat gets transferred directly from the fire as well as through the grill metal grates to your food. The metal will absorb the heat and intensify it, thus burning and browning your patties at the point of contact.

Grills also cook at higher temperatures (up to 400 degrees F or more) than griddles that cook at 350 degrees F.

burgers better on grill or griddle

We believe that a griddle should be the top option for cooking your patties because it will evenly distribute heat across the flat surface to let your burgess cook through. A griddle will also toast your burger bans at the same time as you cook the patties.

Another reason why you might stick to griddle is that grills tend to produce a lot of heat and smoke. If the climate isn’t favorable for using your grill in your backyard, then your only option is a griddle that you can safely use indoors without any problems.

It isn’t to say that grills aren’t great for cooking burgers, but they will be best suited for cooking larger chunks of meat or whole veggies like corn on the cob.

However, if you own a flat top grill, you’re in luck because it will do a fantastic job making juicy burgers. It is because they’ll offer even temperature across the grill for perfectly cooked hamburgers.

Overall, both grilling and griddling are perfect ways to cook burgers. But a griddle gives you more convenience and will produce better-tasting burgers.

8. How many times do you flip a burger?

If you want to cook the perfect burgers, flip your burgers once (only once!). That’s the golden rule. That means you should let one side cook before you flip to the other side.

If you keep turning your burgers, the meat will end up toughening and drying out. Also, flipping the patties before the right time will make them stick.

 flip a burger

Whatever you do, flip your burger only once if you want them to come out succulent and delicious. Remember to do the flip at the right time: for rare, flip after two minutes, for a medium-rare, flip after three minutes, for a medium, flip the burgers after four minutes, and for well-done, flip after five minutes.

9. How do I keep my burgers from shrinking?

Burgers shrinking is a common problem, especially among beginners. Shrunk burgers look too small for the buns when they finally get cooked. It usually happens when you squish your patties with a spatula as they cook, so they don’t puff up and bulge in the center. Unfortunately, this ends up forcing the fats and juices out.

To prevent this, you should never press down your burgers when cooking them to ensure you don’t rob them of their fats and juices, which end up evaporating on the griddling surface. The juices take with them the moisture and flavor of your burgers.

burgers from shrinking

Rather than pressing, you should consider making a thumbprint/dimple/depression (or whatever you want to call it) in the middle of your burger before cooking to help the burger keep an even shape while preventing shrinking.

10. How do I keep my burgers from falling apart on the griddle?

Burgers that keep falling apart on your griddle or grill can make you get frustrated quickly. However, you can easily stop your burgers from falling apart by using a binding agent that keeps them together.

burgers from falling apart on griddle

One great binder would be dry breadcrumbs. Apply some of the breadcrumbs to your burger mixture before you start shaping the patties. The crumbs absorb the moisture and work closely with the egg act as the glue that holds your burger together as it cooks on the griddle.

11. How do I keep my burgers from sticking on a griddle?

Burgers sticking on the griddle cooking surface can give you a hell of a time cleaning the cooking appliance. Not to mention, it can give you a bag experience when griddling burgers.

Luckily, it’s something you can fix in a matter of minutes.

burgers from sticking on a griddle

How?

Firstly, always make a point of coating your grill with non-stick cooking oil as a way of preventing the burgers from sticking when you start cooking them.

If the burgers stick during cooking, it’s because you are flipping them too early. As we mentioned earlier, you should flip your burgers only once. And it would help if you flipped them only when one side cooks. Flipping too soon before one side has cooked through and achieved an excellent sear will make it stick on your griddle.

You can also prevent sticking by rubbing your griddle or grill with onion as a BONUS tip. Cut an onion into two halves and rub the cut side of one half on the griddle. Be careful not to burn your fingers as the griddle or grille is quite hot.

12. What is the secret to juicy hamburgers?

The secret to making juicy hamburgers lies in the crucial tips and tricks outlined below.

juicy hamburgers

Get the right meat for hamburgers

Chuck steak is the best burger patties. This meat is marbled throughout and offers a decent lean to fat ratio, which is the secret to juicy burgers while being diet-friendly for you.

Start with a clean griddle

You don’t want anything getting in the way of your delicious burgers? Make sure you thoroughly clean your griddle and eliminate all those debris that encourage sticking and ultimately affecting how your burgers taste.

Pre-heat the griddle

Place your burgers on the griddle only when it’s pre-heat to 350-400 degrees F. This will ensure the burgers sizzle immediately and firm up quickly. It also helps ensure the meat doesn’t stick on the griddle.

Always use salt

Salt helps add texture and flavor to your meat and is another important secret to griddling juicy burgers. We advise you to use kosher salt over table salt as it’s more challenging to over-salt your meat.

Use oil

You should also ensure you lightly coat your griddle with oil before cooking your burgers if you want them to come out deliciously. Oil plays a huge part in helping your meat achieve flavor and texting—which are vital for a perfectly cooked burger.

Don’t over-flip

Flipping your burgers too often denies them the time they need to cook through and makes them tough and dry. The rule of thumb states that you should flip your burgers only once!

Final Verdict

You now have an idea where to start and what to keep in mind as you make your first burgers on the griddle. Enjoy your delicious griddled burgers!