Food Cooking Tips & Techniques Grilling How Long to Grill Hamburgers From Medium-Rare to Well-Done Because no one likes an overcooked burger, and everyone loves a hero of the grill. By Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner is a writer and recipe developer. She's a regular contributor to The New York Times, Time Out New York, Forbes, and many more publications. She also writes the food newsletter, Specialty. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 22, 2024 Fact checked by Haley Mades Fact checked by Haley Mades Haley is a Wisconsin-based creative freelancer and recent graduate. She has worked as an editor, fact checker, and copywriter for various digital and print publications. Her most recent position was in academic publishing as a publicity and marketing assistant for the University of Wisconsin Press Our Fact-Checking Process In This Article View All In This Article Perfect Timing Other Considerations FAQs Grilling hamburgers is an American pastime, with each burger eater avowing their preferred burger style. Whether it’s medium-rare with cheese or cooked well and then some, figuring out how long to grill hamburgers to different temperatures is tricky, though not impossible. To help you master medium-rare through well-done burgers, we looped in a meat expert for insight to make you the hero of the grill. Meat expert Nathan Burk, a former ranch hand and butcher, is a procurement strategist for ButcherBox, a direct-delivery service. They specialize in 100% grass-fed, grass-finished beef, free-range organic chicken, pork that's raised crate-free, and wild-caught seafood. How Long to Grill Hamburgers for Perfect Doneness According to ButcherBox's Nathan Burk, cook burgers between 8 and 11 minutes, adding 1 minute to the total cook time (both sides) for each doneness preference. Here are the details based on a 6-ounce, ½-inch burger. Medium-Rare Medium-rare is the lowest temperature you want to cook a burger, with an objective of an internal temperature of 125 to 130°F. “A good rule of thumb for a 6-ounce burger is to cook it for about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare,” says Burk, for a total grill time of 8 minutes. Medium To achieve a medium burger, which has a slight pink tinge on the inside, flip after 4 minutes on the first side (same as for medium-rare) and remove from the grill after 5 minutes on the other, for a total cook time of 9 minutes. The proper temperature for medium burgers is 140 to 145°F, so check the temperature at the 8-minute mark to ensure you’re on track. Medium-Well For a medium-well burger, which has little-to-no pink in it, grill for about 10 minutes, flipping once after 5 minutes. The objective is an internal temperature between 150 and 155°F. Well-Done Well-done burgers may be deceivingly simple, but you want to pull them before they reach 160°F and potentially dry out. Well-done 6-ounce burgers need at least 10 minutes on the grill, and should rest for a bit before going on a bun. Other Considerations for Grilling Perfect Burgers There's more to grilling a perfect burger than perfect timing. This advice is valid no matter how you like your burger cooked. Use a Meat Thermometer “Using an instant-read thermometer is the best gauge of doneness,” says Burk. “If you don't have a good digital instant-read thermometer, go get one now. There is no need to be worried about over-cooking your burger or steak again." "A thermometer will help you cook with confidence every time," he insists. "I travel with mine. No joke. As a meat professional, I never know when I might be asked to throw down on the grill.” One Flip is Enough When it comes to grilling burgers, Burk adheres to a one-flip-is-all-you-need philosophy. “Although you might be tempted to do so, the less you flip them, the more they retain their juiciness and flavor,” he says. Pre-heat the Grill The times our expert recommends for grilling burgers presuppose your grill is pre-heated before you add the meat. This ensures your burgers cook at a similar temperature the entire time. Factor-in Residual Cooking “Remember that your burger will keep cooking once you pull it off the grill," Burk says, reminding us of the effect of residual cooking, also called "carryover cooking." He recommends pulling a burger when it's about 5 degrees lower than your finish target temperature. Strive for Uniformity Cook times for all doneness preferences vary with the thickness, weight, and size of your burger. Before throwing a whole batch on, it's best to practice on a test burger and consider lowering the heat if it turns out too seared on the outside while not cooked enough internally. Creating a uniformly thick burger, about ½ inch, is ideal. 37 Mouthwatering BBQ Side Dishes for Pulled Pork, Brisket, and More Frequently Asked Questions What if someone wants their burger cooked rare? A rare burger, which cooks to an internal temperature of 125°F (or lower) and takes less than 8 minutes to cook, is never recommended due to a higher risk of food poisoning. In fact, FoodSafety.gov recommends cooking all ground meats to a minimum internal temperature of 160°F to prevent harmful bacteria. What is the best grill temperature for burgers? The best grill setting for burgers is medium-high, which runs from about 400 to 450°F. If your grill doesn't have a temperature gauge or setting, you can test it with your hand: Hold your open palm about 3 inches above the grill grate and, if you have to pull away between 2 and 4 seconds, it's medium-high. Learn More: How to Check the Temperature of Your Grill Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit