Easy Grass-Fed Beef Hamburgers
With grilling season in full swing, we love making hamburgers with our grass-fed beef!
But what’s the best way to use grass-fed beef for hamburgers? Is it different from ‘regular’ ground beef?
Beef from cows that have been pasture-raised and finished is much leaner than grain-fed beef. And the fat that’s there is higher in unsaturated and Omega-3 fats (1). With that said, it can be easy to overcook grass-fed beef.
So what to do? I’ve experimented with a handful of methods for cooking grass-fed beef burgers and here are the techniques that have given me great results.
Freeze the beef patties after you form them. (Why? Didn’t you just thaw the meat last night?) Freezing the patties, even partially, allows the meat to hold together while a crust is forming. Putting the patties directly on the grill with out pre-freezing them, means they are more likely to fall apart due to the low fat content.
Oil the beef patties, instead of the grill. This prevents flare-ups and keeps the meat from sticking and tearing apart.
Let the hamburgers rest after cooking. This allows the meat to re-absorb its juices.
Ready to give it a try?
Get Ready
Prep time: 1 1/4 hr - 6 hours (or overnight)
Cook time: 15 minutes
What you’ll need
grass-fed ground beef, thawed overnight in the fridge
salt and pepper
melted butter (optional), 2-3 T per pound of ground beef
seasonings (optional)
cooking oil
What You’ll do
Place ground beef in a large bowl. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
Optional step: pour melted butter over ground beef and add in any seasonings you’d like to use.
Mix all ingredients just until evenly combined.
With clean hands, grab a generous handful of ground beef. Roll the meat into a ball and set on a baking sheet. (I usually portion mine into 3-4” diameter balls, which is about 1/3 lb.) Continue making balls until all the beef is used. Re-portion any balls that seem smaller or larger than the rest. This will ensure all your patties are about the same size.
Take one of the ground beef balls and gently flatten it into a 1/2” thick circle, pressing together any cracks around the edges. Place it back on the baking sheet. Repeat until all patties are formed. If you have more patties than space on the baking sheet, place a piece of wax paper or parchment paper over a single layer of patties before stacking any remaining patties on top.
Place the patties in the freezer for at least 1 hour, or longer if you have time, even overnight.
When you’re ready to grill, preheat the grill on medium-high for 10 minutes. Remove the patties from the freezer and rub them with cooking oil on each side.
Place the patties on the hot grill and leave them undisturbed (lid closed) for 4-6 minutes, depending on how frozen they were when you put them on the grill. Flip them over and cook, undisturbed, for another 5 minutes. At this point, you can check them for doneness with a meat thermometer or by cutting a slit in the center to see how much pink remains. If you want to cook them longer, flip back to the first side to finish.
Remove patties to a platter and cover loosely with foil. Let them rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Sometimes I use the extra butter or seasonings but, most of the time, I only use ground beef + salt and pepper. The burgers are delicious… and I feel good about the meat that my family is eating.
Need to restock your supply of ground beef?