Learn How To Make Chef-Approved Burgers for Perfect Summer Grilling

At the risk of enraging every burger purist out there, I play the field when it comes to my favorites. I love a good smash burger . I live for In-N-Out , Shake Shack and, though I hate to admit it, a once-a-year Mickey D's Quarter Pounder (thanks, Mom). I'll even opt for the burger at a roadside dive every so often, especially if they have a visit-worthy reputation.

But above all the fast-food contenders and tried-and-true tavern standbys, I love my husband Luke 's burgers the most, especially his riff on In-N-Out's double-double, animal-style burger that he serves at his restaurant, Elm , in New Canaan, Conn.

But when he makes grilled burgers at home, I'm somewhat picky. I request my usual setup: special sauce, tomatoes, pickles, caramelized onions and a thin patty. He prefers raw onions, cheese and a still-mooing rare patty. What he hates, however, is making two burgers two different ways.

So, most of the time I concede to his style, just happy to have a seat at the table and a chef-prepared burger in front of me. Such was the case the other night, when we headed out to the grill to make classic burgers à la Chef Luke.

With summer grilling upon us, I took copious notes so you can make a chef-approved burger at home too. Read on for everything you need to know.

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Ingredients for Chef-Approved Grilled Burgers

First things first: quality beef. Luke swears by Pat LaFrieda 's 80/20 dry-aged ground beef . Although he says you can go with any brand of beef you want, the 80/20 rule is non-negotiable.

"Otherwise, it will be dry," he tells me as he shapes the meat into plump patties.

Seasoning-wise, Luke is partial to Hardcore Carnivore's Activated Charcoal Beef Seasoning, which you can find on Amazon. "It's a black beef seasoning blend from this Australian hunter, chef, outdoorswoman," he says, adding that good old salt and pepper is the next best thing if you don't want to get fancy with special seasoning. Just make sure the patties are evenly seasoned on both sides.

After that, he grabs a few squares of American cheese and a couple of seeded buns, noting that Martin's potato rolls are a personal favorite and brioche buns are a solid backup if you can't find Martin's. He also reaches for a packet of French butter and slices up a white onion, submerging the rings in a bowl of ice water.

"What's up with the ice?" I ask. "It takes a little bite off the onion and crisps them up," he replies. "I like to pre-soak my onions for one hour before grilling."

Then he gets to work slathering the buns with French beurre (AKA butter)—"a nice thick layer on each side."

Once he has everything prepped, he goes to preheat the grill. "Do everything before," he advises. "Season the meat before you go. Slice your onions before you go. Have your cheese out of the package next to the bun before you go. Don't do anything at the grill but grill." Noted.

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How To Grill Burgers Like a Chef

"You want a hot oiled grill before anything goes on it," he says, adding that one of the biggest mistakes he sees novice grillers make is throwing cold meat on a cold grill. "They'll stick that way," he says.

To avoid that, he preheats the grill for 18 to 20 minutes before the burgers make their debut and sprays the grates liberally with avocado oil. "Next, you want to find your hot spots," he says. "Place the burgers on those and once there's a nice crust after four minutes, do a quarter turn, then another four minutes. Flip the burgers, then repeat: four minutes quarter turn; four minutes; quarter turn."

Around the flip mark is when the buttered buns go on. "Just until they're toasted, he says. "You don't need any longer than that." Then he adds two slices of cheese on top of each patty and a little stack of ice-cold onions and covers the grill until the cheese melts, then off the burgers come.

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Tips for Making a Chef-Level Grilled Burger at Home

Choose your cheese wisely

Luke loves classic American cheese on cheeseburgers, but if you don't have American or want to switch things up, he also likes cheddar and Colby Jack. He's not big on blue cheese burgers, though, or any cheese that's too strong.

Season sooner

Not right before you go to the grill. Luke says you can season up to an hour beforehand.

Stay organized

Grilling might seem casual, but a little organization goes a long way. "Keep your buns toasted right next to the row of burgers and the other row of buns," he says. Haphazardly moving things all around the grill is where you lose focus.

Add some secret sauce

If you prefer a condiment other than ketchup or mustard, special sauce is always a winner. "I like to mix a little ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, chopped pickles and a splash of soy sauce ," says Luke.

Don't forget the sides

Coleslaw, macaroni salad , potato salad, baked beans and Cape Cod potato chips are Luke's go-tos with grilled burgers.

Don't smash (unless you've got the right gear)

"A lot of people smash the burger with a spatula on the grill and that presses the juices out of it," he says. "To make a smash burger, you have to use a griddle. You can't make a smash burger on a grill. It'll just smash into the grill, get stuck, all the juices will go out, it will overcook and your meal will be ruined."

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My Honest Thoughts About This Burger

I've waxed poetic about my personal burger preference (loaded with all the fixings) before, but Luke's simple grilled version? It got me good.

I'm convinced it's the grill factor: freshly charred patties with melty cheese and drippy, French butter–lacquered buns just hit different. Luke was even kind enough to make mine medium-rare instead of bleeding rare. Thank you, Chef Husband.

My verdict: Juicy patties, buttery buns and a little black pepper crust on top make for one damn fine burger. Add a side of slaw, some pickles and a handful of ridged chips and you've got a 4th of July meal that's hard to beat.

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This story was originally published by Parade on Jul 3, 2025, where it first appeared in the Food & Drink section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.