How to grill a perfect, juicy burger on a propane grill: Step-by-step tutorial

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When the weather starts warming up, people across the country start busting out their grills. Whether you call it "barbecuing," "grilling," "cooking out," or something else, one thing remains the same: it is an American pastime and synonymous with summer.

But with great power comes great responsibility, and not everyone is worthy of the grill master title. Nothing can ruin a cookout like charred burgers that are more like hockey pucks than a tasty dinner. So, avoid messing things up with these simple tips for cooking delicious, juicy cheeseburgers on a propane grill.

Watch this video for tips on how to grill the juiciest burgers.

Preparing burgers

Start by forming your hamburger patties ahead of time and letting them chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. The fridge time will help the burger cook more evenly and trap the juices inside. 

Preheat the grill while the burgers are in the fridge.

Before throwing the burgers on the hot grill, brush them with a high-heat oil, like grapeseed oil or vegetable oil. These oils can withstand higher temperatures better than butter or olive oil and reduce the risk of burning. After brushing oil on the burgers, you can add salt, pepper and any other spices you want. 

Grilling burgers on propane

After the grill and its grates are hot, turn a section off and put your burgers there, avoiding direct flame under the patty. This helps avoid flare-ups.

You can add an ice cube to the top of the patty to even out the cook. Then, close the grill and let it do its thing. The time it will take to cook the burgers varies by how hot the grill is, how big the burgers are and how you want them cooked. Usually, burgers take between two and five minutes per side to cook. The less time, the rarer the meat. 

When they are about halfway done, flip them and close the lid again.

When the juices of the burger are running clear, that's when you know they are done. Note: if you're adding cheese, put it on when the burger juices still have some red in them.

Once you pull the burgers off the grill, let them sit for about 10 minutes before assembling the perfect burger and digging in. Yum, no burnt hockey puck burgers at this cookout!

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Building the perfect burger

Assembling burgers can be really messy. Tomato slices are slipping out, pickles are disappearing and the bread can get soggy.

Build a better burger like this:

1. Toast the bun.
2. Spread your preferred condiments on the bottom bun.
3. Add lettuce and tomato.
4. Top with the burger patty.
5. If you're opting for a cheeseburger with bacon, melt the cheese over the top of the cheese and bacon.
6. Add pickles into the sticky cheese.
7. Top with onions and any other topping you enjoy.
8. Add another smear of your favorite condiments on the top bun and enjoy!