Skip to Content

What Size Burger Is Best to Cook? (Plus 5 Tips for the Perfect Burger)

What Size Burger Is Best to Cook? (Plus 5 Tips for the Perfect Burger)

Share this post:

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, I may earn a commission. Also, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Burgers, burgers, burgers. Who doesn’t love a good burger? They can be made in multiple sizes and multiple ways. I love all kinds of burgers from sliders to stuffed burgers, beer can burgers to A-1 burgers or just a regular quarter pounder.

The options are pretty endless, especially when it comes to seasoning options to really help pull the flavor out of them, but what is the best size?

2 Ounce Patty

2 Ounce Burger Patty Sliders

If you love sliders, this is an excellent amount of beef for these delicious little burgers. They grill nice and thin in which they also cook pretty fast. This is about all a two ounce patty is good for though.

When it comes to a 2 ounce patty, for me, I recommend making them double patties on the slider. You just can’t go wrong with these little things.

3 Ounce Patty

3 Ounce Burger Patty Sliders

Speaking of sliders, I prefer a little more beef to bun ratio on my sliders and burgers. So, in my opinion, the 3 ounce patty makes the perfect size slider. 2 Ounce is good, but for me, the 3 ounce is where the sliders are at.

4 Ounce (Quarter Pound) Patty

4 Ounce Quarter Pound Burger Patty

This, in my opinion, is the most common size burger. If you swing by any fast food joint they will most likely have these available. On a normal size bun they leave a good meat to bun ratio that will just melt in your mouth.

5 Ounce (About a Third Pound) Patty

5 Ounce 1/3 Pound Burger Patty

For a bigger guy like myself, this is the perfect size burger unless you are planning on eating a bunch of french fries too. This is also the perfect amount of meat for Beer Can Burgers in which you can follow my recipes or watch a quick video on how to make them here.

For me, it just has a little more beef to bun ratio than the quarter pounder and that is just where it is at.

8 Ounce (Half Pound) Patty

Girl Eating A Half Pound Burger Patty

…And then there is the big daddy. Back in my younger days I’d have no problem smashing one of these burgers. They are definitely harder to cook due to getting the internal temperature right and not burning the outside.

With a Big Green Egg I actually usually cook these indirect with a plate setter. They turn out great, but if you are looking for an easier solution I recommend just making two quarter pounders with a piece of cheese on the top of each patty.

Burger Patty Tips and Tricks

When it comes to sliders, they cook quick and easy in which you are usually cooking quite a few of them. I always try to make my patties all the same size.

Burger Press

This makes it much easier to determine when they are all done and makes is so you aren’t pulling some off before others. For this I recommend a burger press, which I’ve had excellent luck with.

When it comes to regular burgers, one thing I hate is a bite that just has little meat and mostly bun. Always make burger patty bigger than the bun. They will shrink a little on the grill which will hopefully give you a good meat to bun ratio with every bite.

When cooking burgers, they always tend to ball up while on the grill. In order to prevent burger balls and just get a good flat patty simply indent middle of the burger. Once cooked the indentation will most likely go away and it will also keep your patty a patty and not a burger ball.

Another recommendation is to get the correct blend of burger meat. I recommend staying away from lean blends and either getting a 80/20 or 85/15 package of ground beef. Any fat less then 15% then your burger or slider will start to taste more like meat loaf.

Every good burger needs a little seasoning. Lots just like simple salt and pepper but I’m always asked what I use on mine, which always seem to be a hit. I use two secret ingredients.

The first is Cow Lick Seasoning by Dizzy Pig. Cow Lick is packed with fresh ground pepper, earthy chilies, paprika, garlic and onion. It is an excellent blend that I’d recommend to anyone.

My other ingredient that I hide in the mix is Mesquite by McCormick. I just adds a nice extra bold flavor to the Cow Lick seasoning!

If you like some heat, I also recommend cayenne pepper too but this is more optional.

--

If you want more backyard tips including recipes, how-tos and more, make sure you subscribe to my youtube channel

Share this post: