Cast Iron Burgers: Why the Pan Beats the Grill Every Time

The grill is great for many things. Burgers are not one of them — at least not if you want the best possible crust.

A cast iron skillet holds heat more evenly than grill grates, creates full contact between the patty and the cooking surface, and produces a crust that grill grates simply cannot match. Here is the technique.

Full contact: Grill grates only touch the patty at the grate lines. A cast iron skillet touches the entire bottom surface of the patty, creating a uniform crust across the whole face.

Heat retention: Cast iron holds heat better than grill grates. When the cold patty hits the pan, the temperature drop is minimal. The sear starts immediately.

Fat basting: The rendered fat pools in the pan and bastes the sides of the patty as it cooks. On a grill, that fat drips away.

Preheat the pan for 5 minutes over high heat before the patty goes in. The pan should be smoking slightly.

Add a small amount of fat — beef tallow, butter, or a neutral oil with a high smoke point. Just enough to coat the bottom of the pan.

1. Form 6 oz patties from 80/20 ground beef. Press a small dimple in the center.
2. Season the outside with salt and pepper right before cooking.
3. Place the patty in the hot pan. Do not move it.
4. Cook 3–4 minutes on the first side. Do not press. Do not move.
5. Flip once. Add cheese immediately.
6. Cook 2–3 minutes on the second side.
7. Remove and rest for 2 minutes.

For smash burgers: Use 3 oz balls. Smash immediately on contact with the pan. Cook 60–90 seconds per side.

Toast the bun in the same pan after the patty comes out. The rendered beef fat in the pan toasts the bun and adds flavor.

Yooze It Sauce® Original on both buns before building. The creamy tang complements the deep, beefy crust that cast iron creates. 0g sugar, no corn syrup.

• Toasted bun with Yooze It on both sides
• Patty with melted cheese
• Lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles

Simple. The crust does the work.

0g sugar. Versatile Everything Sauce. You Can Yooze It On Everything™.

Order Yooze It Sauce® — $8.99