Here in the Bay Area, people always seem tempted to make a backyard BBQ super fancy. We’ve got propane-fired pizza ovens! We’ve got 11-hour brisket smokers!
That can be fun, and I’m guilty of it, too. But for July 4th, I’ve always felt that simple, American fare is the best option.
Here’s a recipe for some super simple BBQed burgers that I often make throughout the year–but that are especially nice on Independence Day.
Easy July 4th Cheeseburgers on the Grill
Makes 4 burgers; you can always double or triple the recipe for bigger groups
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds 80/20 ground beef (make sure it’s 80/20, since this makes burgers much juicier)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 slices American cheese (you can use fancier cheese but Kraft singles are the true American choice)
- 4 hamburger buns or brioche buns
- Butter or oil, optional, for toasting buns
Optional toppings
- Lettuce
- Tomato slices
- Red onion
- Pickles
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayonnaise
- Barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Heat the grill. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat. Clean and lightly oil the grates.
- Season the beef. Place the ground beef in a large bowl. Add Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Gently mix just until combined. I like to mush it all together with (clean) hands. Do not overwork the meat, which can make burgers tough.
- Form the patties. Divide the beef into four equal portions and shape into patties about 3/4-inch thick. First make a ball, and then flatten it out into a disc. Make a shallow indentation in the center of each one with your thumb. This helps keep the burgers flatter as they cook.
- Grill the burgers. Place patties on the hot grill and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes without pressing them down. Flip and cook another 3 to 5 minutes, depending on desired doneness. I like to either use a meat thermometer to be precise, or cut into a test burger to make sure there’s no pink in the middle.
- Add the cheese. During the final minute of cooking, place a slice of American cheese on each patty. Close the grill lid briefly to help it melt. If you’re looking, you’re not cooking! Feel free to say folksy American sayings like this while grilling.
- Toast the buns. Lightly butter or oil the cut sides of the buns, if desired, and place them cut-side down on the grill for about 30 to 60 seconds, until warm and lightly toasted. Or ignore this and just use room temperature buns.
- Build and serve. Put each cheeseburger on a bun and add your preferred toppings. Serve immediately with chips, corn on the cob, watermelon, potato salad or whatever else is on the July 4th menu.
Again, you can get fancier with these if you want. A nice Brioche bun (Whole Foods has them locally) makes the whole thing feel more upscale.
And for cheeses, you can always upgrade to gruyere, or even some thin slices of Point Reyes Toma if you want a tasty local option.
For me, though, the point is to go with a classic American flavor. So Ballpark buns, Kraft cheese and Heinz ketchup is totally fine here, and the Bay Area Telegraph won’t judge.
Enjoy, and happy Independence Day!
Here’s a printable recipe card if you’d like:
Easy July 4th Cheeseburgers on the Grill
These simple grilled cheeseburgers use juicy 80/20 ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and classic American cheese. Serve them on regular hamburger buns or brioche buns with your favorite cookout toppings.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds 80/20 ground beef
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 slices American cheese
- 4 hamburger buns or brioche buns
- Butter or oil, optional, for toasting buns
Instructions
- Heat the grill. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat. Clean and lightly oil the grates.
- Season the beef. Place the ground beef in a large bowl. Add Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Gently mix just until combined. I like to mush it all together with (clean) hands. Do not overwork the meat, which can make burgers tough.
- Form the patties. Divide the beef into four equal portions and shape into patties about 3/4-inch thick. First make a ball, and then flatten it out into a disc. Make a shallow indentation in the center of each one with your thumb. This helps keep the burgers flatter as they cook.
- Grill the burgers. Place patties on the hot grill and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes without pressing them down. Flip and cook another 3 to 5 minutes, depending on desired doneness. I like to either use a meat thermometer to be precise, or cut into a test burger to make sure there’s no pink in the middle.
- Add the cheese. During the final minute of cooking, place a slice of American cheese on each patty. Close the grill lid briefly to help it melt. If you’re looking, you’re not cooking! Feel free to say folksy American sayings like this while grilling.
- Toast the buns. Lightly butter or oil the cut sides of the buns, if desired, and place them cut-side down on the grill for about 30 to 60 seconds, until warm and lightly toasted. Or ignore this and just use room temperature buns.
- Build and serve. Put each cheeseburger on a bun and add your preferred toppings. Serve immediately with chips, corn on the cob, watermelon, potato salad or whatever else is on the July 4th menu.
Notes
Again, you can get fancier with these if you want. A nice Brioche bun (Whole Foods has them locally) makes the whole thing feel more upscale.
And for cheeses, you can always upgrade to gruyere, or even some thin slices of Point Reyes Toma if you want a tasty local option.
For me, though, the point is to go with a classic American flavor. So Ballpark buns, Kraft cheese and Heinz ketchup is totally fine here, and the Bay Area Telegraph won’t judge.
