For Unforgettable Burgers With A Perfect Crust, Use This Grilling Method

Everyone has made their fair share of massive burger mistakes, but backyard grilling pros know you can't just chuck your burger patty on the grill and expect flawless results. There's an art to a well-crusted burger that's still tender and juicy on the inside, and that means setting up your grill for a properly cooked burger with two-zone grilling.

A burger with a crispy edge is only good if the patty is still juicy, which comes down to temperature control. The two-zone method involves splitting your grill down the middle: one side for high direct heat and another side for lower indirect heat. The hot zone is where the magic happens. High heat cooks the outside of the patties quickly for a crispy, caramelized crust. Then you move them to the lower-heat area to finish cooking on the inside without drying out. You can also do it the other way around, cooking it through on the low side, then searing it high and fast on the hot side. This method is known as reverse searing. 

Temperature-wise, aim for 400 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit on the hot side and 250 to 350 on the other. With a gas grill, that means you need two burners, aiming for 450 degrees Fahrenheit on the hot one and 300-ish degrees Fahrenheit on the other. You can also leave the cool side off if the hot side is close enough to heat it ambiently. When using a charcoal grill, place the lit coals on one side of the grill, leaving nothing but space under the other side, which will act as your indirect heat side. It's important to let the grill completely heat up (which takes roughly 10 minutes with the grill covered) to give yourself more control over the temperature.

Two-zone grilling can give your family the crisp edges you crave without drying out your burger, but when you're cooking for a larger crowd, the three-zone method works better. The three-zone setup adds an additional staging area offering little to no heat on your grill. 

The third zone is helpful when there's lots going on with a crowded grill. The temperatures in the first two zones mimic the two-zone method, but with the addition of a lower or completely heatless third section that serves for the organization, warming, and setup of finished patties and relief when you need to quickly move a burger to save it from burning. 

For a gas grill, the third zone can be a third burner you leave off or on very low heat. For a charcoal grill, the way you position the charcoal differs between two and three-zone methods. For a three-zone setup, layer the coal on one side of the grill, but create a slope. The high side of the charcoal is the high heat, while the lower side is the medium heat. The low-heat zone is the one with no coals under it.