How to Grill Grass Fed Burgers
On August 15, 2022 (Updated October 24, 2023)
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Grilling grass fed beef requires a bit of tweaking, but it can result in a delicious and juicy burger. Let’s walk through the entire process of how to grill grass fed beef for burgers that taste just as good (if not better) than grain fed beef!
Grass Fed Beef
So let’s talk about grass fed beef, shall we? From a good-for-you standpoint, grass fed beef has several health benefits over conventionally-raised and processed beef.
Grass fed beef is lower in total fat (especially saturated fat) and higher in beta carotene, vitamin E, B-vitamins (thiamin and riboflavin) and higher in Omega 3 fatty acids.
I always buy ground beef that is an 80/20 meat to fat ratio. Even with grass fed beef, you can purchase beef to your fat preference. An 80/20 ratio is less fat in the burgers than I am used to, but the meat was so flavorful I wasn’t dependent on the fat to provide that extra flavor.
Grilling Grass Fed Beef
What happens when we look at grass fed beef from a flavor and texture standpoint? Honestly, I was nervous about how these burgers would taste because I’ve been raised on corn or grain finished beef my whole life. I’ve been told repeatedly that the flavor of grass fed beef takes some getting used to.
I was also informed that grass fed beef dries out because of the lower intramuscular fat content. And I will say, some of those rumors are true. The flavor is a little different. Overcooking grass fed beef will dry it out. But here’s what I didn’t expect.
I LOVED the flavor.
Follow the directions and tips in this recipe, and your meat will turn out great. It’s not dry, not chewy, just moist, tender, beefy beef. That’s how I would describe the flavor. Beefy beef. It tastes like there is just a higher concentration of that beef flavor in each bite. It’s almost borderline bison flavor, if you’ve ever had it.
Aside from the health/flavor aspects, I love that this beef is raised free range (the animal is never confined to a feed lot) and that it is minimally processed.
How to Grill Grass Fed Burgers
I like to keep my burger prep simple and here’s how to grill grass fed burgers.
- Preheat. Preheat your grill to medium heat (about 350 degrees F). This recipe works great on any grill you have on your porch, but a gas grill might be the easiest option for this recipe.
- Make the patties. Divide 1 pound of 90/10 grass fed beef into 4 equal portions and press into even patties.
- Season. Sprinkle Hey Grill Hey Beef Rub on all sides of your burgers. This is a great salt and pepper-based rub that we sell in the Hey Grill Hey Store. If you don’t have any Beef Rub handly, you can season the patties with equal parts garlic salt and black pepper.
- Grill. Place the patties gently on the grill grates and cook for 4-8 minutes per side (flipping only once) and take off the grill when the internal temperature reads 160 degrees F (per FDA recommendations) with a meat thermometer (or 140 degrees F if you like your burgers Medium). During the last couple of minutes, top each burger with your cheese of choice and place your buttered buns on the grill to toast.
- Prep toppings. While your burgers are grilling, assemble your toppings. I like to use a huge cutting board (or serving platter) to lay out sliced tomatoes, pickles, onions, pre-cut lettuce, and bowls of condiments.
- Assemble the burgers. Place each cheeseburger on a toasty bun and transfer to the large cutting board or serving platter with all of your burger toppings. Let your guests assemble their own burgers.
How Long to Cook Grass Fed Burgers
It takes around 10-15 minutes to fully cook grass fed burgers.
Grass fed burgers cook faster than grain fed burgers, so be sure to keep an eye on the temperature of the beef as it cooks on the grill. The FDA recommends cooking ground beef to 160 degrees F, but I pull mine from the grill around 140 degrees F for a medium doneness. I highly recommend investing in a reliable meat thermometer to gauge the temp as the meat cooks.
Tips for Grilling Grass Fed Burgers
It can be a bit tricky to grill up grass fed burgers, but here are some tips to help you out!
- Cook low and slow. While I usually cook my burgers hot and fast to preserve all that juiciness, grass fed beef is best cooked low and slow to preserve as much moisture as possible. This makes all the difference with grass fed burgers, trust me. Any grass fed cut will benefit from a slow roast to start and a high heat sear to finish.
- Only flip your burgers once. These burgers are all beef, no binders, and they should be handled gently. Don’t keep flipping or press them with your spatula while they’re on the grill.
- Make your patties bigger than your bun. Make your patties just a half inch bigger in diameter and you’ll have a burger that covers your buns end to end.
More BBQ Burger Recipes
Looking for more delicious burger recipes from Hey Grill Hey? These are a few of our most popular recipes. Check them out below!
Grilled Grass Fed Burger Recipe
This recipe was created for you, backyard griller! Here at Hey Grill Hey, we’re in the business of helping you make better BBQ, feed the people you love, and become a backyard BBQ hero. You can find more of my smoking and grilling recipes here on my website (browse the Homepage for inspiration) on Instagram, YouTube, or our Facebook Page.
This post was originally published in May 2016. We recently updated it with more information and helpful tips. The recipe remains the same.
Grilled Grass-Fed Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 pound grass fed ground beef 90/10 is likely what you'll find
- 1 Tablespoon Hey Grill Hey Beef Rub or equal parts garlic salt and black pepper
- 4 slices mild cheddar cheese
- 4 hamburger buns toasted
- assorted toppings as desired
Instructions
- Preheat. Preheat your grill to medium heat (350 degrees F).
- Make the patties. Divide the ground beef into equal 1/4 pound patties that extend about 1/2 inch wider than the size of the buns. The larger patties account for the slight shrinkage that occurs during the cooking process.
- Season. Season the patties on all sides with Hey Grill Hey Beef Rub or equal parts garlic salt and black pepper.
- Grill. Place the patties on the grill grates and cook for 4-6 minutes per side (flipping only once) and cook to desired doneness. The FDA recommends cooking ground beef to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, but I prefer my burgers to medium and remove them at 135-140 degrees F. If you want cheese on your burgers, be sure to add it during the last few minutes of cooking.
- Assemble. Remove your burger patties from the grill and assemble on your toasted buns with desired toppings.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I recently bought an eighth of a cow, grass fed, grass finished. I had NO IDEA it would be so different…I don’t like it at all. 500.00 mistake!! I will be grilling burgers for the second time, and will use your method. I pray it works, otherwise I have roughly 400.00 more of dog food! Thank you for giving me hope!!
We have our own grass fed beef. The processor gives us quarter pound thin burgers which we leave in the freezer until time to grill them. I cook them about 5 minutes per side Or less in a cast iron skillet, a George Forman grill, or a Weber charcoal grill. They are always too dry. I’m considering brushing both sides with melted bacon grease.
Ive tried grass fed burgers in the past and honestly I didn’t like them. Way too dry for my liking. Having read your post though I recon that’s because the chef grilled them as if they were corn fed, not really knowing the difference.
Will give them another try.
I think since grass fed beef is still a fairly new trend, many people aren’t aware that there needs to be a difference in cooking methods to have the best results. Try it again at a lower temperature, I think you might have a change of heart!