This Is How Much Your Burgers Should Weigh

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There's something undeniably satisfying about biting into a juicy burger — especially when you've made it yourself from start to finish. Homemade burgers allow you to get creative with flavors, customize ingredients, and experiment with unique recipes. But there's one key element to a restaurant-quality burger that gets overlooked: the weight of your patty. Getting this wrong can mean a dry or unevenly cooked burger — which is why we spoke to Koji Fujioka, butchery manager at The Local Butcher Shop, who shared his ideal weight for a standard burger patty.

"I like a ⅓-pound burger patty," Fujioka told The Takeout. "It's a good portion size for most non-Olympic-athlete adults. It ends up being about 4 inches in diameter and around ¾-inch thick (when it's raw)." Remember, the patties will shrink as they cook, so it's fine if they look larger than the buns at first. According to Fujioka, this size will "fit your standard burger bun and will result in an appropriately thick burger that you won't have to unhinge your jaw to consume (depending on your other toppings or how many patties you are stacking)". For another pro tip on even cooking, try Bobby Flay's burger trick and make a small indent in the center of each patty before popping them on the heat.

If you're making crispy smash burgers, sliders, or extra thick burgers, Fujioka also shared some guidance. "For sliders, I'd say ⅕- to ¼-pound patties are nominal. Smash burgers also work well at about the same weight." Smash burgers are perfect for a quick and effortless meal, since these thin patties cook much faster than a standard burger (around four minutes total).

As for cooking a thicker burger, Fujioka suggested not to over-do it. "½- to ⅔-pound burger patties get pretty thick (or pretty wide), and I don't see much point in cooking any patty over 1 inch thick; you might as well redesignate your dish as a meatloaf." Anything overly thick will also leave you with an undercooked or raw middle and overcooked edges. If you want a heartier burger, it's best to stack up two standard patties instead. So, the next time you're prepping patties, grab your kitchen scale for evenly cooked, consistent, restaurant-quality burgers.