The Seasoning Mistake That's Ruining Your Burgers

Making burgers is about as simple as cooking gets, but that doesn't mean you can expect to just slap some naked ground beef on the grill and come away with something exceptional. Even if you deep-fry your burger patties the way Alton Brown does, they still need that something special to get the taste buds excited. Well, that something special is seasoning. However, overcomplicating burgers is a common home cook mistake — and tossing every ingredient from your spice rack into your seasoning blend is the definition of overcomplicating things.

Nicole Johnson, a recipe developer and founder of OrWhateverYouDo.com, agrees. "When I'm in the mood for a solid burger, I keep the seasoning simple," she says. "A course-ground SPG is really all you need." For the uninitiated in culinary acronyms, "SPG" stands for salt, pepper, and garlic. While this trio of flavors clashes with the two ingredients Bobby Flay thinks are best for burger seasoning (he opts for just salt and pepper), just that garlic can make a world of difference.

Of course, ratios are important as well. "Start by mixing equal parts salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and adjust according to your preferences from there," Johnson says. "For your average ¼-pound burger, you'll want about a teaspoon of seasoning on both the top and bottom before it hits the grill." However, when your patty's boasting a generous amount of meat, a different approach may be required. Johnson says, "If you're making thick burgers, consider seasoning the ground beef before forming patties to ensure the seasoning is evenly distributed throughout."

A modest application of SPG is essential to create a burger that's bursting with flavor, but the timing is equally significant. Nicole Johnson emphasizes this by illustrating how she prefers to cook hers. "I typically make my burgers 'smash' style, so seasoning immediately before they hit the griddle or grill works best for that," she says. Seasoning earlier could work in some cases, but be wary of making the mistake of applying your SPG too soon. "You also don't want to salt too early because salt draws out moisture from the meat, and a dry burger is a bad burger," Johnson says.

Keeping it simple is the name of the game — but what if you want to get a little creative? Johnson has some terrific suggestions that add flavor without adjusting your seasoning ratio. "I really like an 'Oklahoma' burger, where you add onions to the griddle or grill, and then smash a burger patty right on top," she says. "Then you let it cook until there's a nice crust and the onions are toasty and golden, before flipping."

That style of is a classic representation of one of the best burgers you can get in every state, as is Johnson's next suggestion. "We've also done some fun variations where we mix chunks of cheddar and diced jalapeño right into the ground beef for a spicy kick, and everyone loves a Juicy Lucy, which is the Minnesota version of a stuffed cheeseburger," she says. Going big with extras is one thing, but the burger seasoning itself doesn't need to include anything more than SPG.