The key is minimal handling and squeeze once to form the patty. The dimple in the middle as someone else mentioned also helps.
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Here's a trick I got from America's Test Kitchen on PBS:
Take one slice of white bread for about each 1 1/2 lbs. of beef. Remove the crusts and dice the remaining bread. Add enough milk to make a panade (thick paste). Add A-1 or Worcestershire and spices. I usually use garlic and pepper, maybe curry if I want a little kick. Mix the panade thoroughly with the ground beef. The panade acts as a binder to replace some of the fat that drips out, and the A-1 or Worcestershire replaces some of the flavor lost with the fat. You can grill these to a nice thick crust, and they'll still be very moist inside.

Edit: I see someone else already mentioned this. Doh! I didn't read the whole thread... :-)
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I still like it that way better. :-)
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How do you prepare the perfect burger patty?

1) Pull into drive thru
2) Say "Double double animal style" at sign after being greeted
3) Enjoy

Image
:-)
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Good call Kelly! By the way, have you been here yet??

Torrance Bikini Coffee Shop! http://www.bikini-espresso.com/
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I like your style!! :-)
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Dude, we're all over this. Beats the Korean BBQ taco truck hands down!! :-) :-)

Dang! Now I have to try to explain this to the MRS. :-)
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take my ground beef or chuck or whatever I feel like making them out of and beat them in my hands for about a minute, forming a ball and making sure it's all mashed together well, then flatten it out a bit on a plate. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on each side on the first turn as it cooks. If you cook it until you see white juices coming out, it's OVER done. Some nice clear juice is just right IMO.:-):-)
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Im with vin,i use a egg in mine,some lemon pepper,and (tony chachere)creole seasoning...dice up some onions and mix all in..
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As usual, some great advise here, to which I cannot add. But lemme share a story I just heard. There's a small 4-star French/American restaurant here in town with - of course - a great chef in charge. The spot next to him closed, so he decided to expand, making a top-notch burger joint out of it. It has taken him 6 months of experiments to come up with his patty.

In simple words - "perfect" ain't easy. Were it, everything would be thus.
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I did forget about how much I enjoy the Eddie Murphy burger. Green pepper and onions hanging out of it, and on white bread of course. Much better than McDonalds.
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I used to always have trouble keeping my burgers from falling apart; I tried egg, ranch and crackers, breadcrumbs, whatever, they still fell apart. Then a friend taught me to take the hamburger, and roll it around into a ball for about a minute, then press into patties. They have never broken apart again.

I like to use A-1, worchestershire sauce, ranch, onion soup mix, Applewood Smoked Sea Salt, fresh ground black pepper, cumin, parsley, minced garlic, shredded cheese!
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