If you cook burgers often enough for weeknight dinners or cookouts, you’ll eventually be able to gauge doneness by look and feel. But before you become a burger master, break out your instant-read meat thermometer. It’s the key to testing burger doneness, whether you and your guests prefer them slightly pink or completely cooked. Whatever temperature you pull your patty at, here’s a guide to cooking the perfect burger, four ways.
When are burgers done?
To test burger doneness, stick an instant-read thermometer through the side of the burger rather than the top, to ensure it reaches the thickest part of the patty (note that this won’t be possible in a basket-style air fryer).
These timings are based on 1/3-pound burgers that are made with an 80/20 ground beef mix (lean meat to fat ratio), are 3/4-inch thick, and are about 4 1/2-inch diameter, which will generously cover a standard bun.
- Medium-rare (warm, red center): 130°F to 135°F
- Medium (warm, pink center): 140°F to 145°F
- Medium-well (hot, slightly pink center): 150°F to 155°F
- Well-done (brown all the way through): 160°F to 165°F
Make sure your patties don’t taper at the edges, and press a wide indentation in the middle so they don’t puff up like meatballs. After cooking, remember to let your burger rest on a rack or platter, lightly covered with foil, for 5 to 10 minutes, during which time carryover cooking will raise the temperature by about 5°F. It will also allow the juices to redistribute so they don’t all run down your chin with the first bite.
3 factors that influence burger timing
- Coarseness of the grind: Finer grinds cook faster.
- Fat content: Fattier burgers cook a little faster than lean ones.
- How densely they’re formed: Manipulate the meat as little as possible and pack just enough that they hold together.
How long to cook burgers for different methods
Grill
While the flavor of a grilled burger is unbeatable, timing can be tricky due to the variability of surface temperatures based on gas vs. charcoal grills, distance of the grill grate from the heat source, and the power of the heat source itself. Aim for a medium-high surface temperature of about 425°F to 475°F. Leave the lid open for the following doneness, closing occasionally to maintain temperature.
| Doneness | How long on the grill |
| Medium-rare | 3 minutes per side |
| Medium | 3 1/2 minutes per side |
| Medium-well | 4 1/2 minutes per side |
| Well-done | 5 minutes per side |
Air fryer
Air fryers are an incredibly convenient way to cook a small quantity of burgers. And there’s no need to flip during cooking because of the air circulation. Set to 400°F, using the air fry setting (if you have multiple options). Place burgers directly on the basket grate in a single layer, not touching, and start checking at the following times. If the burger is undercooked, check the temperature again at intervals of 60 to 90 seconds.
| Doneness | How long in the air fryer |
| Medium-rare | 7 minutes |
| Medium | 8 minutes |
| Medium-well | 9 minutes |
| Well-done | 10 minutes |
Oven
Baking burgers in the oven is an incredibly underrated method that gives you nice browning in a relatively short cooking time. It’s hands-off, smoke-free, and leaves your stovetop free for other dishes — plus burgers tend to shrink less in the oven.
To oven-bake burgers, heat your oven to 425°F. Place a flat wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil or parchment. Place burgers in a single layer, not touching, and cook for the following times. (To inhibit smoke, you can put a thin layer of salt on the baking sheet under where the burgers will be.)
| Doneness | How long in the oven |
| Medium-rare | 10 to 12 minutes |
| Medium | 12 to 14 minutes |
| Medium-well | 14 to 16 minutes |
| Well-done | 16 to 18 minutes |
Stovetop
Pan-frying burgers can create a lot of smoke and greasy splatter, but it’s a quick and easy method that creates a nice crust on the burger. Ideally, use a skillet, grill pan, or griddle made of cast iron or carbon steel, preheated over medium-high heat.
| Doneness | How long on the stovetop |
| Medium-rare | 2 1/2 to 3 minutes per side |
| Medium | 3 1/2 to 4 minutes per side |
| Medium-well | 4 1/2 to 5 minutes per side |
| Well-done | 6 minutes per side |
For smash burgers, whose temperature is all but impossible to test due to their 1/4-inch thickness, cook for approximately 2 minutes per side.
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