Why Alton Brown Recommends Skipping The Grill For Burgers

Alton Brown knows how to hack a burger. The celebrity chef has a handy trick to shape burger meat using a sheet pan and has perfected making non-greasy burgers with a specific cooking temperature. Is it any wonder, then, that Brown has yet another trick for making the best burgers with the best texture? Specifically, Brown recommends home chefs forgo the grill entirely to enhance the crust of their next smash burger. 

On his website, Brown outlines the benefits of frying burgers rather than grilling them. Namely, he highlights the ways in which frying distributes heat, which allows the entire burger to warm and cook evenly. That way, the burger at large develops a thorough and crispy crust and maintains desirable and juicy moisture — without becoming overly bogged down by the frying oil. Essentially, frying a burger is all about maximizing its textural potential and making the most of your meat. 

As for how, exactly, Brown makes his fried burgers? He takes advantage of one particular kind of oil — and it's one that's ideal for cooking at high heat.

Sure, grills — whether a George Foreman or a barbecue-ready Weber – are a tried-and-true burger-making method. But that doesn't mean grilling is always doing the best for your burger's crust. That's why Alton Brown chooses to fry his burgers in peanut oil, which allows his meat to form a delicious and crusty exterior without becoming too greasy.

Of all the frying oil options, peanut oil tends to be one of the best and most common choices, due to its high smoke point. As such, it's great for frying, when kept to a certain temperature. Per his website's burger recipe, Brown specifically heats his peanut oil between 300 and 325 degrees Fahrenheit, filling 2 inches in a Dutch oven. Before frying his burgers, Brown turns them into smash burgers, resulting in a thin texture and, as a bonus, reducing the amount of time they require to cook. It should only take a minute or so in the peanut oil for the burgers to fry to perfection. 

Granted, you don't have to follow Brown's exact approach. Bobby Flay, for instance, uses canola oil for frying burgers. Yet Brown's enthusiasm for his burger-making technique may entice you to give it a try. On his website, he equated his cheeseburger recipe with his chosen last meal, so if the world ends, at least he'll have one last peanut oil-fried burger.