The 5-6-7 Rule Should Be Your New Go-To Method For Perfect Burgers

There are a plethora of tips, tricks, and ways to cook a burger at home like a pro. But whether you like to throw the patties on a grill or in a pan on the stovetop, the timing is everything so that the end result is flavorful and juicy rather than dry. To turn out burgers with those qualities, there's a 5-6-7 rule that you should follow, and Food Republic spoke to David "Chef Fig" Figueroa, co-founder of Melinda's Foods, to break the cooking technique down.

The 5-6-7 rule applies specifically to how long you should cook the burger on each side, and how long the cooked burgers should rest before taking a bite. According to the chef, the ideal timing to achieve a medium-cooked burger on the grill is to cook the burgers for five minutes, then carefully flip them for another six minutes. The burgers should still cook evenly with one less minute on this side because the pan or grill will likely get hotter during the cooking process. As for the seven-minute component of the rule, that's how long you should rest the meat. The idea is the same with slicing into steaks, because the juices will redistribute in the burgers for perfect bites during that rest. If cooking your patties in a pan, shave a minute off each time (making it 4-5-6 instead).

In order to achieve a perfectly cooked medium burger on the grill within the 5-6-7 time frame, medium-high heat should suffice. Use medium to medium-high heat on the stovetop, depending on how hot your burners get. When it comes to flipping the burgers, use a large spatula and make the move carefully to prevent breaking the half-cooked patties. And while the timing should achieve a medium-cooked burger, per David "Chef Fig" Figueroa, check for an internal temperature between 140 and 145 degrees Fahrenheit to be safe. It's also important to remember that the cooking time will slightly vary depending on the thickness of the burger patties.

Apply the 5-6-7 rule to any burger recipe, even thawed frozen patties, if you need to keep it simple. Of course, we have some recipes to suggest as well. First up is our blue cheese-stuffed burgers with fig and pear recipe that turns out four burgers in just over 30 minutes. Another option are these smoky chipotle burgers that we recommend grilling at 350 degrees Fahrenheit — just don't forget the golden 5-6-7 rule during the process.

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