Why Baking Is The Better Way To Cook Up Hamburgers

Obviously, when it's summer and you have a hankering for a meaty hamburger, you're going to slide those patties onto a hot grill — especially if you're using this hack for perfectly moist meat. But when the leaves have long fallen and you're looking at a never-ending winter, you'll have to make do with cooking them inside. You can certainly let them sizzle up in a skillet, or even air fry them to your desired doneness, but you should consider baking them in your oven. Here's why.

For starters, you can bake as many hamburgers at once as you can fit on your baking sheet, which makes this method perfect for when you're entertaining — also, how perfect is this for batch-baking sliders? You can also make the process virtually no-mess by putting down parchment paper or aluminum foil, like this heavy-duty kind from Amazon Basics, under the burgers, which not only keeps your pan clean but also helps keep grease splatter off your stove.

Finally, baking your burger patties is a time saver. Because you can just pop them in the oven — no flipping or constant tending required — you can just focus on preparing the rest of your meal.

Feel free to adjust your favorite burger recipe for however many patties you want to make; typically a pound of ground beef equates to four burgers, and you can use any mix of meat, be it 80/20, 90/10, etc. Just know that the greater the fat content, the more likely you will want to put your patties up on a wire rack set over the baking sheet.

Combine the ground beef with any seasonings you like, form the patties, and place them on a parchment- or foil-lined baking sheet with at least a 1-inch lip all around to catch the meat's juices as they cook (you do not want your burgers' juices to run all over your oven!).

Then you'll pop the pan into a preheated oven — between 375 and 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 to 20 minutes should do the trick, but you can experiment with time and temperature to find your perfect bake. Check them with a meat thermometer for doneness (160 degrees Fahrenheit is the USDA's safety guideline to kill any foodborne pathogens that might be lurking). If you want melty cheese, put it on top of the patties after you pull them from the oven and let it sit as the burgers rest for a few minutes.