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Camp Burgers Two Ways: Thick on the Grate, Thin on the Griddle

How to cook juicy thick burgers over charcoal and crispy thin burgers on a carbon steel griddle at camp.

Burgers are the default camp dinner for good reason: easy, fast and loved by everyone. Here are two ways to make them better at camp.

Thick burgers on the grate

• Form 1/3 to 1/2 lb patties at home, press a slight dimple in the center, and stack between parchment.
• Grill over medium-hot coals, about 4 minutes per side.
• Cook ground beef to 160°F.
• Add cheese in the final minute.

Thin burgers on the griddle

• Roll 3 oz balls of ground beef at home.
• Preheat a griddle very hot.
• Place a ball on the griddle and press it flat with a sturdy spatula.
• Season, cook until the edges brown deeply, flip, add cheese.
• Stack two on a bun.

The Slot Grill Griddle (Plancha) add-on is built from thick carbon steel and designed to fit the Slot Grill system.

Keep it trail-ready

Raw steel likes a little care

Slot Grill Seasoning Balm is an avocado oil and beeswax blend for carbon steel and cast iron. Wipe on a very thin coat, bake at 400°F for an hour, repeat to build up a protective, non-stick layer.

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Buns and toppings

Toast buns on the grate for a minute. Keep lettuce, tomato and onion cold in the cooler.

Grease

Scrape griddle grease into a can and pack it out.

Choosing the meat

An 80/20 ground beef blend (80 percent lean, 20 percent fat) is the standard for juicy burgers. Leaner beef dries out quickly over charcoal. Ground chuck is a common choice. Keep ground meat very cold until cooking; use it on the first or second day of a trip.

Forming patties at home

• Divide meat into equal portions with a kitchen scale.
• Form gently; overworking makes burgers dense.
• Make thick patties slightly wider than the buns, since they shrink.
• Press a shallow dimple in the center so they stay flat while cooking.
• Stack between parchment squares in a sealed container.
• Freeze if the trip is more than a day away.

Feeding the whole camp

Cooking for the family? Go Full Size.

10-gauge carbon steel, a 20.5" × 11.25" cooking area (231 sq in) and a 3⅝" air gap for truck beds, tables and boat decks. Plenty of space for thick steaks, a skillet, and supper for the whole crew.

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Griddle technique for thin, crispy burgers

1. Heat the griddle very hot for several minutes.
2. Add a thin film of oil.
3. Place a cold ball of beef on the griddle.
4. Press hard with a sturdy spatula for about 10 seconds to flatten it.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Cook until the edges are deeply browned and crispy, about 2 minutes.
7. Scrape under the patty to keep the crust, flip, add cheese.
8. Cook another 30 to 60 seconds.

Thin burgers cook so fast that you can feed a group in rounds while buns toast on the grate.

Toppings bar

Set up a tray from the cooler:

• Sliced cheese
• Lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles
• Ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise
• Grilled onions and jalapeños
• Bacon cooked on the griddle earlier

Burgers for kids

Make smaller "slider" patties. They cook faster and are easier for little hands.

Troubleshooting

• Burgers puffing up: use the dimple trick.
• Falling apart: meat too warm, or flipped too early.
• Flare-ups: move to the cooler side.
• Dry: too lean or overcooked; use 80/20 and a thermometer.

Clean grill, better burgers

Burgers sit flat on the grate and pick up whatever is there. That is a big reason to skip the communal grate and cook on your own clean steel.

Building a burger night timeline

Burgers are fast, which means everything else has to be ready before the meat goes on. Work backward from the moment you want to eat.

1. 45 minutes out: light charcoal.
2. 30 minutes out: set out the toppings tray from the cooler, slice onions and tomatoes.
3. 20 minutes out: spread coals for a two-zone fire; preheat the griddle if you are making thin burgers.
4. 15 minutes out: cook bacon or grilled onions if you want them.
5. 10 minutes out: patties on.
6. 2 minutes out: cheese on, buns on the cool side to toast.
7. Serve: everything hot at the same time.

Grate versus griddle: when to use each

The open grate gives smoky flavor and the classic char lines. It suits thick patties and anyone who loves a backyard-style burger. The griddle gives an all-over brown crust from contact with hot steel, captures the drippings instead of letting them flare, and works better for thin patties that would fall apart on bars. If you have the Slot Grill Griddle add-on in a half configuration, you can do both at once: griddle on one side, grate on the other.

Seasoning beyond salt and pepper

Salt the outside of the patty right before cooking, not into the meat hours ahead, which can make burgers springy. A few seasoning ideas to mix at home in a small jar:

• Steakhouse: coarse salt, black pepper, garlic powder, a pinch of onion powder.
• Smoky: smoked paprika, salt, pepper, a little chili powder.
• Garlic herb: salt, pepper, dried parsley, garlic powder.

Other burgers worth grilling at camp

Turkey burgers

Ground turkey is lean and sticks easily. Oil the grate or use the griddle, cook over medium rather than high heat, and cook to 165°F.

Venison burgers

Lean game meat benefits from a little added fat, such as ground pork or bacon mixed in at home. Cook over medium-high heat and avoid pressing out the juices.

Bean or veggie burgers

Store-bought veggie patties do best on a griddle. Homemade bean patties hold together better if chilled firm in the cooler first.

Burger safety at camp

• Keep raw patties cold and sealed at the bottom of the cooler.
• Use one plate for raw patties and a clean one for cooked.
• Wash hands after handling raw meat.
• Check the center of the thickest patty with an instant-read thermometer; color is not a reliable guide.
• Discard anything that sat out warm for a long time.

Bun and topping tips

• Toast buns cut side down on the cool side for 30 to 60 seconds.
• Butter the cut side first for a crisp golden face.
• Keep lettuce, tomato and pickles in a separate container on ice so they stay crisp.
• Grill onion slices whole on a skewer, then separate the rings.

Burgers for a big group

For a family or group, plan two patties per adult and one per kid, plus a few extra. Thin griddle burgers turn over fastest: a hot griddle can cook a round in a few minutes, so a single cook can feed a crowd quickly. The Full Size Slot Grill's 20.5 by 11.25 inch cooking area gives more room per round than the Compact.

Cleaning up after burger night

Scrape the griddle or grate while it is still warm. Pour cooled grease into a can or onto a paper towel and pack it out with the trash. Never dump it on the ground or into a fire ring; it attracts animals and lingers for the next campers.

Forming patties at home

Form patties at home and stack them between squares of parchment or wax paper in a container. Make them slightly wider than the buns, since they shrink, and press a shallow dimple in the center with your thumb so they cook flat rather than puffing up. Season the outside right before cooking rather than mixing salt into the meat, which can make the texture dense.

Burger toppings bar

• Sliced cheddar, pepper jack or American cheese
• Lettuce, tomato and onion
• Pickles and jalapeños
• Grilled onions and mushrooms from the griddle
• Bacon cooked earlier in the morning
• Avocado
• Ketchup, mustard and mayo

Smash burgers on the griddle

Heat the griddle hot. Place a loosely rolled ball of beef on the steel and smash it flat with a sturdy spatula. Season, cook until the edges crisp, flip, add cheese, and serve. Thin patties cook fast, perfect for feeding a hungry crowd quickly.

Food safety

Ground beef should reach 160°F. Use a thermometer and keep raw patties cold until cooking.

Toasting buns

Butter the cut sides and toast them on the grill for a minute.

Burger variations

• Turkey burgers: mix ground turkey with grated onion and garlic, cook to 165°F.
• Lamb burgers: season with cumin and mint, serve with yogurt sauce.
• Black bean burgers: make at home, chill well, and cook on the oiled griddle.
• Green chile burgers: top beef patties with roasted green chiles and pepper jack.

Offering one alternative alongside classic beef keeps everyone in a mixed group happy.

One more tip

For a crowd, cook burgers in rounds and keep finished ones warm on the cool side of the grill, covered with foil, while the next batch cooks.

Questions campers ask

What temperature should burgers reach?

Ground beef should reach 160°F.

Can I make smash-style burgers at camp?

Yes, on a hot griddle with a sturdy spatula.

How do I carry burger patties to camp?

Form them at home and stack between parchment in a sealed container in the cooler.

Portable camping grill

Love camping? Check out the Slot Grill Compact.

12-gauge carbon steel, about 14 lb, a 16.25" × 9" cooking area for one to three campers, and it packs down to roughly an inch thick for a trunk, kayak, RV or camp box. Made in Texas, free shipping in the lower 48.

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Compact · $89.97 $99.97
About 14 lb, 146 sq in, 1 to 3 people, packs about 1" thick.Full Size · $149.97 $159.97
About 27.6 lb, 231 sq in, family-size, packs about 1.25" thick.