Alex Guarnaschelli Has The Easiest Tips For Juicy Burgers

Summer is here and that means it's time to amp up your burger skills to impress family and friends at those backyard gatherings or date nights with your significant other. Per a press release, Harris Poll recently worked with Omaha Steaks to poll Americans on their grilling habits and discovered that 76% plan to grill out more during the next six months. Couple that with the fact that, according to an Applegate Farms survey, 75% of people in the United States associate summer with burgers on the grill, and we can all use some tips to ensure our hamburgers are juicy and delicious when they hit the bun and make their way to our lips.

Celebrity chef Alex Guarnaschelli recently made an appearance on the "Today Show" where she shared some of her secret – or not so secret — tips with hosts Hoda and Jenna to help viewers achieve burger nirvana. Guarnaschelli showcased her triple-decker hamburger and just the thought of this sandwich has us salivating. As Jenna points out, three layers of meat make a "big burger." So, how does Guarnaschelli make sure those patties are nice and juicy?

Guarnaschelli tweeted a clip of her appearance on the "Today Show" with the caption "Yesssse." She tells the hosts that a juicy burger all begins with the meat, and you want to start with an 85/15 hamburger mix of short rib and sirloin. She notes, "Those are the good cuts." The host of "Supermarket Stakeout" goes on to share that the only additives should be a little salt and pepper, and when it comes time to form those patties, you want to make them flat and thin. However, she also laments you don't want to be too handsy and overwork your hamburger patty. "Be gentle" is the "Chopped" judge's motto.

If you are frying your burgers in a skillet, Guarnaschelli recommends utilizing all those meat juices at the bottom of the pan to caramelize onions for a nice topping. Additionally, she suggests giving your onions a little splash of pickle juice, stating that the acidity of the juice will make your taste buds pop when you bite into your burger. Our simple Smashburger recipe uses pickle juice as an ingredient as well.

Toast or don't toast your bun, depending on your preference, but perhaps the penultimate component of Guarnaschelli's burger tips is the decadent cheese sauce. She uses parmesan and cheddar to create it and notes it can be used for either dripping all over your burger or dunking each bite.