Burgers are an absolute grilling staple.

One of the best ways to ensure you get the best burger every time is by grinding your own meat. Not only do you get to choose the quality of the meat, you also know what’s getting added.

You also save money by purchasing whole cuts of meat and grinding in bulk. 

So next time you are ready to grill up some burgers, skip the store-bought ground beef and make the best burgers by grinding your own.

Tri Tip Cheeseburgers

Ingredients you’ll need

• Tri Tip roast – 3-4 lb with a fat cap
• Seasoning – Kosher salt, black pepper, and granulated garlic or your favorite burger seasoning.
• Burger buns
• Cheese – I used sliced American.
• Burger essentials – but optional, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and onion.

Equipment you’ll need

• Grinder – the meat grinder that I use and love is the Meat! Your Maker 1 HP Grinder. They also make smaller grinders if you don’t plan to grind large quantities, so it’s easy to find a great quality grinder at the price that works for you. 

• Grill – I used my Grilla Grills Primate. It’s an excellent grill for the backyard because it can be used as a traditional gas grill, but it also converts easily into a griddle. 
• Instant read thermometer

Why use Tri Tip for burgers?

Tri Tip is generally not a popular beef cut and is more prominently found in California and along the West Coast than across the rest of the country.

It comes from the sirloin portion of the cow and it has a combination of lean meat with a nice, thick fat cap on the end. This makes it a great cut of beef for burgers because the fat-to-meat ratio is exactly what you’re looking for. 

I recommend grabbing a 3-4 lb Tri Tip roast with an intact fat cap.

How to make Tri Tip Cheeseburgers

1. Grind

Start by chopping your Tri Tip into chunks about 1½” thick.

A little hack for grinding meat and using a meat grinder is to stick the grinder components into the freezer for 20 minutes before you start grinding. It will prevent the meat from getting stuck inside.

Push the chunks of Tri Tip through the grinder.

2. The patties

Take your bowl of ground meat and separate it into four balls, then form those balls into burger patties.

You can use any burger seasoning you like, but I like to keep it simple with a blend of salt, pepper, and garlic.

3. Fire up the grill

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.

Place your burgers on the grates and let them cook for about 6-7 minutes per side until they reach an internal temperature of 150°F.

After about 4-5 minutes, you can add your cheese on the second side. Shut the lid to let it melt.

Remove your burgers from the grill, add them to a toasted bun, and add your favorite toppings.

Always a good time for a burger

• Reversed Seared Smoked Hamburger
• Grilled Brisket Burgers
• Grilled Bison Burger
• Grilled Mediterranean Lamb Burger
• Big Mac Smash Burger

Print

Tri Tip Cheeseburgers 

Freshly ground Tri Tip steak patties are minimally seasoned and grilled for a nice crust.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 735kcal

Author Breanna Stark

Ingredients

• 3 lb Tri Tip roast
• 1 tbsp Kosher salt
• ½ tbsp black pepper ground
• ½ tbsp garlic granulated
• 4 burger buns
• 4 slices American cheese
• Lettuce, tomato, pickles and onion optional

Instructions

• Chop your Tri Tip roast into cubes about 1½” thick.
• Pass through the grinder.
• Form the ground beef into ½lb patties and season them on both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic.
• Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and place your patties on the grates.
• Cook them for 6-7 minutes per side until they reach an internal temperature of 150°F. Add the cheese during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Close the lid if it needs help melting.
• Remove your patties from the grill, add them to a toasted bun, and add your favorite toppings.

Nutrition

Calories: 735kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 78g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 242mg | Sodium: 2488mg | Potassium: 1187mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 203IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 369mg | Iron: 7mg