There are few foods more quintessential to an American summer than a burger. They’re easy to whip up, budget-friendly, endlessly customizable, and usually the first thing people throw on the grill the second the weather gets nice.

But just because burgers are simple doesn’t mean they have to be boring or worse, dry. Chefs say the difference between a juicy, flame-kissed masterpiece and a sad, overcooked hockey puck usually comes down to a few fixable mistakes.

So, with grilling season heating up, I talked to two experts on all things beef: Ashley Lonsdale, ButcherBox chef-in-residence.

And Dagan Lynn, executive chef of Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner, about the biggest hamburger blunders home grillers make and how to turn basic backyard burgers into something worth bragging about.

The Biggest Burger Grilling Mistakes

1. Choosing beef that’s too lean.

2. Letting patties warm up too much before cooking.

3. Overworking the meat.

4. Seasoning too early.

5. Pressing down on the patties.

6. Constantly flipping the burgers.

7. Guessing when burgers are done.

8. Forgetting burgers are supposed to be fun (and saucy).

The Bottom Line

Great burgers don’t need fancy tools or expert skills, just a few smoother moves. So keep the patties cold, stop flattening them into submission, and let the grill do its thing. From there, the fun part begins. Toast the buns, melt the good cheese, make a ridiculously delicious sauce situation, and build the kind of burger people talk about all summer.