Medium vs Medium Rare: What’s the Difference?

We’ve all been there: you order a hamburger at a fancy restaurant and they ask you how you want it cooked. You give them an answer, but when your hamburger comes out, it’s not quite how you wanted it.

You might want to blame the chef, but the real problem could be that you don’t know the difference between a medium vs medium rare hamburger. There’s no shame in this. In fact, most people don’t know the difference.

Lucky for you, that changes today. You educate yourself on the different types of internal temperatures for hamburgers by reading this guide. Afterward, you’ll never order a hamburger the wrong way again.

Plus, once you know the difference, you can also grill the perfect hamburger at home.

Medium vs Medium Rare Hamburgers

There are five different ways to prepare a hamburger patty: rare, medium-rare, medium, medium-well, and well-done. Medium and medium-rare are the most popular types because they’re right in the middle of the “doneness” levels.

A medium hamburger is cooked until it has an internal temperature of 140 to 150 degrees. The inside of the burger is still slightly pink, but the overall burger has a firm density. Learn the best way how to cook burgers on a Traeger with this easy guide.

A medium-rare hamburger is cooked or grilled for a shorter time than a medium burger. It has a red center that makes it juicier than medium burgers and gives it a softer density. To achieve a perfect medium-rare burger, cook it to an internal temperature of 130 to 140 degrees.

A rare hamburger is even redder and softer than medium-rare hamburgers. Medium-well and well-done burgers are cooked longer, so they are both firm with no color on the inside.

Types of Hamburgers: Which One is Best?

Now that you know the different types of hamburgers, which one should you order to make sure your meal comes out exactly how you like it? It all depends on your preferences.

Some hamburger fans love the juiciness of medium-rare burgers, while others aren’t a fan of how red it is on the inside. They would prefer a medium burger that’s slightly firmer.

We recommend that you try your hamburger multiple ways before you settle on your favorite cooking method. It’s also a good idea to experiment at home. You can even purchase an inexpensive food thermometer to check the temperature of your hamburger.

Need to order hamburgers for a ton of people with different tastes? Beck’s Prime makes it simple with their burger box. Each one is cooked to perfection, and you can add on all the sides you want.

Final Thoughts on Cooking Meat

If you’re new to cooking meat, it will take some trial and error to get it right. The good news is that now that you know the difference between medium vs medium rare hamburgers, you’re one step closer to the perfect meal. Plus, you can confidently order your hamburger just the way you like it when you eat out.

Understand how to do smoked burger on pellet grill to get a juicy burger as a result. For more cooking and food tips and tricks, check out the rest of the blog.