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There is no end to the number of scrumptious hamburgers you can make, but here are 12 that will make your mouth water.

By J. Kenji Lpez-AltJ. Kenji Lpez-Alt writes a column for The New York Times on food and science, and he develops dishes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is also the developer and host of Kenji's Cooking Show on YouTube. This video and short article belong to, our series on kitchen area fundamentals.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs a professional chef, food author and cookbook author, I have actually spent the last twenty years of my profession rigorously looking into and evaluating recipes, methods and extensively accepted cooking area knowledge to determine the whys of cooking. Over this time, I have actually operated several burger joints and even composed a monthly column for Serious Consumes called the Burger Laboratory, in which I isolated and checked every possible variable that can affect the flavor and texture of a hamburger.

Here are the most crucial pointers I've found for optimizing your burger experience, whether in the yard or the kitchen area. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

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In bread, this can be a good thing, however with hamburgers, overhandling can create an unwanted dense texture. (Incorporating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or additional seasoning, like onions and herbs, also requires you to strain the meat and sidetrack from the beef taste, so avoid it.) Salting the exterior of your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

This is an excellent thing in sausages, which should have a company texture, but with burgers, you want looseness. A hamburger should be tender, with plenty of pockets for juices and rendered fat to collect.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Browning your patties deeply takes full advantage of taste. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York City Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Whether you're making a big hamburger on the grill or a crisp-edged smash burger on a frying pan, browning is flavor, and high heat is key. For thicker grilled or griddled hamburgers, wait till your pan or grill is hot before adding the patties, and cook them up until they're well browned on both sides.

This takes full advantage of taste while preserving juiciness. Don't let your patties sit around on the cutting board (or even worse, a steam table). Burgers are at their finest fresh from the fire, before any juices have had a possibility to drip out.

Smash BurgersCredit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Restaurant BurgerCredit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Thick Yard BurgerCredit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York City Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Follow,,, and.

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Updated May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI have actually always been a hamburger lover. If there were any little melty American cheese leavings stuck on the wrapper, I 'd drag my french fries through them (I still do this).

Catch me on the right day and I might admit that a cheeseburger is my favorite food. Actually, I may state that on a lot of days. And you may say the exact same. Even if you do, it's likely we don't have the exact same idea of what makes the best burger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, added some new ones and continued to leave off the ones I understand individuals like but I just. Possibly I have not tried your preferred burger. Possibly I'm out to get you (simply joking).

There's one perfect burg out there for everybody. Let me share with you what makes the best burger for me. Let's begin with the patty. Can I say I'm growing a little tired of smashburgers? The very best ones amazingly remain juicy with simply a tip of flaky char around the edges, but regrettably, the majority of locations go too hard on the smash.

When I bite in, I need to see a little shimmer, some shining from the beef and possibly a little grease diminishing the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I constantly go with a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty must be burnt to assist lock in the juices, however not too crusty.