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

By J. Kenji Lpez-AltJ. Kenji Lpez-Alt composes 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 post belong to, our series on kitchen area basics.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs an expert chef, food author and cookbook author, I have actually invested the last 20 years of my career carefully researching and checking recipes, strategies and commonly accepted kitchen area wisdom to find out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I've run numerous hamburger joints and even wrote a regular monthly column for Serious Consumes called the Burger Laboratory, in which I isolated and checked every possible variable that can impact the flavor and texture of a burger.

That does not mean you can't intend for something much better. Here are the most essential tips I have actually found for enhancing your burger experience, whether in the backyard or the cooking area. Working hamburger excessive can trigger it to become dense. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York City Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

How to Master the Ideal Flat-Top Patty

In bread, this can be an excellent thing, however with hamburgers, overhandling can create an undesirable thick texture. (Incorporating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or extra seasoning, like onions and herbs, also requires you to exhaust the meat and distract from the beef flavor, so skip it.) Salting the outside of your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

This is an excellent thing in sausages, which should have a firm texture, but with burgers, you desire looseness. A burger should be tender, with plenty of pockets for juices and rendered fat to gather.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Whether you're making a huge burger on the grill or a crisp-edged smash burger on a griddle, browning is flavor, and high heat is essential. For thicker grilled or griddled hamburgers, wait until your pan or grill is hot before including the patties, and prepare them up until they're well browned on both sides.

This makes the most of flavor while preserving juiciness. Preparing your buns ahead of time lets you get to eating a lot quicker. Credit ... Bryan Gardner for The New York City Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Do not let your patties relax on the cutting board (or worse, a steam table). Hamburgers are at their best fresh from the fire, before any juices have actually had an opportunity 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 Backyard BurgerCredit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York City Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Follow,,, and.

How to Master the Ultimate Flat-Top Patty

Upgraded May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI have actually always been a burger 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 ideal day and I may admit that a cheeseburger is my preferred food. Actually, I might state that on the majority of days. And you might say the exact same. But even if you do, it's most likely we do not have the exact same idea of what makes the ideal burger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, added some new ones and continued to leave off the ones I know people like however I simply. Perhaps I have not tried your favorite hamburger. Maybe I'm out to get you (simply kidding).

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

When I bite in, I need to see a little sparkle, some glowing from the beef and maybe a little grease diminishing the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I always opt for a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty needs to be scorched to help lock in the juices, but not too crusty.