Essential Outdoor Grilling Hacks

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

J. 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 Program on YouTube.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs an expert chef, food writer and cookbook author, I've spent the last 2 decades of my career carefully investigating and testing dishes, techniques and commonly accepted kitchen knowledge to determine the whys of cooking. Over this time, I have actually run multiple burger joints and even composed a regular monthly column for Serious Consumes called the Hamburger Laboratory, in which I isolated and tested every possible variable that can affect the flavor and texture of a burger.

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

Selecting High-Quality Beef for Tasty Burgers

In bread, this can be a good idea, but with hamburgers, overhandling can produce an unwanted thick texture. (Incorporating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or additional flavoring, like onions and herbs, likewise forces you to exhaust the meat and sidetrack from the beef flavor, so skip it.) Salting the exterior of your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

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

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Whether you're making a big burger on the grill or a crisp-edged smash burger on a frying pan, 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 cook them until they're well browned on both sides.

This makes the most of taste while preserving juiciness. Preparing your buns ahead of time lets you get to eating a lot quicker. Credit ... Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Don't let your patties sit around on the cutting board (or even worse, a steam table). Hamburgers are at their best fresh from the fire, before any juices have actually had a chance to drip out.

Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Selecting the Best Beef for Savory Burgers

Upgraded May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI've always been a burger lover. Growing up, I 'd gladly munch them down at sit-down restaurants and from the drive-thru coming home from gymnastics practice. I 'd squish the soft bun and let catsup dribble down the sides over my fingers. 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).

Capture me on the best day and I may confess that a cheeseburger is my favorite food. Even if you do, it's most likely we don't have the exact same concept of what makes the best hamburger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, included some new ones and continued to end the ones I know individuals like however I just. do not. get. Yes, I understand your favorite isn't there. Perhaps we have various taste. Maybe I haven't tried your preferred hamburger yet. Maybe I'm out to get you (just joking).

There's one ideal burg out there for everyone. Let me share with you what makes the ideal burger for me. Let's start with the patty. Can I say I'm growing a little sick of smashburgers? The very best ones unbelievely remain juicy with just a tip of flaky char around the edges, but sadly, the majority of locations go too hard on the smash.

When I bite in, I need to see a little sparkle, some glowing from the beef and perhaps 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 should be seared to help lock in the juices, however not too crusty.