Steps to Perfect the Ideal Flat-Top Burger

There is no end to the variety of scrumptious hamburgers you can make, however 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 likewise the creator and host of Kenji's Cooking Program on YouTube. This video and article are part of, our series on kitchen fundamentals.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs a professional chef, food author and cookbook author, I've spent the last 20 years of my career carefully looking into and evaluating recipes, techniques and commonly accepted cooking area knowledge to determine the whys of cooking. Over this time, I have actually run several hamburger joints and even wrote a regular monthly column for Serious Consumes called the Burger Lab, in which I separated and checked every possible variable that can affect the flavor and texture of a burger.

That doesn't imply you can't intend for something much better. Here are the most important pointers I have actually discovered for optimizing your burger experience, whether in the backyard or the cooking area. Working ground beef excessive can cause it to become thick. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

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In bread, this can be an advantage, but with hamburgers, overhandling can produce an unwanted thick texture. (Integrating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or additional seasoning, like onions and herbs, likewise forces you to strain the meat and distract from the beef taste, so avoid it.) Salting the beyond your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Salt breaks down muscle proteins and helps them to connect more easily. This is an advantage in sausages, which ought to have a firm texture, however with hamburgers, you want looseness. A hamburger ought to hurt, with lots of pockets for juices and rendered fat to gather.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Whether you're making a huge hamburger 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 burgers, wait up until your pan or grill is hot before including the patties, and prepare them till they're well browned on both sides.

This maximizes taste while keeping 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. Don't let your patties relax on the cutting board (or even worse, a steam table). Burgers are at their best fresh from the fire, before any juices have actually had a possibility to leak out.

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

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Upgraded May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI've constantly been a hamburger enthusiast. Growing up, I 'd happily chomp them down at sit-down dining establishments and from the drive-thru coming home from gymnastics practice. I 'd squish the soft bun and let ketchup 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 ideal day and I might confess that a cheeseburger is my preferred food. Really, I might say that on most days. And you may state the very same. Even if you do, it's likely we don't have the very same concept of what makes the best burger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, added some new ones and continued to end the ones I understand individuals like but I just. do not. get. Yes, I know your favorite isn't there. Possibly we have various taste. Perhaps I haven't attempted your favorite burger. Possibly I'm out to get you (simply joking).

There's one best 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 state I'm growing a little fed up with smashburgers? The very best ones astonishingly remain juicy with simply a tip of flaky char around the edges, but unfortunately, a lot of locations go too tough on the smash.

When I bite in, I require to see a little sparkle, some sparkling from the beef and maybe a little grease running down 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 seared to assist lock in the juices, however not too crusty.