The Complete Guide to Flat-Top Cooking Success

There is no end to the variety of tasty burgers 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 Show on YouTube. This video and short article become part of, our series on cooking area fundamentals.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs a professional chef, food writer and cookbook author, I have actually invested the last 20 years of my career rigorously looking into and checking recipes, methods and widely accepted kitchen wisdom to determine the whys of cooking. Over this time, I have actually operated numerous burger joints and even wrote a monthly column for Serious Consumes called the Burger Lab, in which I isolated and checked every possible variable that can impact the taste and texture of a burger.

However that doesn't imply you can't go for something better. Here are the most important ideas I've discovered for enhancing your hamburger experience, whether in the yard or the cooking area. Working ground beef too much can cause it to end up being thick. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

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In bread, this can be a good idea, however with hamburgers, overhandling can create an undesirable dense texture. (Incorporating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or extra seasoning, like onions and herbs, also forces you to strain the meat and distract from the beef flavor, so avoid it.) Salting the outside of your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

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

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Browning your patties deeply optimizes taste. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Whether you're making a big hamburger 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 burgers, 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 keeping 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 worse, a steam table). Burgers are at their finest fresh from the fire, before any juices have actually had an opportunity to leak 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.

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Upgraded May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI've always been a hamburger fan. Growing up, I 'd happily munch them down at sit-down restaurants and from the drive-thru getting back 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).

Catch me on the best day and I may confess that a cheeseburger is my preferred food. Even if you do, it's most likely we do not have the exact same idea of what makes the perfect hamburger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, included some new ones and continued to leave off the ones I know individuals like however I simply. do not. get. Yes, I know your favorite isn't there. Possibly we have various taste. Maybe I haven't tried your favorite burger. Possibly I'm out to get you (just kidding).

There's one ideal burg out there for everyone. Let me show you what makes the perfect hamburger for me. Let's start with the patty. Can I say I'm growing a little exhausted of smashburgers? The best ones astonishingly remain juicy with simply a hint of flaky char around the edges, but unfortunately, many locations go too tough on the smash.

When I bite in, I require to see a little shimmer, some glistening from the beef and perhaps a little grease diminishing the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I constantly choose a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty must be burnt to help secure the juices, but not too crusty.