The Ultimate Guide to Flat-Top Grilling Success

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

J. 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.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs a professional chef, food writer and cookbook author, I've spent the last twenty years of my profession carefully investigating and testing recipes, strategies and extensively accepted cooking area knowledge to figure out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I have actually run several burger joints and even composed a month-to-month column for Serious Consumes called the Burger Laboratory, in which I separated and checked every possible variable that can impact the flavor and texture of a burger.

That does not imply you can't aim for something better. Here are the most crucial suggestions I have actually found for enhancing your hamburger experience, whether in the backyard or the kitchen area. Working ground beef excessive can cause it to become thick. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

How High-Quality Natural Ingredients Transform Your Burger

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

This is a great thing in sausages, which must have a company texture, however with hamburgers, you want looseness. A burger ought to be tender, with plenty of pockets for juices and rendered fat to collect.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Browning your patties deeply optimizes flavor. 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 taste, 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 till they're well browned on both sides.

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

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

The Ultimate Guide to Flat-Top Grilling Perfection

Updated May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI've constantly been a burger lover. Growing up, I 'd gladly chew them down at sit-down dining establishments and from the drive-thru getting home from gymnastics practice. I 'd crush 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 right day and I might admit that a cheeseburger is my preferred food. Even if you do, it's most likely we don't have the very same idea of what makes the best hamburger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

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

Let me share with you what makes the perfect burger for me. Let's start with the patty.

When I bite in, I require to see a little sparkle, some sparkling from the beef and possibly a little grease running down the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I constantly opt for a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty must be seared to help lock in the juices, however not too crusty.