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There is no end to the number of tasty 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 recipes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is also the developer and host of Kenji's Cooking Show on YouTube. This video and short article are part of, our series on cooking area basics.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs a professional chef, food author and cookbook author, I have actually invested the last 20 years of my career carefully investigating and checking recipes, methods and widely accepted kitchen area wisdom to find out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I've operated multiple burger joints and even wrote a monthly column for Serious Eats called the Hamburger Laboratory, in which I isolated and evaluated every possible variable that can affect the taste and texture of a hamburger.

However that doesn't suggest you can't intend for something much better. Here are the most crucial pointers I've discovered for optimizing your hamburger experience, whether in the yard or the kitchen area. Working hamburger too much can trigger it to end up being dense. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York City Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

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In bread, this can be an excellent thing, however with burgers, overhandling can create an unwanted thick texture. (Including extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or additional seasoning, like onions and herbs, likewise requires you to exhaust the meat and distract from the beef flavor, so skip it.) Salting the beyond your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Salt breaks down muscle proteins and assists them to connect up more easily. This is an advantage in sausages, which need to have a firm texture, however with hamburgers, you want looseness. A burger must be tender, with a lot of pockets for juices and rendered fat to collect.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Whether you're making a big hamburger on the grill or a crisp-edged smash hamburger 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 adding the patties, and prepare them till they're well browned on both sides.

This takes full advantage of flavor while preserving juiciness. Preparing your buns ahead of time lets you get to eating so much faster. 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). Hamburgers are at their finest 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.

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Upgraded May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI've always been a burger fan. 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 may admit that a cheeseburger is my preferred food. In fact, I might state that on many days. And you might state the same. But even if you do, it's most likely we don't have the 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 understand individuals like but I just. Possibly I haven't attempted your preferred hamburger. Perhaps I'm out to get you (simply kidding).

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

When I bite in, I require to see a little shimmer, some sparkling from the beef and possibly 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 must be burnt to help secure the juices, however not too crusty.