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There is no end to the variety of tasty burgers you can make, but 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 recipes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is likewise 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 20 years of my profession rigorously looking into and testing recipes, techniques and extensively accepted cooking area knowledge to determine the whys of cooking. Over this time, I have actually operated several burger joints and even wrote a regular monthly column for Serious Consumes called the Burger Laboratory, in which I separated and evaluated every possible variable that can affect the taste and texture of a burger.

However that doesn't mean you can't go for something much better. Here are the most crucial suggestions I have actually found for optimizing your burger experience, whether in the backyard or the kitchen area. Working ground beef excessive can cause it to become dense. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

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In bread, this can be a good idea, but with burgers, overhandling can produce an undesirable thick texture. (Integrating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or additional spices, like onions and herbs, likewise forces you to exhaust 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 assists them to connect more easily. This is a good idea in sausages, which must have a company texture, but with burgers, you want looseness. A hamburger needs to hurt, with plenty of pockets for juices and rendered fat to collect.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Browning your patties deeply takes full advantage of flavor. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Whether you're making a huge burger on the grill or a crisp-edged smash hamburger on a frying pan, browning is taste, and high heat is essential. For thicker grilled or griddled hamburgers, wait up until your pan or grill is hot before including the patties, and prepare them up until they're well browned on both sides.

This maximizes taste while maintaining juiciness. Don't let your patties sit around on the cutting board (or even worse, a steam table). Burgers are at their finest fresh from the fire, before any juices have actually had a possibility 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 constantly been a burger lover. Growing up, I 'd gladly munch 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 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 preferred food. Even if you do, it's most likely we do not have the exact same idea of what makes the best burger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, added some new ones and continued to leave off the ones I understand people like however I just. do not. get. Yes, I know your favorite isn't there. Perhaps we have different taste. Possibly I haven't tried your preferred hamburger yet. Possibly 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 best burger for me. Let's start with the patty. Can I say I'm growing a little sick of smashburgers? The very best ones amazingly stay juicy with simply a hint of flaky char around the edges, however sadly, a lot of locations go too tough on the smash.

When I bite in, I need to see a little sparkle, some shining from the beef and perhaps a little grease running down the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I always go with a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty needs to be burnt to assist secure the juices, however not too crusty.