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There is no end to the variety of delicious 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 establishes 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 belong to, our series on cooking area principles.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs an expert chef, food writer and cookbook author, I have actually spent the last twenty years of my profession carefully researching and checking dishes, techniques and widely accepted kitchen area knowledge to figure out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I've run several burger joints and even wrote a regular monthly column for Serious Consumes called the Burger Laboratory, in which I separated and tested every possible variable that can impact the taste and texture of a burger.

But that doesn't mean you can't go for something much better. Here are the most important tips I've found for enhancing your burger experience, whether in the yard or the kitchen area. Working hamburger excessive 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 a good idea, but with burgers, overhandling can create an unwanted thick texture. (Including extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or additional spices, like onions and herbs, also requires you to overwork the meat and sidetrack from the beef taste, so avoid it.) Salting the exterior of your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

This is a good thing in sausages, which ought to have a firm texture, however with hamburgers, you desire looseness. A hamburger ought to be tender, with plenty of pockets for juices and rendered fat to gather.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Browning your patties deeply takes full advantage of taste. 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 griddle, browning is taste, 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 up until they're well browned on both sides.

This optimizes taste while keeping juiciness. Do not let your patties sit around on the cutting board (or worse, a steam table). Burgers are at their best fresh from the fire, before any juices have actually had a chance to leak out.

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

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Updated May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI've always been a hamburger fan. Growing up, I 'd happily chomp them down at sit-down dining establishments and from the drive-thru getting 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 ideal day and I may admit that a cheeseburger is my preferred food. Really, I may state that on most days. And you may say the very same. Even if you do, it's likely we don't 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 end the ones I know individuals like however I simply. don't. get. Yes, I know your favorite isn't there. Perhaps we have various taste. Possibly I haven't attempted your favorite burger. Maybe I'm out to get you (simply joking).

There's one perfect burg out there for everybody. Let me show you what makes the ideal burger for me. Let's begin with the patty. Can I state I'm growing a little tired of smashburgers? The very best ones unbelievely remain juicy with simply a tip of flaky char around the edges, however sadly, many places go too difficult on the smash.

When I bite in, I require to see a little shimmer, some glowing from the beef and possibly 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 should be seared to help secure the juices, but not too crusty.