Elite Gourmet Dinner Templates for the Season

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 establishes dishes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is also the developer and host of Kenji's Cooking Program on YouTube.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs an expert chef, food writer and cookbook author, I've invested the last twenty years of my profession rigorously looking into and evaluating recipes, techniques and commonly accepted kitchen area wisdom to find out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I've run multiple hamburger joints and even wrote a regular monthly column for Serious Consumes called the Hamburger Laboratory, in which I separated and tested every possible variable that can impact the flavor and texture of a hamburger.

Here are the most important suggestions I have actually found for optimizing your hamburger experience, whether in the backyard or the kitchen area. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Optimal Heat Management for Savory Seared Patties

In bread, this can be a good idea, however with hamburgers, overhandling can develop an unwanted thick texture. (Incorporating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or extra flavoring, like onions and herbs, also requires you to exhaust the meat and sidetrack from the beef flavor, so avoid it.) Salting the beyond your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

This is a great thing in sausages, which need to have a company texture, however with burgers, you want looseness. A burger must be tender, with plenty 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 burger on a griddle, browning is taste, and high heat is essential. For thicker grilled or griddled hamburgers, wait till your pan or grill is hot before including the patties, and prepare them up until they're well browned on both sides.

This optimizes taste while maintaining juiciness. Do not let your patties sit around on the cutting board (or worse, a steam table). Hamburgers are at their best 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.

Why High-Quality Fresh Ingredients Elevate Your Dinner

Upgraded May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI have actually constantly been a hamburger fan. Growing up, I 'd happily munch 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 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).

Catch me on the best day and I might confess that a cheeseburger is my favorite food. In fact, I may state that on a lot of days. And you may state the same. But even if you do, it's likely we don't have the exact same concept of what makes the perfect 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 however I just. Perhaps I have not tried your favorite hamburger. Maybe 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 begin with the patty. Can I state I'm growing a little fed up with smashburgers? The best ones amazingly remain juicy with simply a tip of flaky char around the edges, but sadly, many locations go too tough on the smash.

When I bite in, I need to see a little shimmer, some glistening from the beef and maybe a little grease diminishing the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I always choose a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty must be seared to assist secure the juices, but not too crusty.