Creative Modern Dinner Inspiration for Passionate Kitchens

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

By J. Kenji Lpez-AltJ. 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 likewise the developer and host of Kenji's Cooking Show on YouTube. This video and article become part of, our series on kitchen principles.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs a professional chef, food author and cookbook author, I've invested the last two years of my career carefully researching and testing dishes, techniques and widely accepted kitchen area wisdom to find out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I have actually run multiple burger joints and even composed a monthly column for Serious Consumes called the Hamburger Lab, in which I separated and evaluated every possible variable that can impact the flavor and texture of a hamburger.

However that does not mean you can't intend for something much better. Here are the most essential tips I have actually found for optimizing your hamburger experience, whether in the yard or the kitchen. Working hamburger too much can cause it to become thick. 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, but with burgers, overhandling can create an undesirable thick texture. (Including extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or additional flavoring, like onions and herbs, also forces you to overwork the meat and sidetrack from the beef flavor, so avoid it.) Salting the outside of your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Salt breaks down muscle proteins and helps them to link more easily. This is a great thing in sausages, which ought to have a company texture, however with burgers, you want looseness. A hamburger should be tender, with plenty of pockets for juices and rendered fat to gather.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

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

This takes full advantage of flavor while keeping juiciness. Preparing your buns ahead of time lets you get to eating a lot quicker. Credit ... Bryan Gardner for The New York City Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Do not let your patties relax on the cutting board (or worse, a steam table). Hamburgers are at their finest fresh from the fire, before any juices have had a chance to leak 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 best day and I may confess that a cheeseburger is my preferred food. Actually, I may state that on many 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 leave off the ones I understand individuals like however I just. Perhaps I have not tried your preferred hamburger. Perhaps I'm out to get you (just kidding).

There's one best burg out there for everybody. Let me share with you what makes the perfect hamburger for me. Let's start with the patty. Can I state I'm growing a little sick of smashburgers? The very best ones miraculously remain juicy with simply a tip of flaky char around the edges, but sadly, the majority of places go too hard on the smash.

When I bite in, I need to see a little sparkle, some glowing from the beef and maybe a little grease diminishing the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I always go with a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty must be scorched to assist secure the juices, however not too crusty.