How to Perfect the Ideal Griddle Burger

There is no end to the variety of tasty 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 city Times on food and science, and he establishes recipes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is also the creator and host of Kenji's Cooking Program on YouTube. This video and post belong to, our series on cooking area fundamentals.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs a professional chef, food author and cookbook author, I have actually spent the last two decades of my profession carefully investigating and checking recipes, strategies and commonly accepted cooking area wisdom to figure out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I have actually run numerous burger joints and even wrote a month-to-month column for Serious Eats called the Burger Laboratory, in which I isolated and evaluated every possible variable that can impact the taste and texture of a burger.

Here are the most crucial pointers I've found for optimizing your burger experience, whether in the yard or the kitchen area. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Advanced Cooking Techniques for Superior Hand-Pressed Patties

In bread, this can be a good idea, however with burgers, overhandling can create an unwanted thick texture. (Including extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or extra spices, like onions and herbs, likewise forces you to overwork the meat and distract from the beef flavor, so avoid it.) Salting the exterior of your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Salt breaks down muscle proteins and helps them to connect up more quickly. This is a good idea in sausages, which ought to have a firm texture, but with burgers, you desire 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 makes the most 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 flavor, and high heat is crucial. For thicker grilled or griddled hamburgers, wait up until your pan or grill is hot before including the patties, and prepare them until they're well browned on both sides.

This takes full advantage of flavor while preserving juiciness. Don't 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 had a possibility to leak out.

Smash BurgersCredit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Restaurant BurgerCredit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York City Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Thick Yard BurgerCredit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York City Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Follow,,, and.

Choosing High-Quality Beef for Savory Burgers

Upgraded May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI have actually always been a burger fan. Maturing, I 'd gladly munch them down at sit-down dining establishments and from the drive-thru getting back from gymnastics practice. I 'd squish the soft bun and let ketchup 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 preferred food. Really, I might state that on a lot of days. And you might state the very same. But even if you do, it's likely we don't have the same idea of what makes the ideal hamburger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, included some new ones and continued to end the ones I know people like however I simply. don't. get. Yes, I understand your favorite isn't there. Possibly we have different taste. Perhaps I have not attempted your favorite burger yet. Maybe I'm out to get you (just kidding).

There's one ideal burg out there for everyone. Let me share with you what makes the ideal burger for me. Let's start with the patty. Can I say I'm growing a little fed up with smashburgers? The very best ones amazingly stay juicy with just a hint of flaky char around the edges, however unfortunately, a lot of locations go too difficult on the smash.

When I bite in, I require to see a little sparkle, some glistening from the beef and maybe a little grease diminishing the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I constantly opt for a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty should be scorched to help lock in the juices, however not too crusty.