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There is no end to the number of tasty hamburgers you can make, however 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 develops dishes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is also the creator and host of Kenji's Cooking Show on YouTube. This video and article are part of, our series on kitchen fundamentals.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs an expert chef, food author and cookbook author, I've invested the last two years of my career carefully researching and evaluating recipes, techniques and widely accepted cooking area wisdom to find out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I've operated numerous burger joints and even composed a regular monthly column for Serious Consumes called the Hamburger Laboratory, in which I separated and tested every possible variable that can affect the flavor and texture of a hamburger.

However that does not indicate you can't go for something much better. Here are the most crucial ideas I've found for optimizing your burger experience, whether in the yard or the kitchen. Working ground beef excessive can cause it to end up being thick. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York City Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

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In bread, this can be an advantage, but with burgers, overhandling can produce an undesirable dense texture. (Incorporating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or additional flavoring, like onions and herbs, likewise requires you to overwork the meat and distract from the beef flavor, so avoid it.) Salting the beyond your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

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

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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 big hamburger on the grill or a crisp-edged smash burger on a griddle, browning is flavor, and high heat is essential. For thicker grilled or griddled burgers, wait up until your pan or grill is hot before including the patties, and cook them 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). Burgers are at their finest fresh from the fire, before any juices have actually had an opportunity 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 have actually constantly been a burger enthusiast. 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 right day and I might admit that a cheeseburger is my favorite food. Actually, I might state that on most days. And you might say the same. Even if you do, it's most likely we don't have the same idea of what makes the best burger.

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I kept some old favorites, included some brand-new ones and continued to end the ones I understand people like but I simply. don't. get. Yes, I understand your favorite isn't there. Perhaps we have different taste. Maybe I have not attempted your favorite hamburger yet. Perhaps I'm out to get you (simply joking).

Let me share with you what makes the ideal hamburger for me. Let's start with the patty.

When I bite in, I require to see a little sparkle, some shining from the beef and perhaps a little grease diminishing the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I always opt for a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty should be burnt to assist secure the juices, but not too crusty.