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There is no end to the number of scrumptious burgers 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 also the developer and host of Kenji's Cooking Show on YouTube. This video and article are part of, our series on cooking area principles.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs a professional chef, food writer and cookbook author, I have actually invested the last two years of my career carefully researching and evaluating recipes, strategies and widely accepted cooking area knowledge to find out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I've operated several hamburger joints and even wrote a monthly column for Serious Eats called the Burger Laboratory, in which I separated and tested every possible variable that can affect the flavor and texture of a hamburger.

But that does not suggest you can't go for something much better. Here are the most important tips I have actually found for enhancing your burger experience, whether in the yard or the kitchen area. Working ground beef too much 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, however with hamburgers, overhandling can develop an undesirable dense texture. (Incorporating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or additional flavoring, like onions and herbs, likewise requires you to strain the meat and distract from the beef taste, so avoid it.) Salting the beyond your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

This is an excellent thing in sausages, which must have a company texture, however with hamburgers, you desire looseness. A hamburger should be tender, with plenty of pockets for juices and rendered fat to gather.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Whether you're making a huge burger on the grill or a crisp-edged smash burger on a frying pan, browning is flavor, and high heat is essential. For thicker grilled or griddled hamburgers, wait until your pan or grill is hot before including the patties, and prepare them till they're well browned on both sides.

This makes the most of taste while preserving juiciness. Don't let your patties sit around on the cutting board (or even worse, a steam table). Hamburgers are at their finest fresh from the fire, before any juices have actually had a possibility to leak out.

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

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Updated May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI've always been a hamburger 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 admit that a cheeseburger is my favorite food. Even if you do, it's most likely we do not have the very same idea of what makes the perfect hamburger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, included some new ones and continued to leave off the ones I know people like but I just. don't. get. Yes, I know your favorite isn't there. Possibly we have different taste. Perhaps I haven't attempted your favorite burger. Perhaps I'm out to get you (just kidding).

There's one best burg out there for everyone. Let me show you what makes the ideal burger for me. Let's begin with the patty. Can I say I'm growing a little sick of smashburgers? The finest ones unbelievely remain juicy with simply a tip of flaky char around the edges, however regrettably, the majority of locations go too tough on the smash.

When I bite in, I need to see a little shimmer, some glistening from the beef and perhaps 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, however not too crusty.