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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 city Times on food and science, and he develops recipes 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 basics.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs an expert chef, food writer and cookbook author, I have actually invested the last 20 years of my career rigorously researching and testing dishes, methods and extensively accepted cooking area wisdom to figure out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I've operated several burger joints and even wrote a regular monthly column for Serious Consumes called the Hamburger Laboratory, in which I separated and evaluated every possible variable that can impact the flavor and texture of a hamburger.

Here are the most important ideas I've found for enhancing your hamburger experience, whether in the backyard or the kitchen. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

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In bread, this can be a good idea, but with burgers, overhandling can produce an undesirable thick texture. (Integrating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or additional seasoning, like onions and herbs, also requires you to exhaust the meat and sidetrack from the beef taste, so avoid it.) Salting the outside of your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

This is an excellent thing in sausages, which should 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 collect.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Browning your patties deeply maximizes flavor. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York City Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Whether you're making a big burger on the grill or a crisp-edged smash burger on a frying pan, browning is taste, and high heat is crucial. For thicker grilled or griddled burgers, wait 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. Preparing your buns ahead of time lets you get to consuming a lot quicker. Credit ... Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Do not let your patties relax on the cutting board (or even worse, a steam table). Burgers are at their finest fresh from the fire, before any juices have had an opportunity to leak out.

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

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Upgraded May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI've 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).

Capture 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 say the same. However even if you do, it's most likely we don't have the same idea 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 know individuals like but I just. Maybe I haven't attempted your preferred burger. Perhaps I'm out to get you (just joking).

Let me share with you what makes the best burger for me. Let's begin with the patty.

When I bite in, I require to see a little sparkle, some sparkling from the beef and possibly a little grease running down the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I constantly opt for a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty needs to be scorched to assist lock in the juices, however not too crusty.