Bold Modern Dinner Ideas for Busy Home Cooks

There is no end to the variety of delicious 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 recipes 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 kitchen area fundamentals.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs an expert chef, food writer and cookbook author, I've invested the last 2 decades of my profession rigorously researching and checking recipes, methods and commonly accepted cooking area knowledge to find out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I have actually operated multiple hamburger joints and even composed a monthly column for Serious Eats called the Hamburger Laboratory, in which I isolated and evaluated every possible variable that can impact the flavor and texture of a hamburger.

Here are the most important tips I have actually found for optimizing your hamburger experience, whether in the backyard or the cooking area. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

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In bread, this can be an advantage, however with hamburgers, overhandling can produce an unwanted thick texture. (Integrating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or extra spices, like onions and herbs, likewise forces you to overwork the meat and sidetrack from the beef flavor, so avoid it.) Salting the beyond your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Salt breaks down muscle proteins and assists them to connect more quickly. This is a good idea in sausages, which ought to have a firm texture, however with burgers, you desire looseness. A burger ought to hurt, with lots of pockets for juices and rendered fat to collect.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

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 key. For thicker grilled or griddled burgers, wait up until your pan or grill is hot before adding the patties, and cook them up until they're well browned on both sides.

This optimizes flavor while preserving juiciness. Preparing your buns ahead of time lets you get to eating so much quicker. Credit ... Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Don't let your patties sit around on the cutting board (or 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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Upgraded May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI have actually always been a hamburger lover. Maturing, I 'd happily munch them down at sit-down dining establishments and from the drive-thru getting home 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 ideal day and I may admit that a cheeseburger is my preferred food. Even if you do, it's likely we do not have the same concept of what makes the perfect burger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, added some new ones and continued to leave off 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. Possibly I haven't tried your preferred hamburger. Possibly I'm out to get you (simply kidding).

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

When I bite in, I need to see a little sparkle, some sparkling from the beef and perhaps a little grease running down the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I always choose a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty needs to be scorched to assist secure the juices, however not too crusty.