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There is no end to the variety of tasty burgers you can make, but here are 12 that will make your mouth water.

By J. Kenji Lpez-AltJ. Kenji Lpez-Alt composes a column for The New york city Times on food and science, and he develops dishes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is likewise the creator and host of Kenji's Cooking Program on YouTube. This video and article become part of, our series on cooking area principles.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs a professional chef, food writer and cookbook author, I've invested the last two decades of my career rigorously looking into and checking recipes, techniques and widely accepted kitchen area wisdom to find out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I've run multiple burger joints and even composed a regular monthly column for Serious Consumes called the Burger Laboratory, in which I separated and checked every possible variable that can affect the taste and texture of a hamburger.

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

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In bread, this can be a good idea, however with burgers, overhandling can develop an unwanted dense texture. (Integrating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or additional spices, like onions and herbs, likewise forces you to strain the meat and distract from the beef taste, so avoid it.) Salting the outside of your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

This is a good thing in sausages, which should have a firm texture, however with burgers, you want looseness. A burger must be tender, with plenty of pockets for juices and rendered fat to collect.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Whether you're making a huge burger on the grill or a crisp-edged smash hamburger on a griddle, browning is taste, and high heat is key. 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 maximizes taste while keeping juiciness. Preparing your buns ahead of time lets you get to consuming 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 even worse, a steam table). Hamburgers are at their best fresh from the fire, before any juices have actually had a possibility to leak 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 fan. Maturing, I 'd gladly chew them down at sit-down dining establishments and from the drive-thru coming 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).

Capture me on the ideal day and I might confess that a cheeseburger is my favorite food. In fact, I might state that on a lot of days. And you may say the same. Even if you do, it's most likely we do not have the exact same idea of what makes the best burger.

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 simply. don't. get. Yes, I understand your favorite isn't there. Perhaps we have various taste. Maybe I haven't attempted your favorite burger. Maybe I'm out to get you (just joking).

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

When I bite in, I need to see a little sparkle, some sparkling from the beef and perhaps a little grease diminishing the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I constantly go with a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty must be burnt to assist secure the juices, but not too crusty.