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There is no end to the variety of delicious hamburgers you can make, however 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 establishes recipes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is also the developer and host of Kenji's Cooking Program on YouTube. This video and post are part of, our series on cooking area principles.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs an expert chef, food author and cookbook author, I have actually spent the last two decades of my profession rigorously researching and evaluating recipes, techniques and commonly accepted kitchen area wisdom to find out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I have actually run several burger joints and even wrote a regular monthly column for Serious Eats called the Burger Lab, in which I separated and checked every possible variable that can impact the taste and texture of a hamburger.

Here are the most crucial tips I've found for enhancing your burger experience, whether in the backyard or the kitchen area. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Advanced Culinary Techniques for Superior Hand-Pressed Burgers

In bread, this can be an excellent thing, however with burgers, overhandling can develop an unwanted 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 flavor, so avoid it.) Salting the exterior of your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

This is a great thing in sausages, which ought to have a company texture, however with burgers, you want looseness. A hamburger ought to 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 burger on a griddle, browning is flavor, and high heat is essential. For thicker grilled or griddled burgers, wait till your pan or grill is hot before adding the patties, and prepare them until they're well browned on both sides.

This maximizes taste while maintaining juiciness. Do not let your patties sit around on the cutting board (or even worse, a steam table). Burgers are at their best fresh from the fire, before any juices have actually had an opportunity to drip out.

Smash BurgersCredit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York City Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Diner BurgerCredit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York City 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 burger enthusiast. Maturing, I 'd happily chew them down at sit-down restaurants and from the drive-thru getting home from gymnastics practice. I 'd crush the soft bun and let catsup 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 right day and I might admit that a cheeseburger is my favorite food. Even if you do, it's likely we don't have the very same concept of what makes the best hamburger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, included some new ones and continued to leave off the ones I understand people like however I simply. Maybe I haven't attempted your favorite burger. Perhaps I'm out to get you (simply joking).

There's one best burg out there for everyone. Let me show you what makes the best burger for me. Let's start with the patty. Can I say I'm growing a little fed up with smashburgers? The best ones miraculously stay juicy with simply a hint of flaky char around the edges, but regrettably, a lot of locations go too tough on the smash.

When I bite in, I require to see a little shimmer, some glistening from the beef and possibly a little grease diminishing the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I constantly choose a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty should be scorched to help secure the juices, but not too crusty.