Innovative High-End French Fry Methods for the Home

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

J. 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 likewise the developer and host of Kenji's Cooking Program on YouTube.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs an expert chef, food author and cookbook author, I have actually invested the last twenty years of my profession rigorously researching and checking dishes, methods and widely accepted kitchen wisdom to find out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I've run multiple hamburger joints and even wrote a regular monthly column for Serious Eats called the Hamburger Laboratory, in which I separated and evaluated every possible variable that can affect the flavor and texture of a burger.

That does not mean you can't aim for something much better. Here are the most essential pointers I've found for optimizing your burger experience, whether in the backyard or the kitchen area. Working ground beef too much can trigger it to become dense. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Choosing High-Quality Beef for Tasty Burgers

In bread, this can be an advantage, however with hamburgers, overhandling can create an unwanted thick texture. (Incorporating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or extra seasoning, like onions and herbs, likewise requires 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 an excellent thing in sausages, which need to have a company texture, however with hamburgers, you want looseness. A hamburger must be tender, with plenty of pockets for juices and rendered fat to collect.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Browning your patties deeply makes the most of flavor. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York City Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Whether you're making a big hamburger on the grill or a crisp-edged smash hamburger on a frying pan, browning is flavor, and high heat is crucial. For thicker grilled or griddled hamburgers, wait until your pan or grill is hot before adding the patties, and prepare them until they're well browned on both sides.

This takes full advantage of flavor while preserving juiciness. Don't let your patties sit around on the cutting board (or worse, a steam table). Burgers are at their best fresh from the fire, before any juices have had a chance 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 City Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Thick Backyard BurgerCredit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Follow,,, and.

Elite Gourmet Burger Recipes for the Season

Updated May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI have actually constantly been a burger enthusiast. Growing up, I 'd happily chomp them down at sit-down dining establishments and from the drive-thru getting back 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 best day and I might confess that a cheeseburger is my preferred food. Even if you do, it's likely we do not have the very same concept 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 however I just. do not. get. Yes, I know your favorite isn't there. Maybe we have various taste. Perhaps I have not attempted your favorite hamburger. Maybe I'm out to get you (simply kidding).

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 tired of smashburgers? The finest ones astonishingly stay juicy with just a tip of flaky char around the edges, however unfortunately, most locations go too hard on the smash.

When I bite in, I require to see a little sparkle, some glistening 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 burnt to assist lock in the juices, but not too crusty.