Better Heat Control for Better Grilled Burgers

There is no end to the variety of scrumptious hamburgers 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 develops dishes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is likewise the developer and host of Kenji's Cooking Show on YouTube.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs a professional chef, food author and cookbook author, I've spent the last 20 years of my career rigorously looking into and evaluating dishes, strategies and extensively accepted kitchen wisdom to determine the whys of cooking. Over this time, I've run multiple burger joints and even wrote a month-to-month column for Serious Eats called the Burger Laboratory, in which I isolated and evaluated every possible variable that can impact the taste and texture of a burger.

That doesn't imply you can't aim for something better. Here are the most essential suggestions I've discovered for optimizing your burger experience, whether in the yard or the cooking area. Working hamburger excessive can trigger it to end up being thick. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

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

This is a good thing in sausages, which need to have a company texture, however with hamburgers, you want looseness. A hamburger should be tender, with plenty of pockets for juices and rendered fat to gather.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

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

This maximizes taste while maintaining juiciness. 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 had a possibility to leak out.

Smash BurgersCredit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York 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 City 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 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).

Catch me on the right day and I may admit that a cheeseburger is my favorite food. In fact, I may state that on the majority of days. And you may state the exact same. But even if you do, it's most likely we do not have the very same idea of what makes the ideal burger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, added some new ones and continued to leave off the ones I understand individuals like but I just. Possibly I have not attempted your favorite burger. Possibly I'm out to get you (just kidding).

There's one best burg out there for everybody. 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 very best ones amazingly stay juicy with simply a tip of flaky char around the edges, however sadly, the majority of places go too difficult 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 opt for a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty should be scorched to help lock in the juices, however not too crusty.