Steps for Crispy Golden Fries

There is no end to the variety of tasty 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 establishes recipes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is likewise the creator and host of Kenji's Cooking Show on YouTube.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs a professional chef, food author and cookbook author, I've invested the last 2 decades of my career carefully researching and testing dishes, methods and commonly accepted cooking area knowledge to determine the whys of cooking. Over this time, I have actually operated numerous hamburger joints and even wrote a month-to-month column for Serious Eats called the Hamburger Laboratory, in which I isolated and tested every possible variable that can affect the taste and texture of a burger.

But that does not mean you can't go for something much better. Here are the most essential suggestions I have actually discovered for enhancing your burger experience, whether in the yard or the cooking area. Working hamburger excessive can trigger it to become dense. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York City Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Steps to Master the Ideal Flat-Top Burger

In bread, this can be a good idea, however with hamburgers, overhandling can develop an undesirable thick texture. (Incorporating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or additional flavoring, like onions and herbs, likewise forces you to strain the meat and sidetrack from the beef flavor, so skip 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 easily. This is a good idea in sausages, which need to have a firm texture, but with hamburgers, you want looseness. A hamburger should be tender, with lots of pockets for juices and rendered fat to collect.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Browning your patties deeply maximizes taste. 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 burger on a frying pan, browning is flavor, and high heat is essential. For thicker grilled or griddled burgers, wait till your pan or grill is hot before including the patties, and prepare them until they're well browned on both sides.

This makes the most of flavor while preserving juiciness. Preparing your buns ahead of time lets you get to eating so much faster. Credit ... Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Don't let your patties relax on the cutting board (or worse, a steam table). Hamburgers are at their finest fresh from the fire, before any juices have actually had an opportunity to leak out.

Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Steps to Perfect the Ultimate Flat-Top Patty

Updated May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI've always been a hamburger enthusiast. Maturing, I 'd gladly munch them down at sit-down dining establishments and from the drive-thru coming home from gymnastics practice. I 'd crush 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 right day and I may admit that a cheeseburger is my preferred food. Even if you do, it's most likely we do not have the very same idea of what makes the ideal hamburger.

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 however I simply. Possibly I have not tried your preferred burger. Maybe I'm out to get you (simply kidding).

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

When I bite in, I require to see a little shimmer, some glistening 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 should be burnt to assist secure the juices, however not too crusty.