Steps to Master the Ideal Flat-Top Burger

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

J. Kenji Lpez-Alt composes 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 creator and host of Kenji's Cooking Program on YouTube.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs a professional chef, food writer and cookbook author, I have actually invested the last 20 years of my career rigorously looking into and evaluating dishes, strategies and widely accepted cooking area wisdom to determine the whys of cooking. Over this time, I have actually operated several burger joints and even wrote a regular monthly 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 hamburger.

Here are the most important tips I have actually discovered for enhancing your burger experience, whether in the backyard or the kitchen area. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Mastering Chef Griddle Styles in the Home

In bread, this can be a good idea, however with hamburgers, overhandling can develop an unwanted thick texture. (Including extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or extra flavoring, like onions and herbs, likewise requires you to exhaust the meat and distract from the beef taste, so avoid it.) Salting the beyond your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Salt breaks down muscle proteins and helps them to link up more easily. This is a good thing in sausages, which should have a firm texture, but with burgers, you want looseness. A hamburger needs to hurt, 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 huge hamburger on the grill or a crisp-edged smash burger on a griddle, browning is flavor, and high heat is key. For thicker grilled or griddled hamburgers, wait until your pan or grill is hot before including the patties, and cook them up until they're well browned on both sides.

This makes the most of flavor while preserving juiciness. Do not let your patties sit around on the cutting board (or worse, a steam table). Burgers are at their finest fresh from the fire, before any juices have actually had a chance to leak out.

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

Steps for Perfect Restaurant-Style Fries

Upgraded May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI've constantly been a burger lover. Growing up, I 'd gladly munch them down at sit-down restaurants and from the drive-thru getting 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 may admit that a cheeseburger is my preferred food. Even if you do, it's likely we do not have the same concept of what makes the ideal burger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, added some brand-new ones and continued to end the ones I know people like but I just. don't. get. Yes, I understand your favorite isn't there. Perhaps we have different taste. Maybe I haven't attempted your favorite hamburger. Possibly I'm out to get you (simply kidding).

There's one best burg out there for everyone. Let me share with you what makes the best burger for me. Let's start with the patty. Can I state I'm growing a little sick of smashburgers? The very best ones astonishingly remain juicy with just a tip of flaky char around the edges, but unfortunately, many places go too difficult on the smash.

When I bite in, I require to see a little sparkle, some sparkling from the beef and maybe a little grease running down the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I always opt for a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty must be scorched to assist secure the juices, however not too crusty.