Better Heat Control for Better Grilled Patties

There is no end to the number of tasty burgers you can make, but 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 develops dishes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is also the creator and host of Kenji's Cooking Program on YouTube. This video and short article become part of, our series on kitchen area basics.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs an expert chef, food author and cookbook author, I have actually spent the last two years of my profession rigorously investigating and checking dishes, strategies and extensively accepted kitchen area knowledge to find out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I have actually run numerous hamburger joints and even wrote a regular monthly column for Serious Eats called the Hamburger Lab, in which I separated and tested every possible variable that can impact the flavor and texture of a burger.

That does not suggest you can't intend for something much better. Here are the most important pointers I have actually discovered for enhancing your burger experience, whether in the backyard or the kitchen area. Working ground beef too much can cause it to become thick. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York City Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Chef-Level Cooking Techniques for Superior Homemade Patties

In bread, this can be a good idea, however with burgers, overhandling can create an unwanted thick texture. (Incorporating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or extra seasoning, like onions and herbs, likewise forces you to exhaust 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 helps them to connect up more quickly. This is an advantage in sausages, which need to have a firm texture, however with hamburgers, you want looseness. A hamburger must be tender, with a lot of pockets for juices and rendered fat to collect.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

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

This optimizes taste while keeping 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 actually had a chance to drip out.

Smash BurgersCredit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Diner BurgerCredit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Thick Backyard BurgerCredit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York City Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Follow,,, and.

Essential Summer Grilling Tips

Upgraded May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI have actually constantly been a burger lover. Growing up, I 'd gladly chew them down at sit-down dining establishments and from the drive-thru coming home from gymnastics practice. I 'd squish 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. Actually, I might state that on a lot of days. And you may state the very same. Even if you do, it's likely we do not have the same concept of what makes the ideal hamburger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, added some new ones and continued to end the ones I know people like but I simply. don't. get. Yes, I understand your favorite isn't there. Maybe we have various taste. Possibly I have not tried your preferred hamburger yet. Possibly I'm out to get you (simply kidding).

Let me share with you what makes the ideal burger 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 diminishing the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I constantly go with a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty needs to be seared to help lock in the juices, however not too crusty.