Innovative High-End Side Fry Secrets for the Home

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

By J. Kenji Lpez-AltJ. 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 creator and host of Kenji's Cooking Program on YouTube. This video and article belong to, our series on kitchen area basics.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs a professional chef, food writer and cookbook author, I've invested the last two decades of my profession rigorously investigating and checking recipes, strategies and commonly accepted kitchen wisdom to determine the whys of cooking. Over this time, I've operated several hamburger joints and even composed a regular monthly column for Serious Consumes called the Hamburger Laboratory, in which I separated and tested every possible variable that can impact the taste and texture of a hamburger.

Here are the most essential tips I have actually found for optimizing your hamburger experience, whether in the yard or the kitchen area. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

How High-Quality Fresh Ingredients Elevate Your Burger

In bread, this can be a good idea, however with hamburgers, overhandling can create an undesirable thick texture. (Incorporating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or extra seasoning, like onions and herbs, likewise 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 an excellent thing in sausages, which ought to have a firm texture, but with hamburgers, you desire looseness. A hamburger needs to be tender, with plenty of pockets for juices and rendered fat to collect.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Whether you're making a huge burger on the grill or a crisp-edged smash hamburger on a griddle, browning is taste, and high heat is key. For thicker grilled or griddled burgers, wait until your pan or grill is hot before adding the patties, and prepare them up until they're well browned on both sides.

This makes the most of taste while maintaining juiciness. Do not let your patties sit around on the cutting board (or even worse, a steam table). Burgers are at their best fresh from the fire, before any juices have actually had a possibility to drip 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 Yard 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've constantly been a hamburger fan. 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 may admit that a cheeseburger is my favorite food. Really, I may state that on the majority of days. And you may say the exact same. But even if you do, it's most likely we do not have the exact same concept of what makes the ideal hamburger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, included some new ones and continued to leave off the ones I understand individuals like however I just. do not. get. Yes, I know your favorite isn't there. Perhaps we have different taste. Possibly I have not tried your preferred hamburger. Maybe I'm out to get you (just kidding).

There's one ideal burg out there for everyone. Let me share with you what makes the ideal hamburger for me. Let's start with the patty. Can I state I'm growing a little sick of smashburgers? The best ones amazingly stay juicy with simply a hint of flaky char around the edges, however unfortunately, the majority of places go too difficult on the smash.

When I bite in, I require to see a little sparkle, some shining from the beef and perhaps a little grease running down the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I constantly choose a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty should be burnt to help secure the juices, however not too crusty.