Using Chef Flat-Top Styles in the Home

There is no end to the number of tasty burgers you can make, however 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 establishes recipes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is likewise the creator and host of Kenji's Cooking Show on YouTube. This video and article belong to, our series on kitchen area basics.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs a professional chef, food author and cookbook author, I have actually invested the last twenty years of my career rigorously looking into and testing dishes, methods and widely accepted cooking area knowledge to determine the whys of cooking. Over this time, I've run multiple burger joints and even composed a regular monthly column for Serious Eats called the Burger Lab, in which I isolated and evaluated every possible variable that can impact the flavor and texture of a burger.

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

Why High-Quality Fresh Ingredients Transform Your Dinner

In bread, this can be a great thing, however with burgers, overhandling can develop an unwanted thick texture. (Including extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or additional seasoning, like onions and herbs, likewise requires you to strain the meat and sidetrack from the beef flavor, so avoid it.) Salting the outside of your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Salt breaks down muscle proteins and helps them to connect more quickly. This is a good idea in sausages, which ought to have a firm texture, but with hamburgers, you desire looseness. A burger ought to be tender, with lots of pockets for juices and rendered fat to gather.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Whether you're making a big burger on the grill or a crisp-edged smash burger on a griddle, browning is flavor, and high heat is essential. For thicker grilled or griddled hamburgers, wait till your pan or grill is hot before adding the patties, and cook them until they're well browned on both sides.

This optimizes 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 finest fresh from the fire, before any juices have had an opportunity to drip out.

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

Using Professional Griddle Styles in the Home

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

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, included some brand-new ones and continued to leave off the ones I know people like however I simply. do not. get. Yes, I understand your favorite isn't there. Perhaps we have various taste. Perhaps I haven't attempted your favorite burger. Possibly I'm out to get you (simply kidding).

There's one perfect burg out there for everyone. Let me share with you what makes the ideal hamburger for me. Let's begin with the patty. Can I say I'm growing a little fed up with smashburgers? The finest ones amazingly remain juicy with simply a tip of flaky char around the edges, but sadly, a lot of places go too hard on the smash.

When I bite in, I require to see a little sparkle, some shining from the beef and possibly a little grease diminishing the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I always go with a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty should be burnt to assist lock in the juices, however not too crusty.