Bold Modern Dinner Inspiration for Passionate Kitchens

There is no end to the number of delicious 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 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. This video and post belong to, our series on cooking area principles.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs an expert chef, food author and cookbook author, I have actually invested the last 2 years of my profession rigorously researching and testing recipes, strategies and extensively accepted cooking area wisdom to find out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I've run multiple burger joints and even wrote a monthly column for Serious Eats called the Hamburger Lab, in which I isolated and checked every possible variable that can affect the taste and texture of a hamburger.

That doesn't mean you can't intend for something better. Here are the most crucial ideas I've discovered for optimizing your hamburger experience, whether in the backyard or the kitchen area. Working hamburger too much can trigger it to end up being dense. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Steps for Crispy Golden Fries

In bread, this can be a good idea, but with burgers, overhandling can develop an unwanted thick texture. (Incorporating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or additional flavoring, like onions and herbs, also forces you to strain the meat and distract from the beef flavor, so avoid it.) Salting the exterior 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 burger should be tender, with plenty 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 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 adding the patties, and prepare them until they're well browned on both sides.

This takes full advantage of taste while maintaining juiciness. Do not 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 possibility to leak out.

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

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Updated May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI have actually always been a hamburger lover. Maturing, I 'd happily chew them down at sit-down dining establishments and from the drive-thru getting back 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).

Capture me on the right day and I might admit that a cheeseburger is my preferred food. Actually, I may state that on the majority of days. And you might state the exact same. Even if you do, it's likely we don't have the exact 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 but I just. do not. get. Yes, I understand your favorite isn't there. Perhaps we have different taste. Maybe I haven't attempted your preferred burger yet. Possibly I'm out to get you (just joking).

There's one perfect burg out there for everyone. Let me show you what makes the best hamburger for me. Let's start with the patty. Can I state I'm growing a little sick of smashburgers? The very best ones amazingly stay juicy with simply a hint of flaky char around the edges, but regrettably, many locations go too hard on the smash.

When I bite in, I need to see a little sparkle, some sparkling from the beef and perhaps a little grease diminishing the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I constantly choose a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty needs to be burnt to help lock in the juices, but not too crusty.