Expert Summer Grilling Hacks

There is no end to the variety of delicious 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 recipes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is also the creator and host of Kenji's Cooking Program on YouTube. This video and article belong to, our series on cooking area principles.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs an expert chef, food writer and cookbook author, I've spent the last 2 years of my profession carefully investigating and checking recipes, methods and commonly accepted kitchen area knowledge to determine the whys of cooking. Over this time, I've operated multiple hamburger joints and even wrote a regular monthly column for Serious Consumes called the Hamburger Laboratory, in which I separated and tested every possible variable that can affect the taste and texture of a burger.

That does not suggest you can't intend for something much better. Here are the most essential pointers I've found for enhancing your burger experience, whether in the yard or the kitchen. Working ground beef excessive can trigger it to end up being thick. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Advanced Cooking Techniques for Superior Homemade Patties

In bread, this can be an advantage, however with burgers, overhandling can develop an undesirable thick texture. (Integrating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or additional seasoning, like onions and herbs, also requires you to exhaust the meat and distract from the beef taste, so skip it.) Salting the beyond your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

This is a good thing in sausages, which should have a firm texture, but with burgers, 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 big hamburger on the grill or a crisp-edged smash burger on a frying pan, browning is taste, and high heat is key. For thicker grilled or griddled hamburgers, wait until your pan or grill is hot before adding the patties, and prepare them till they're well browned on both sides.

This takes full advantage of taste while keeping juiciness. Do not let your patties sit around on the cutting board (or worse, a steam table). Burgers are at their best fresh from the fire, before any juices have had a possibility to drip out.

Smash BurgersCredit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Restaurant 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.

Elite Gourmet Burger Recipes for the Season

Upgraded May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI have actually always been a burger enthusiast. 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 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 hamburger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, included some new ones and continued to end the ones I know individuals like however I simply. don't. get. Yes, I know your favorite isn't there. Maybe we have different taste. Possibly I haven't attempted your preferred hamburger. Possibly I'm out to get you (just kidding).

Let me share with you what makes the ideal hamburger for me. Let's begin with the patty.

When I bite in, I need to see a little sparkle, some glowing from the beef and perhaps 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 should be seared to help secure the juices, but not too crusty.