How to Master the Ideal Griddle Patty

There is no end to the number of delicious burgers you can make, but here are 12 that will make your mouth water.

J. Kenji Lpez-Alt writes a column for The New York Times on food and science, and he establishes recipes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is also the creator and host of Kenji's Cooking Show on YouTube.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs an expert chef, food author and cookbook author, I have actually invested the last 20 years of my career rigorously looking into and testing recipes, methods and widely accepted kitchen knowledge to figure out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I have actually run numerous burger joints and even wrote a monthly column for Serious Eats called the Burger Laboratory, in which I separated and checked every possible variable that can impact the flavor and texture of a burger.

Here are the most important suggestions I've found for enhancing your burger experience, whether in the backyard or the kitchen. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

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In bread, this can be a good idea, however with burgers, overhandling can develop an unwanted thick texture. (Including extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or additional seasoning, like onions and herbs, also requires you to exhaust the meat and sidetrack from the beef taste, so skip it.) Salting the exterior of your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Salt breaks down muscle proteins and helps them to connect more easily. This is an advantage in sausages, which must have a firm texture, however with hamburgers, you desire looseness. A burger needs to hurt, with a lot of pockets for juices and rendered fat to gather.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

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

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

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

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

Catch me on the best day and I might admit that a cheeseburger is my preferred food. Really, I might say that on the majority of days. And you might say the exact same. Even if you do, it's most likely we do not have the exact same concept of what makes the best hamburger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, added some brand-new ones and continued to end the ones I understand individuals like but I simply. don't. get. Yes, I understand your favorite isn't there. Perhaps we have different taste. Possibly I haven't attempted your favorite burger. Perhaps I'm out to get you (just joking).

Let me share with you what makes the perfect burger for me. Let's start with the patty.

When I bite in, I need to see a little sparkle, some shining from the beef and maybe 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 help secure the juices, however not too crusty.