How to Perfect the Ideal Griddle Burger

There is no end to the number of delicious hamburgers 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 Times on food and science, and he establishes dishes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is also the creator and host of Kenji's Cooking Program on YouTube. This video and post belong to, our series on kitchen area principles.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs an expert chef, food writer and cookbook author, I have actually spent the last 20 years of my career carefully investigating and evaluating dishes, methods and widely accepted kitchen wisdom to find out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I've run several hamburger joints and even wrote a month-to-month column for Serious Consumes called the Burger Lab, in which I separated and evaluated every possible variable that can affect the flavor and texture of a burger.

Here are the most crucial tips I have actually discovered for enhancing your hamburger experience, whether in the yard or the cooking area. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

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In bread, this can be an advantage, however with hamburgers, overhandling can produce an undesirable dense texture. (Integrating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or additional spices, like onions and herbs, also requires you to strain the meat and distract 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 need to have a company texture, but with hamburgers, you want looseness. A burger must be tender, with a lot of pockets for juices and rendered fat to gather.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Browning your patties deeply maximizes taste. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Whether you're making a huge hamburger on the grill or a crisp-edged smash burger on a frying pan, 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 till they're well browned on both sides.

This makes the most of flavor while keeping juiciness. Don't let your patties sit around on the cutting board (or worse, a steam table). Burgers are at their finest 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. Restaurant BurgerCredit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York City Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Thick Backyard 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 have actually always been a burger lover. Growing up, I 'd happily munch them down at sit-down restaurants and from the drive-thru coming home from gymnastics practice. I 'd squish 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).

Catch me on the best day and I might admit that a cheeseburger is my preferred food. Even if you do, it's 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, added some brand-new ones and continued to end the ones I understand people like but I just. don't. get. Yes, I understand your favorite isn't there. Maybe we have various taste. Possibly I haven't attempted your preferred burger yet. Perhaps I'm out to get you (simply kidding).

Let me share with you what makes the best burger for me. Let's begin with the patty.

When I bite in, I require to see a little shimmer, some shining from the beef and perhaps a little grease diminishing the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I constantly opt for a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty must be seared to assist secure the juices, however not too crusty.