How to Perfect the Ultimate Griddle Burger

There is no end to the number of tasty hamburgers you can make, however 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 develops dishes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is likewise the developer and host of Kenji's Cooking Show on YouTube.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs an expert chef, food author and cookbook author, I've invested the last twenty years of my career rigorously looking into and testing recipes, strategies and extensively accepted cooking area knowledge to find out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I have actually operated numerous hamburger joints and even wrote a month-to-month column for Serious Consumes called the Burger Laboratory, in which I isolated and evaluated every possible variable that can impact the flavor and texture of a hamburger.

However that does not suggest you can't go for something much better. Here are the most essential tips I've discovered for optimizing your burger experience, whether in the backyard or the kitchen area. Working hamburger excessive can trigger it to become dense. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York City Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

The Ultimate Guide to Flat-Top Cooking Success

In bread, this can be a good idea, however with hamburgers, overhandling can develop an unwanted dense texture. (Including extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or additional flavoring, like onions and herbs, likewise forces you to strain the meat and sidetrack from the beef taste, so skip 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 link up more easily. This is an advantage in sausages, which ought to have a firm texture, however with hamburgers, you desire looseness. A burger must hurt, with plenty of pockets for juices and rendered fat to collect.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Whether you're making a huge burger on the grill or a crisp-edged smash hamburger on a griddle, browning is taste, and high heat is key. For thicker grilled or griddled burgers, wait till your pan or grill is hot before including the patties, and cook them until they're well browned on both sides.

This maximizes taste while keeping juiciness. Do not 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 chance to leak out.

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

Chef-Level Culinary Techniques for Superior Homemade Burgers

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

Capture me on the ideal day and I may confess that a cheeseburger is my preferred food. In fact, I might say that on a lot of days. And you may state the same. Even if you do, it's most 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 leave off the ones I know individuals like however I just. don't. get. Yes, I know your favorite isn't there. Maybe we have different taste. Perhaps I have not attempted your favorite burger. Perhaps I'm out to get you (just kidding).

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

When I bite in, I require to see a little sparkle, some glistening from the beef and possibly a little grease running down the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I constantly choose a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty must be burnt to help secure the juices, but not too crusty.