Using Chef Griddle Styles in the Home

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

J. 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.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs an expert chef, food writer and cookbook author, I've spent the last twenty years of my career rigorously looking into and checking dishes, methods and commonly accepted kitchen area knowledge to determine the whys of cooking. Over this time, I've run multiple hamburger joints and even wrote a month-to-month column for Serious Consumes called the Burger Lab, in which I separated and tested every possible variable that can impact the flavor and texture of a hamburger.

Here are the most essential pointers I have actually found for enhancing your hamburger experience, whether in the backyard or the cooking area. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Using Chef Griddle Styles in the Home

In bread, this can be an advantage, however with burgers, overhandling can create an undesirable thick texture. (Integrating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or extra seasoning, like onions and herbs, likewise 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 assists them to link more quickly. This is a good idea in sausages, which should have a company texture, however with burgers, you want looseness. A burger should hurt, with plenty of pockets for juices and rendered fat to collect.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

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

This makes the most of flavor while keeping juiciness. Preparing your buns ahead of time lets you get to consuming a lot faster. Credit ... Bryan Gardner for The New York City Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Don't let your patties sit around on the cutting board (or worse, a steam table). Hamburgers are at their best fresh from the fire, before any juices have actually had an opportunity to drip 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 Yard BurgerCredit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Follow,,, and.

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Upgraded May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI've always been a burger fan. Growing up, I 'd happily chew them down at sit-down restaurants and from the drive-thru getting back from gymnastics practice. I 'd crush 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).

Catch me on the ideal day and I may admit that a cheeseburger is my preferred food. Actually, I may state that on many days. And you might state the exact same. Even if you do, it's most likely we do not have the 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 know individuals like but I simply. do not. get. Yes, I understand your favorite isn't there. Possibly we have different taste. Possibly I haven't tried your preferred hamburger yet. Possibly I'm out to get you (just joking).

There's one perfect burg out there for everybody. Let me share with you what makes the ideal hamburger for me. Let's start with the patty. Can I state I'm growing a little sick of smashburgers? The best ones astonishingly remain juicy with just a hint of flaky char around the edges, but unfortunately, many places go too tough on the smash.

When I bite in, I need to see a little shimmer, some sparkling from the beef and maybe a little grease diminishing the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I always choose a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty needs to be burnt to assist secure the juices, but not too crusty.