Chef-Level Cooking Techniques for Superior Homemade Burgers

There is no end to the number of scrumptious burgers 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 establishes dishes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is likewise the developer and host of Kenji's Cooking Program on YouTube.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs a professional chef, food author and cookbook author, I've spent the last twenty years of my career carefully researching and testing recipes, strategies and extensively accepted kitchen knowledge to find out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I've operated numerous burger joints and even wrote a monthly column for Serious Consumes called the Burger Lab, in which I isolated and evaluated every possible variable that can affect the taste and texture of a burger.

That doesn't mean you can't aim for something better. Here are the most important ideas I've found for enhancing your burger experience, whether in the backyard or the kitchen. Working ground beef excessive can cause it to end up being dense. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Why High-Quality Fresh Ingredients Elevate Your Burger

In bread, this can be a good thing, but with burgers, overhandling can produce an unwanted thick texture. (Including extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or extra spices, like onions and herbs, likewise requires you to strain the meat and distract from the beef taste, so avoid it.) Salting the outside of your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Salt breaks down muscle proteins and assists them to connect up more quickly. This is a good idea in sausages, which should have a firm texture, however with burgers, you want looseness. A burger needs to hurt, with lots of pockets for juices and rendered fat to gather.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Whether you're making a huge burger on the grill or a crisp-edged smash burger on a frying pan, 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 cook them up until they're well browned on both sides.

This optimizes flavor while preserving juiciness. Preparing your buns ahead of time lets you get to eating so much quicker. Credit ... Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Don't let your patties relax 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 drip out.

Smash BurgersCredit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York City 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.

Advanced Culinary Techniques for Superior Hand-Pressed Patties

Upgraded May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI've constantly been a hamburger fan. 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 might confess that a cheeseburger is my favorite food. Really, I may state that on the majority of days. And you might state the same. However even if you do, it's likely we don't have the exact same concept of what makes the ideal hamburger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, added some new ones and continued to leave off the ones I know people like but I just. Possibly I have not attempted your preferred burger. Possibly I'm out to get you (simply kidding).

There's one best burg out there for everybody. Let me share with you what makes the ideal burger for me. Let's start with the patty. Can I state I'm growing a little worn out of smashburgers? The very best ones miraculously stay juicy with simply a tip of flaky char around the edges, however sadly, the majority of locations go too difficult on the smash.

When I bite in, I need to see a little shimmer, some sparkling from the beef and possibly a little grease running down the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I always choose a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty should be scorched to help lock in the juices, however not too crusty.