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There is no end to the variety 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 recipes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is likewise the developer and host of Kenji's Cooking Show on YouTube.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs a professional chef, food author and cookbook author, I have actually spent the last 20 years of my profession carefully researching and checking dishes, strategies and commonly accepted cooking area wisdom to figure out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I've operated several hamburger joints and even composed a month-to-month column for Serious Consumes called the Hamburger Laboratory, in which I separated and tested every possible variable that can impact the taste and texture of a burger.

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

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In bread, this can be an advantage, however with burgers, overhandling can create an undesirable thick texture. (Incorporating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or additional seasoning, like onions and herbs, likewise forces you to overwork the meat and distract from the beef flavor, so avoid 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 link more quickly. This is an advantage in sausages, which ought to have a company texture, but with burgers, you want looseness. A burger ought to hurt, with plenty of pockets for juices and rendered fat to collect.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Whether you're making a big hamburger on the grill or a crisp-edged smash hamburger 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 cook them up until they're well browned on both sides.

This takes full advantage of taste while keeping juiciness. Preparing your buns ahead of time lets you get to eating so much quicker. Credit ... Bryan Gardner for The New York City Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Don't let your patties relax on the cutting board (or worse, a steam table). Hamburgers are at their finest fresh from the fire, before any juices have actually had a chance to drip out.

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

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Updated 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 right day and I might admit that a cheeseburger is my favorite food. Really, I may say that on many days. And you might say the very same. Even if you do, it's likely we don't have the exact same idea of what makes the perfect burger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, included some brand-new ones and continued to leave off the ones I know people like however I simply. Perhaps I have not attempted your favorite burger. Perhaps I'm out to get you (just joking).

Let me share with you what makes the ideal hamburger for me. Let's begin with the patty.

When I bite in, I require to see a little shimmer, some glistening from the beef and maybe a little grease running down the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I always go with a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty must be scorched to help secure the juices, however not too crusty.