Steps to Perfect the Ultimate Flat-Top Burger

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

By J. Kenji Lpez-AltJ. 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 also the developer and host of Kenji's Cooking Show on YouTube. This video and article are part of, our series on kitchen fundamentals.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs an expert chef, food writer and cookbook author, I have actually invested the last two years of my profession carefully looking into and checking recipes, techniques and extensively accepted kitchen knowledge to determine the whys of cooking. Over this time, I've operated multiple burger joints and even composed a monthly column for Serious Consumes called the Hamburger Laboratory, in which I separated and tested every possible variable that can affect the taste and texture of a hamburger.

But that does not indicate you can't go for something much better. Here are the most important tips I've discovered for enhancing your hamburger experience, whether in the backyard or the kitchen. Working ground beef excessive can trigger it to end up being dense. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

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In bread, this can be an advantage, however with burgers, overhandling can develop an undesirable dense texture. (Incorporating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or extra flavoring, like onions and herbs, also forces 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.

This is an excellent thing in sausages, which ought to have a firm texture, however with hamburgers, you want looseness. A hamburger needs to be tender, with plenty of pockets for juices and rendered fat to collect.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Browning your patties deeply optimizes taste. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Whether you're making a big hamburger on the grill or a crisp-edged smash burger on a griddle, browning is flavor, and high heat is essential. For thicker grilled or griddled burgers, wait up until your pan or grill is hot before including the patties, and cook them till they're well browned on both sides.

This takes full advantage of taste while maintaining juiciness. Don't let your patties sit around on the cutting board (or even worse, a steam table). Hamburgers are at their best fresh from the fire, before any juices have 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.

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Upgraded May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI have actually constantly been a hamburger lover. Growing up, I 'd happily chomp them down at sit-down restaurants and from the drive-thru coming home 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 best day and I may admit that a cheeseburger is my preferred food. Even if you do, it's most likely we do not have the same concept of what makes the ideal burger.

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 however I simply. Perhaps I have not attempted your favorite burger. Perhaps I'm out to get you (simply joking).

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

When I bite in, I need to see a little sparkle, some glowing from the beef and maybe 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 seared to help lock in the juices, but not too crusty.