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

By J. Kenji Lpez-AltJ. Kenji Lpez-Alt composes 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 creator and host of Kenji's Cooking Show on YouTube. This video and article become part of, our series on kitchen area basics.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs an expert chef, food writer and cookbook author, I've spent the last 2 years of my profession rigorously looking into and checking recipes, methods and extensively accepted kitchen area knowledge to figure out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I've operated multiple hamburger joints and even wrote a month-to-month column for Serious Eats called the Burger Lab, in which I separated and checked every possible variable that can impact the flavor and texture of a burger.

However that doesn't indicate you can't intend for something much better. Here are the most essential pointers I've found for enhancing your burger experience, whether in the yard or the kitchen area. Working ground beef too much 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, but with hamburgers, overhandling can develop an unwanted thick texture. (Incorporating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or additional spices, like onions and herbs, also requires you to overwork the meat and distract from the beef flavor, so avoid it.) Salting the beyond your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

This is a great thing in sausages, which must have a company texture, however with burgers, you want looseness. A hamburger should be tender, with plenty of pockets for juices and rendered fat to gather.

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 flavor, and high heat is essential. For thicker grilled or griddled hamburgers, wait till 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 maintaining 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 relax on the cutting board (or even worse, a steam table). Burgers are at their best fresh from the fire, before any juices have had an opportunity 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 have actually always been a hamburger lover. 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 best day and I may admit that a cheeseburger is my preferred food. Actually, I might say that on most days. And you might say the same. However even if you do, it's most likely we do not have the same concept of what makes the best burger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, included some new ones and continued to leave off the ones I understand people like but I just. Maybe I haven't tried your favorite hamburger. Possibly I'm out to get you (just kidding).

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

When I bite in, I need to see a little sparkle, some shining from the beef and perhaps a little grease diminishing the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I constantly go with a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty must be scorched to help lock in the juices, however not too crusty.