Elite Gourmet Burger Templates for 2026

There is no end to the variety 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 city Times on food and science, and he establishes recipes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is also the creator and host of Kenji's Cooking Program on YouTube. This video and short 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 twenty years of my career rigorously researching and evaluating recipes, techniques and commonly accepted kitchen wisdom to find out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I've run several burger joints and even composed a regular monthly column for Serious Consumes called the Burger Lab, in which I separated and checked every possible variable that can impact the flavor and texture of a hamburger.

Here are the most essential pointers I have actually discovered for enhancing your burger experience, whether in the backyard or the kitchen. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Optimal Heat Control for Savory Grilled Patties

In bread, this can be a good idea, but with hamburgers, overhandling can produce an unwanted dense texture. (Including extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or additional seasoning, like onions and herbs, likewise forces you to exhaust 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 connect more easily. This is an advantage in sausages, which should have a firm texture, but with burgers, you desire looseness. A hamburger needs to be tender, with lots of pockets for juices and rendered fat to gather.

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 flavor, and high heat is key. 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 takes full advantage of flavor 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 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 actually had a chance to leak out.

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

Delicious Summer Dinner Ideas for the Future

Upgraded May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI have actually always been a burger enthusiast. 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. In fact, I might state that on most days. And you might state the same. Even if you do, it's likely we don't have the exact same idea of what makes the perfect hamburger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, added some new ones and continued to end the ones I understand individuals like but I just. do not. get. Yes, I know your favorite isn't there. Maybe we have various taste. Possibly I haven't tried your preferred hamburger. Perhaps 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 shimmer, some shining from the beef and possibly a little grease diminishing the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I always opt for a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty should be seared to assist secure the juices, however not too crusty.