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There is no end to the variety of scrumptious 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 establishes dishes 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 invested the last 20 years of my career rigorously investigating and evaluating dishes, strategies and extensively accepted kitchen knowledge to determine the whys of cooking. Over this time, I've run several hamburger joints and even wrote a monthly column for Serious Eats called the Hamburger Laboratory, in which I isolated and tested every possible variable that can affect the flavor and texture of a hamburger.

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

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In bread, this can be a good idea, but with hamburgers, overhandling can develop an undesirable thick texture. (Incorporating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or extra flavoring, like onions and herbs, also requires you to strain the meat and distract from the beef flavor, so skip it.) Salting the beyond your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Salt breaks down muscle proteins and assists them to connect more quickly. This is an excellent thing in sausages, which must have a firm texture, however with burgers, you desire looseness. A burger should be tender, with a lot of pockets for juices and rendered fat to gather.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

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

This maximizes taste while maintaining juiciness. Preparing your buns ahead of time lets you get to consuming so much quicker. Credit ... Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Do not let your patties relax on the cutting board (or worse, a steam table). Hamburgers are at their best fresh from the fire, before any juices have had an opportunity to leak out.

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

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Upgraded May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI've always been a hamburger enthusiast. Growing up, I 'd gladly chew them down at sit-down dining establishments 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 ideal day and I might confess that a cheeseburger is my preferred food. Actually, I may state that on a lot of days. And you may state the same. However even if you do, it's most likely we don't have the same concept of what makes the ideal hamburger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, included some new ones and continued to end the ones I know individuals like but I just. do not. get. Yes, I know your favorite isn't there. Perhaps we have different taste. Maybe I have not attempted your preferred hamburger yet. Possibly I'm out to get you (just kidding).

Let me share with you what makes the ideal burger for me. Let's start with the patty.

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