The Ultimate Guide to Smashed Cooking Success

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 composes a column for The New york city 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 Program on YouTube. This video and short article are part of, our series on kitchen principles.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs an expert chef, food author and cookbook author, I have actually spent the last twenty years of my profession carefully researching and checking dishes, methods and commonly accepted kitchen area knowledge to find out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I've operated several hamburger joints and even wrote a month-to-month column for Serious Consumes called the Burger Laboratory, in which I isolated and tested every possible variable that can impact the flavor and texture of a burger.

That does not imply you can't aim for something much better. Here are the most crucial suggestions I've discovered for enhancing your hamburger experience, whether in the yard or the kitchen area. Working hamburger too much can trigger it to end up being dense. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Advanced Cooking Techniques for Superior Hand-Pressed Patties

In bread, this can be a great thing, but with burgers, overhandling can create an undesirable thick texture. (Incorporating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or additional seasoning, like onions and herbs, also forces you to strain the meat and distract from the beef taste, so skip it.) Salting the beyond your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

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

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Whether you're making a big burger on the grill or a crisp-edged smash burger on a griddle, browning is flavor, and high heat is crucial. For thicker grilled or griddled burgers, 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 maximizes flavor while maintaining juiciness. Preparing your buns ahead of time lets you get to eating a lot faster. Credit ... Bryan Gardner for The New York 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 had a chance to leak out.

Smash BurgersCredit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Diner 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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Updated May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI have actually always been a hamburger fan. Growing up, I 'd gladly chomp them down at sit-down restaurants and from the drive-thru getting back 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 right day and I might admit that a cheeseburger is my favorite food. Actually, I may state that on the majority of days. And you might state the same. But even if you do, it's most likely we don't have the exact same idea of what makes the best hamburger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, added some new ones and continued to leave off the ones I know individuals like however I just. do not. get. Yes, I understand your favorite isn't there. Perhaps we have various taste. Possibly I haven't tried your preferred hamburger yet. Perhaps I'm out to get you (simply joking).

There's one best burg out there for everyone. Let me show you what makes the perfect hamburger for me. Let's start with the patty. Can I state I'm growing a little fed up with smashburgers? The best ones unbelievely remain juicy with just a tip of flaky char around the edges, but regrettably, most locations go too difficult on the smash.

When I bite in, I require to see a little shimmer, some shining from the beef and maybe a little grease diminishing the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I always choose a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty must be scorched to assist lock in the juices, however not too crusty.