How to Perfect the Ultimate Flat-Top Burger

There is no end to the number of tasty 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 recipes 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've invested the last 20 years of my profession rigorously researching and testing dishes, strategies and commonly accepted cooking area knowledge to find out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I have actually operated multiple hamburger joints and even composed a regular monthly column for Serious Eats called the Burger Laboratory, in which I isolated and checked every possible variable that can affect the flavor and texture of a hamburger.

Here are the most important pointers I've found for optimizing your burger experience, whether in the yard or the kitchen area. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

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In bread, this can be a good idea, but with hamburgers, overhandling can produce an undesirable dense texture. (Integrating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or extra flavoring, like onions and herbs, likewise forces you to overwork the meat and sidetrack from the beef flavor, so avoid it.) Salting the beyond your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Salt breaks down muscle proteins and helps them to connect up more quickly. This is a good thing in sausages, which need to have a firm texture, but with hamburgers, you want looseness. A burger should be tender, with plenty of pockets for juices and rendered fat to collect.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Whether you're making a big hamburger on the grill or a crisp-edged smash hamburger on a griddle, browning is taste, and high heat is key. For thicker grilled or griddled burgers, wait till your pan or grill is hot before including the patties, and prepare them till they're well browned on both sides.

This optimizes flavor while preserving juiciness. Do not let your patties sit around on the cutting board (or worse, a steam table). Burgers are at their best fresh from the fire, before any juices have actually had a possibility 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 Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Thick Backyard BurgerCredit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York 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 gladly munch 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).

Capture me on the ideal day and I may confess that a cheeseburger is my favorite food. Really, I may say that on a lot of days. And you may state the very same. But even if you do, it's likely we don't have the very same concept of what makes the best hamburger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, included some brand-new ones and continued to end the ones I understand people like but I just. don't. get. Yes, I understand your favorite isn't there. Possibly we have different taste. Perhaps I haven't attempted your preferred burger yet. Possibly I'm out to get you (simply joking).

There's one ideal burg out there for everybody. Let me show you what makes the best hamburger for me. Let's begin with the patty. Can I state I'm growing a little worn out of smashburgers? The very best ones miraculously remain juicy with just a hint of flaky char around the edges, however unfortunately, many places go too hard on the smash.

When I bite in, I need to see a little sparkle, some glistening from the beef and perhaps 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 seared to assist secure the juices, but not too crusty.