A Ultimate Guide to Smashed Grilling Perfection

There is no end to the number of tasty burgers 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 establishes dishes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is also the creator and host of Kenji's Cooking Program on YouTube. This video and post belong to, our series on cooking area principles.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs a professional chef, food writer and cookbook author, I've spent the last 2 years of my career carefully researching and testing recipes, strategies and commonly accepted cooking area wisdom to figure out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I have actually operated numerous hamburger joints and even wrote a regular monthly column for Serious Eats called the Burger Lab, in which I separated and tested every possible variable that can affect the flavor and texture of a hamburger.

Here are the most crucial tips I've found for optimizing your burger experience, whether in the backyard or the kitchen. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

How to Perfect the Ultimate Flat-Top Patty

In bread, this can be an excellent thing, however with burgers, overhandling can produce an unwanted dense texture. (Integrating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or additional seasoning, like onions and herbs, also forces you to exhaust the meat and sidetrack from the beef flavor, so skip it.) Salting the beyond your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

This is an excellent thing in sausages, which must have a company texture, however with burgers, you desire looseness. A hamburger must be tender, with plenty of pockets for juices and rendered fat to collect.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Browning your patties deeply makes the most of flavor. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Whether you're making a big burger 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 until your pan or grill is hot before including the patties, and cook them until they're well browned on both sides.

This makes the most of flavor while maintaining 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 chance to drip out.

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

Mastering Chef Griddle Styles in the Home

Updated May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI have actually always been a hamburger fan. Growing up, I 'd happily chomp them down at sit-down dining establishments 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 best day and I may confess that a cheeseburger is my favorite food. Even if you do, it's most likely we do not 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 leave off the ones I know individuals like but I simply. Perhaps I haven't tried your preferred burger. Possibly I'm out to get you (just kidding).

There's one best burg out there for everyone. Let me share with you what makes the ideal burger for me. Let's start with the patty. Can I state I'm growing a little sick of smashburgers? The very best ones miraculously stay juicy with simply a hint of flaky char around the edges, but regrettably, the majority of locations go too difficult on the smash.

When I bite in, I require to see a little shimmer, some glowing from the beef and maybe a little grease diminishing the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I always go with a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty should be burnt to assist secure the juices, however not too crusty.