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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 develops recipes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is likewise the developer and host of Kenji's Cooking Program on YouTube.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs a professional chef, food author and cookbook author, I've spent the last twenty years of my career carefully researching and evaluating recipes, methods and extensively accepted kitchen wisdom to determine the whys of cooking. Over this time, I have actually operated numerous burger joints and even wrote a monthly column for Serious Consumes called the Hamburger Laboratory, in which I isolated and checked every possible variable that can affect the flavor and texture of a burger.

But that doesn't mean you can't go for something much better. Here are the most important pointers I've discovered for enhancing your burger experience, whether in the yard or the cooking area. Working ground beef excessive can trigger it to become dense. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York 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. (Integrating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or extra spices, 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 helps them to connect up more quickly. This is an advantage in sausages, which need to have a firm texture, but with hamburgers, you desire looseness. A burger must hurt, with lots of pockets for juices and rendered fat to gather.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Whether you're making a huge burger on the grill or a crisp-edged smash hamburger on a frying pan, browning is taste, and high heat is crucial. For thicker grilled or griddled hamburgers, wait up until your pan or grill is hot before including the patties, and cook them up until they're well browned on both sides.

This optimizes taste while preserving 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. Do not let your patties sit around on the cutting board (or worse, a steam table). Burgers are at their finest fresh from the fire, before any juices have had a chance to drip 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 have actually constantly been a burger lover. Maturing, I 'd gladly chew them down at sit-down restaurants and from the drive-thru getting back from gymnastics practice. I 'd squish 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 best day and I might confess that a cheeseburger is my preferred food. Even if you do, it's most likely we do not have the very same idea of what makes the ideal hamburger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, added some brand-new ones and continued to end the ones I understand individuals like however I simply. do not. get. Yes, I know your favorite isn't there. Maybe we have various taste. Maybe I have not tried your preferred burger yet. Perhaps I'm out to get you (simply kidding).

Let me share with you what makes the best hamburger for me. Let's start with the patty.

When I bite in, I require to see a little shimmer, some sparkling from the beef and maybe a little grease running down the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I always go with a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty needs to be scorched to assist secure the juices, but not too crusty.