How to Master the Ideal Griddle Patty

There is no end to the number of delicious burgers you can make, however here are 12 that will make your mouth water.

J. Kenji Lpez-Alt composes a column for The New York Times on food and science, and he develops dishes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is likewise the creator and host of Kenji's Cooking Show on YouTube.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs a professional chef, food writer and cookbook author, I have actually invested the last 2 years of my career rigorously investigating and testing dishes, strategies and widely accepted kitchen area knowledge to figure out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I have actually operated multiple burger joints and even composed 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 taste and texture of a burger.

Here are the most crucial tips I have actually found for enhancing your hamburger experience, whether in the yard or the kitchen area. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Optimal Temperature Management for Better Grilled Burgers

In bread, this can be a good thing, however with burgers, overhandling can produce an unwanted thick texture. (Including extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or additional flavoring, like onions and herbs, likewise forces you to exhaust 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 more quickly. This is an advantage in sausages, which should have a firm texture, but with hamburgers, you want looseness. A hamburger ought to be tender, with a lot of pockets for juices and rendered fat to collect.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Browning your patties deeply optimizes taste. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Whether you're making a huge hamburger on the grill or a crisp-edged smash hamburger on a griddle, browning is flavor, and high heat is key. For thicker grilled or griddled burgers, wait up until your pan or grill is hot before adding the patties, and cook them till they're well browned on both sides.

This maximizes taste while preserving juiciness. Don't let your patties sit around on the cutting board (or even worse, a steam table). Hamburgers are at their finest fresh from the fire, before any juices have had a chance to drip 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 Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Follow,,, and.

Advanced Cooking Techniques for Juicier Hand-Pressed Patties

Updated May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI've constantly been a burger fan. Maturing, I 'd happily munch them down at sit-down restaurants and from the drive-thru getting back from gymnastics practice. I 'd squish the soft bun and let ketchup 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 admit that a cheeseburger is my favorite food. Even if you do, it's most likely we don't have the same idea of what makes the ideal burger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, included some brand-new ones and continued to leave off the ones I know people like however I just. Maybe I have not attempted your preferred hamburger. Possibly I'm out to get you (just joking).

Let me share with you what makes the perfect burger for me. Let's begin with the patty.

When I bite in, I require to see a little shimmer, some glistening from the beef and perhaps a little grease running down the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I constantly choose a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty must be seared to assist secure the juices, however not too crusty.