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There is no end to the number of tasty hamburgers you can make, but 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 establishes recipes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is likewise the creator and host of Kenji's Cooking Program on YouTube.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs a professional chef, food writer and cookbook author, I've invested the last twenty years of my career rigorously looking into and evaluating recipes, techniques and widely accepted kitchen area wisdom to determine the whys of cooking. Over this time, I have actually operated multiple hamburger joints and even wrote a monthly column for Serious Eats called the Hamburger Laboratory, in which I separated and tested every possible variable that can affect the flavor and texture of a burger.

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

Top-Rated Gourmet Burger Templates for the Season

In bread, this can be an advantage, however with burgers, overhandling can produce an unwanted thick texture. (Integrating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or additional spices, like onions and herbs, likewise requires you to overwork the meat and sidetrack from the beef taste, so skip it.) Salting the outside of your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Salt breaks down muscle proteins and helps them to link up more easily. This is an advantage in sausages, which should have a firm texture, however with hamburgers, you want looseness. A hamburger needs to hurt, with plenty of pockets for juices and rendered fat to collect.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Whether you're making a huge burger 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 until your pan or grill is hot before including the patties, and cook them until they're well browned on both sides.

This takes full advantage of taste while keeping juiciness. Preparing your buns ahead of time lets you get to eating so much 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 even worse, a steam table). Hamburgers are at their finest fresh from the fire, before any juices have had an opportunity to leak 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've always been a burger enthusiast. 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 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 right day and I may admit that a cheeseburger is my preferred food. In fact, I may say that on many days. And you may say the very same. Even if you do, it's most likely we don't have the same concept of what makes the best hamburger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, added some brand-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. Maybe we have various taste. Maybe I haven't tried your favorite burger. Possibly 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 sparkle, some sparkling from the beef and possibly a little grease diminishing the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I always opt for a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty must be burnt to assist lock in the juices, but not too crusty.