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There is no end to the variety of scrumptious burgers you can make, but 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 creator and host of Kenji's Cooking Program on YouTube.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs an expert chef, food author and cookbook author, I have actually spent the last twenty years of my career rigorously looking into and testing dishes, strategies and commonly accepted kitchen area 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 Burger Laboratory, in which I separated and checked every possible variable that can impact the flavor and texture of a burger.

Here are the most essential tips I have actually discovered for enhancing your burger experience, whether in the backyard or the cooking area. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

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In bread, this can be a great thing, but with hamburgers, overhandling can create an unwanted dense 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 taste, so avoid it.) Salting the exterior of your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Salt breaks down muscle proteins and helps them to link more easily. This is an excellent thing in sausages, which should have a firm texture, but with hamburgers, you want looseness. A hamburger must hurt, with a lot of pockets for juices and rendered fat to gather.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

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

This maximizes flavor while keeping juiciness. Don't let your patties sit around on the cutting board (or worse, a steam table). Hamburgers are at their best fresh from the fire, before any juices have had a possibility 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. 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 right day and I might confess that a cheeseburger is my preferred food. Actually, I may say that on a lot of days. And you might say the exact same. But even if you do, it's most likely we do not have the same idea of what makes the ideal hamburger.

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. don't. get. Yes, I know your favorite isn't there. Possibly we have different taste. Possibly I have not attempted your preferred burger yet. Perhaps I'm out to get you (just joking).

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

When I bite in, I need to see a little sparkle, 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 must be scorched to assist secure the juices, but not too crusty.