Selecting the Best Meats for Tasty Burgers

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 establishes recipes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is also 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 20 years of my career rigorously investigating and testing dishes, methods and commonly accepted cooking area wisdom to find out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I've operated several hamburger joints and even wrote a regular monthly column for Serious Eats called the Hamburger Laboratory, in which I isolated and evaluated every possible variable that can impact the taste and texture of a burger.

But that doesn't mean you can't aim for something better. Here are the most essential pointers I've discovered for enhancing your burger experience, whether in the backyard or the kitchen. Working hamburger too much can cause it to become thick. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

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In bread, this can be a good thing, however with burgers, overhandling can create an undesirable dense texture. (Integrating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or extra spices, like onions and herbs, likewise forces you to overwork the meat and sidetrack 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 link more quickly. This is an advantage in sausages, which need to have a company texture, however with burgers, you want looseness. A hamburger ought to hurt, with a lot 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 burger on a frying pan, browning is flavor, and high heat is crucial. For thicker grilled or griddled hamburgers, wait till your pan or grill is hot before including the patties, and prepare 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 a lot faster. Credit ... Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Don't let your patties sit around on the cutting board (or even worse, a steam table). Hamburgers are at their best fresh from the fire, before any juices have had a chance to drip out.

Smash BurgersCredit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York City 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 City Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Follow,,, and.

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Updated 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 restaurants and from the drive-thru getting home 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 ideal day and I might admit that a cheeseburger is my favorite food. In fact, I may state that on the majority of days. And you may state the same. But even if you do, it's likely we don't have the exact same idea of what makes the best burger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, added some new ones and continued to leave off the ones I understand people like however I simply. Maybe I have not attempted your preferred burger. Perhaps I'm out to get you (just joking).

There's one perfect burg out there for everyone. Let me share with you what makes the best hamburger for me. Let's start with the patty. Can I state I'm growing a little exhausted of smashburgers? The very best ones amazingly remain juicy with simply a tip of flaky char around the edges, however unfortunately, a lot of locations go too hard on the smash.

When I bite in, I require to see a little shimmer, some shining from the beef and maybe 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 should be seared to help lock in the juices, however not too crusty.