Advanced Cooking Techniques for Superior Hand-Pressed Patties

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

By J. Kenji Lpez-AltJ. Kenji Lpez-Alt composes a column for The New York Times on food and science, and he establishes dishes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is also the creator and host of Kenji's Cooking Show on YouTube. This video and short article belong to, our series on kitchen basics.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs an expert chef, food writer and cookbook author, I've invested the last 2 decades of my profession rigorously investigating and testing recipes, strategies and extensively accepted kitchen knowledge to determine the whys of cooking. Over this time, I've run numerous hamburger joints and even composed a monthly column for Serious Eats called the Hamburger Lab, in which I separated and checked every possible variable that can impact the taste and texture of a hamburger.

However that does not mean you can't intend for something better. Here are the most essential ideas I've discovered for optimizing 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 City Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Steps for Crispy Golden Fries

In bread, this can be a good idea, however with hamburgers, overhandling can produce an undesirable thick texture. (Including extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or extra flavoring, like onions and herbs, also forces you to strain the meat and distract from the beef taste, so skip it.) Salting the beyond your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

This is an excellent thing in sausages, which need to have a company texture, but with burgers, you desire looseness. A burger must be tender, with plenty of pockets for juices and rendered fat to gather.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Browning your patties deeply maximizes taste. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Whether you're making a big burger on the grill or a crisp-edged smash burger on a frying pan, browning is taste, and high heat is essential. For thicker grilled or griddled burgers, wait till your pan or grill is hot before including the patties, and prepare them till they're well browned on both sides.

This takes full advantage of flavor while maintaining 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 relax on the cutting board (or worse, a steam table). Burgers are at their finest fresh from the fire, before any juices have had a possibility to leak out.

Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Advanced Culinary Techniques for Superior Hand-Pressed Burgers

Upgraded May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI have actually always been a burger lover. Growing up, I 'd happily chomp them down at sit-down dining establishments and from the drive-thru getting home from gymnastics practice. I 'd crush 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 preferred food. Even if you do, it's likely we don't have the very same idea of what makes the best 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 individuals like but I just. Perhaps I haven't tried your favorite burger. Possibly I'm out to get you (simply joking).

There's one ideal burg out there for everyone. Let me share with you what makes the perfect burger for me. Let's start with the patty. Can I state I'm growing a little tired of smashburgers? The best ones unbelievely remain juicy with simply a tip of flaky char around the edges, however regrettably, most places go too hard on the smash.

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 constantly go with a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty should be scorched to help lock in the juices, but not too crusty.