Expert Outdoor Grilling Tips for 2026

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 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 developer and host of Kenji's Cooking Program on YouTube.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs a professional chef, food writer and cookbook author, I have actually invested the last two years of my profession rigorously looking into and evaluating recipes, strategies and commonly accepted kitchen wisdom to determine the whys of cooking. Over this time, I have actually run several hamburger joints and even wrote a month-to-month column for Serious Eats called the Hamburger Laboratory, in which I separated and checked every possible variable that can impact the flavor and texture of a burger.

That does not mean you can't intend for something better. Here are the most crucial ideas I have actually found for enhancing your burger experience, whether in the backyard or the kitchen area. Working hamburger excessive can cause it to end up being thick. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Choosing the Best Meats for Tasty Burgers

In bread, this can be an advantage, however with burgers, overhandling can develop an undesirable dense texture. (Including extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or additional seasoning, like onions and herbs, likewise requires you to strain the meat and distract from the beef flavor, so avoid it.) Salting the beyond your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Salt breaks down muscle proteins and assists them to link up more quickly. This is an excellent thing in sausages, which should have a company texture, but with burgers, you desire looseness. A burger needs to be tender, with a lot of pockets for juices and rendered fat to collect.

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 hamburger on the grill or a crisp-edged smash hamburger on a frying pan, browning is taste, and high heat is essential. For thicker grilled or griddled hamburgers, wait up until your pan or grill is hot before including the patties, and prepare them till they're well browned on both sides.

This optimizes taste while preserving juiciness. Preparing your buns ahead of time lets you get to consuming so much quicker. Credit ... Bryan Gardner for The New York City Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Don't let your patties relax 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 leak 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.

Optimal Temperature Control for Better Seared Burgers

Updated May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI've always been a hamburger enthusiast. Growing up, I 'd gladly munch them down at sit-down dining establishments and from the drive-thru coming 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).

Catch me on the right day and I might admit that a cheeseburger is my favorite food. Really, I might state that on most days. And you might say the very same. However even if you do, it's likely we don't have the exact same concept of what makes the perfect burger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, included some new ones and continued to leave off the ones I understand individuals like however I simply. Possibly I haven't tried your favorite hamburger. Maybe I'm out to get you (just joking).

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

When I bite in, I need to see a little sparkle, some glowing from the beef and possibly a little grease running down the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I always go with a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty must be seared to help secure the juices, but not too crusty.