New Gourmet French Fry Secrets for the Home

There is no end to the number of tasty hamburgers you can make, however here are 12 that will make your mouth water.

By J. Kenji Lpez-AltJ. 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 developer and host of Kenji's Cooking Program on YouTube. This video and article belong to, our series on cooking area basics.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs an expert chef, food writer and cookbook author, I've spent the last 2 years of my career carefully looking into and testing recipes, strategies and extensively accepted kitchen area knowledge to determine the whys of cooking. Over this time, I've run several hamburger joints and even composed a regular monthly column for Serious Eats called the Burger Lab, in which I isolated and checked every possible variable that can impact the flavor and texture of a hamburger.

But that does not imply you can't intend for something better. Here are the most crucial tips I have actually found for optimizing your hamburger experience, whether in the backyard or the kitchen. Working hamburger too much can trigger it to become thick. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Bold Savory Dinner Inspiration for Busy Home Cooks

In bread, this can be a good idea, however with hamburgers, overhandling can produce an undesirable dense texture. (Integrating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or additional seasoning, like onions and herbs, also requires you to strain the meat and sidetrack from the beef flavor, so avoid it.) Salting the beyond your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

This is an excellent thing in sausages, which ought to have a firm texture, but with hamburgers, you want looseness. A hamburger needs to be tender, with plenty of pockets for juices and rendered fat to collect.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Whether you're making a big hamburger 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 burgers, wait till your pan or grill is hot before including the patties, and cook them till they're well browned on both sides.

This takes full advantage of flavor while preserving 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 actually 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 Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Follow,,, and.

Using Professional Flat-Top Styles in the Home

Updated May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI have actually always been a hamburger enthusiast. Maturing, I 'd happily chomp them down at sit-down restaurants and from the drive-thru getting back from gymnastics practice. I 'd crush 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).

Capture me on the ideal day and I may confess that a cheeseburger is my preferred food. Actually, I may say that on most days. And you might say the exact same. Even if you do, it's likely we do not have the very same concept of what makes the perfect 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 people like but I simply. Perhaps I have not tried your preferred hamburger. Maybe I'm out to get you (just kidding).

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

When I bite in, I need to see a little shimmer, some sparkling from the beef and maybe 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 should be scorched to help lock in the juices, but not too crusty.