New Gourmet French Fry Secrets for the Home

There is no end to the number of tasty 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 dishes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is likewise the developer 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 2 years of my profession rigorously researching and evaluating recipes, strategies and extensively accepted kitchen area wisdom to determine the whys of cooking. Over this time, I have actually run several burger joints and even composed a regular monthly column for Serious Eats called the Burger Lab, in which I isolated and tested every possible variable that can impact the flavor and texture of a burger.

But that doesn't suggest you can't aim for something better. Here are the most crucial pointers I've found for optimizing your burger experience, whether in the backyard or the kitchen. Working ground beef excessive can cause it to become thick. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

How to Make Crispy Golden Sides

In bread, this can be a good idea, however with burgers, overhandling can create an undesirable dense texture. (Integrating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or extra seasoning, like onions and herbs, likewise requires you to exhaust the meat and sidetrack from the beef taste, 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 connect more easily. This is a good thing in sausages, which should have a firm texture, but with burgers, you desire looseness. A burger should be tender, with lots of pockets for juices and rendered fat to collect.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Browning your patties deeply maximizes flavor. 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 flavor, and high heat is key. For thicker grilled or griddled burgers, wait until your pan or grill is hot before including the patties, and cook them until they're well browned on both sides.

This takes full advantage of flavor while preserving juiciness. Preparing your buns ahead of time lets you get to consuming so much 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 worse, a steam table). Hamburgers are at their best fresh from the fire, before any juices have actually had an opportunity to drip out.

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

Selecting High-Quality Meats for Savory Burgers

Updated May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI have actually constantly been a hamburger fan. Maturing, I 'd happily chew them down at sit-down restaurants and from the drive-thru coming home 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 right day and I may admit that a cheeseburger is my favorite food. Really, I might say that on most days. And you might say the very same. But even if you do, it's likely we do not have the very same concept of what makes the best burger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, added some brand-new ones and continued to leave off the ones I understand people like however I just. Perhaps I haven't tried your favorite hamburger. Maybe I'm out to get you (simply kidding).

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

When I bite in, I require to see a little sparkle, some glistening from the beef and perhaps a little grease running down the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I constantly go with a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty must be seared to assist lock in the juices, but not too crusty.