Steps for Crispy Restaurant-Style Fries

There is no end to the number of delicious hamburgers you can make, however 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 develops dishes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is likewise the creator and host of Kenji's Cooking Show on YouTube.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs an expert chef, food writer and cookbook author, I have actually spent the last twenty years of my profession rigorously investigating and checking recipes, techniques and commonly accepted cooking area knowledge to figure out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I have actually run multiple burger joints and even composed a month-to-month column for Serious Consumes called the Burger Laboratory, in which I isolated and evaluated every possible variable that can impact the flavor and texture of a hamburger.

But that does not imply you can't aim for something much better. Here are the most essential pointers I've discovered for optimizing your burger experience, whether in the yard or the kitchen. Working hamburger excessive can trigger it to end up being dense. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

How to Make Perfect Restaurant-Style Sides

In bread, this can be a good idea, but with burgers, overhandling can develop an undesirable dense texture. (Integrating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or extra spices, like onions and herbs, also requires you to strain 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 helps them to connect more quickly. This is an advantage in sausages, which must have a company texture, but with hamburgers, you want looseness. A burger ought to be tender, with plenty of pockets for juices and rendered fat to collect.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Whether you're making a huge burger on the grill or a crisp-edged smash hamburger on a griddle, browning is flavor, and high heat is crucial. For thicker grilled or griddled burgers, wait until your pan or grill is hot before adding the patties, and cook them up until they're well browned on both sides.

This makes the most of taste while preserving juiciness. 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 actually had a chance to drip out.

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

Advanced Cooking Techniques for Superior Hand-Pressed Patties

Upgraded May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI've constantly been a hamburger enthusiast. 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 best day and I might admit that a cheeseburger is my preferred food. In fact, I might 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 very same concept of what makes the perfect burger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, included some brand-new ones and continued to end the ones I understand individuals like however I just. don't. get. Yes, I know your favorite isn't there. Maybe we have different taste. Maybe I haven't attempted your preferred burger yet. Possibly I'm out to get you (simply kidding).

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

When I bite in, I require to see a little sparkle, some shining 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 should be burnt to assist lock in the juices, however not too crusty.