A Complete Guide to Smashed Grilling Success

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

By J. Kenji Lpez-AltJ. Kenji Lpez-Alt composes a column for The New york city Times on food and science, and he develops recipes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is likewise the developer and host of Kenji's Cooking Program on YouTube. This video and article are part of, our series on kitchen area basics.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs an expert chef, food writer and cookbook author, I've invested the last twenty years of my career rigorously investigating and evaluating dishes, methods and extensively accepted kitchen area wisdom 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 Hamburger Laboratory, in which I isolated and evaluated every possible variable that can impact the flavor and texture of a hamburger.

However that doesn't suggest you can't go for something better. Here are the most essential tips I've discovered for optimizing your burger experience, whether in the backyard or the kitchen area. Working ground beef excessive can trigger it to become thick. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York City Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Optimal Temperature Control for Better Grilled Patties

In bread, this can be a good idea, but with burgers, overhandling can produce an unwanted dense texture. (Including extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or additional flavoring, like onions and herbs, likewise forces you to exhaust the meat and distract from the beef flavor, so avoid it.) Salting the beyond your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

This is a great thing in sausages, which should have a firm texture, but with hamburgers, you desire looseness. A burger must be tender, with plenty of pockets for juices and rendered fat to gather.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Whether you're making a big hamburger on the grill or a crisp-edged smash hamburger on a griddle, browning is taste, and high heat is key. For thicker grilled or griddled hamburgers, wait up 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 a lot 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 worse, a steam table). Burgers are at their finest fresh from the fire, before any juices have actually had a possibility to leak out.

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

A Complete Guide to Flat-Top Cooking Perfection

Upgraded May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI've always been a burger fan. Maturing, I 'd gladly chomp them down at sit-down dining establishments and from the drive-thru getting 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).

Capture me on the ideal day and I might admit that a cheeseburger is my preferred food. Really, I might say that on the majority of days. And you might say the same. However even if you do, it's likely we don't have the same concept of what makes the ideal hamburger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, included some new ones and continued to leave off the ones I understand people like however I just. Perhaps I haven't attempted your preferred burger. Perhaps I'm out to get you (just kidding).

There's one ideal burg out there for everybody. Let me show you what makes the best hamburger for me. Let's begin with the patty. Can I state I'm growing a little fed up with smashburgers? The very best ones miraculously remain juicy with simply a hint of flaky char around the edges, however regrettably, many places go too tough on the smash.

When I bite in, I require to see a little shimmer, some shining from the beef and maybe a little grease running down the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I constantly opt for a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty must be scorched to assist lock in the juices, however not too crusty.