Chef-Level Culinary Techniques for Juicier Hand-Pressed Burgers

There is no end to the variety of scrumptious 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 develops dishes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is likewise the creator and host of Kenji's Cooking Program on YouTube. This video and post are part of, our series on kitchen basics.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs an expert chef, food author and cookbook author, I've spent the last 2 decades of my career carefully researching and testing dishes, strategies and widely accepted kitchen area knowledge to find out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I have actually run numerous burger joints and even wrote a month-to-month column for Serious Eats called the Hamburger Lab, in which I separated and evaluated every possible variable that can impact the taste and texture of a hamburger.

That doesn't indicate you can't intend for something better. Here are the most important suggestions I've found for enhancing your burger experience, whether in the backyard or the kitchen area. Working hamburger too much can cause it to become dense. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

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In bread, this can be a good idea, however with hamburgers, overhandling can produce an undesirable thick texture. (Integrating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or extra flavoring, like onions and herbs, also forces you to overwork the meat and distract from the beef flavor, so skip it.) Salting the beyond your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

This is a good thing in sausages, which should have a company texture, however with burgers, you desire looseness. A hamburger needs to be tender, with plenty 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 huge hamburger on the grill or a crisp-edged smash hamburger on a frying pan, browning is flavor, and high heat is crucial. For thicker grilled or griddled hamburgers, wait till your pan or grill is hot before adding the patties, and prepare them up until they're well browned on both sides.

This maximizes taste while preserving juiciness. Preparing your buns ahead of time lets you get to consuming a lot faster. Credit ... Bryan Gardner for The New York City 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 a chance to drip out.

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

Chef-Level Cooking Techniques for Juicier Homemade Burgers

Upgraded May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI've always been a burger 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 favorite food. Actually, 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 same idea of what makes the best burger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, added some new ones and continued to leave off the ones I know people like but I just. Maybe I haven't tried your favorite burger. Maybe I'm out to get you (just joking).

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

When I bite in, I require to see a little sparkle, some glowing from the beef and maybe 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 scorched to help lock in the juices, however not too crusty.