Delicious Outdoor Dinner Inspiration for the Future

There is no end to the number of scrumptious 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 establishes dishes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is also the creator and host of Kenji's Cooking Program on YouTube. This video and short article belong to, our series on kitchen principles.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs an expert chef, food writer and cookbook author, I have actually spent the last two decades of my career carefully looking into and checking dishes, techniques and extensively accepted cooking area knowledge to determine the whys of cooking. Over this time, I've run numerous burger joints and even wrote a regular monthly column for Serious Consumes called the Burger Laboratory, in which I isolated and tested every possible variable that can impact the taste and texture of a burger.

That doesn't suggest you can't intend for something better. Here are the most crucial pointers I've discovered for optimizing your burger experience, whether in the backyard or the kitchen area. Working hamburger too much can trigger it to become thick. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

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In bread, this can be an advantage, but with burgers, overhandling can create an unwanted thick texture. (Integrating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or additional seasoning, like onions and herbs, likewise forces you to exhaust the meat and distract from the beef flavor, so skip it.) Salting the outside of 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 must have a company texture, but with burgers, you desire looseness. A burger should hurt, with plenty of pockets for juices and rendered fat to gather.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

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

This makes the most of flavor while preserving juiciness. Do not let your patties sit around on the cutting board (or worse, a steam table). Hamburgers are at their finest fresh from the fire, before any juices have had an opportunity 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 Yard BurgerCredit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Follow,,, and.

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Updated May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI've always been a burger fan. Growing up, I 'd happily munch them down at sit-down restaurants and from the drive-thru coming 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).

Catch me on the ideal day and I may admit that a cheeseburger is my favorite food. Even if you do, it's likely we don't have the exact same idea of what makes the perfect hamburger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, added some new ones and continued to end the ones I know people like but I simply. do not. get. Yes, I understand your favorite isn't there. Perhaps we have various taste. Maybe I haven't tried your favorite burger yet. Perhaps I'm out to get you (simply kidding).

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

When I bite in, I require 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 constantly go with a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty should be seared to help lock in the juices, however not too crusty.