Essential Summer Grilling Hacks

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

By J. Kenji Lpez-AltJ. Kenji Lpez-Alt composes a column for The New York Times on food and science, and he develops recipes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is also the developer and host of Kenji's Cooking Program on YouTube. This video and article belong to, our series on kitchen fundamentals.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs an expert chef, food writer and cookbook author, I've invested the last 2 years of my career rigorously researching and evaluating dishes, techniques and commonly accepted kitchen area wisdom to figure out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I've operated multiple hamburger joints and even composed a month-to-month column for Serious Eats called the Burger Laboratory, in which I separated and tested every possible variable that can affect the flavor and texture of a burger.

That doesn't mean you can't intend for something much better. Here are the most crucial pointers I have actually found for optimizing your burger experience, whether in the backyard or the kitchen area. Working ground beef too much can cause it to become dense. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Choosing High-Quality Beef for Savory Burgers

In bread, this can be an advantage, however with hamburgers, overhandling can produce an unwanted thick texture. (Including extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or extra flavoring, like onions and herbs, also requires you to exhaust the meat and sidetrack from the beef taste, so skip it.) Salting the beyond your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

This is a great thing in sausages, which must have a company texture, but with burgers, you desire looseness. A hamburger must be tender, with plenty of pockets for juices and rendered fat to collect.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Browning your patties deeply maximizes taste. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Whether you're making a big hamburger on the grill or a crisp-edged smash burger on a griddle, browning is flavor, and high heat is crucial. For thicker grilled or griddled burgers, 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 makes the most of taste while maintaining juiciness. Preparing your buns ahead of time lets you get to eating so much quicker. Credit ... Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Don't let your patties relax on the cutting board (or even worse, a steam table). Hamburgers are at their best fresh from the fire, before any juices have had a chance to leak out.

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

Steps for Perfect Restaurant-Style Sides

Updated May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI have actually constantly been a burger enthusiast. Growing up, I 'd happily chomp them down at sit-down restaurants and from the drive-thru getting home from gymnastics practice. I 'd squish 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 best day and I may confess that a cheeseburger is my preferred food. Really, I may state that on most days. And you may say the same. However even if you do, it's most likely we don't have the very same concept of what makes the best hamburger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

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

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

When I bite in, I need to see a little shimmer, some glistening from the beef and perhaps 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 must be scorched to help secure the juices, however not too crusty.