Steps to Perfect the Ideal Griddle Patty

There is no end to the number of delicious 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 city Times on food and science, and he develops dishes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is likewise the developer and host of Kenji's Cooking Show on YouTube. This video and short article become part of, our series on kitchen principles.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs a professional chef, food author and cookbook author, I've spent the last twenty years of my profession rigorously investigating and checking recipes, methods and extensively accepted kitchen knowledge to determine the whys of cooking. Over this time, I've run numerous hamburger joints and even composed a monthly column for Serious Eats called the Burger Lab, in which I separated and checked every possible variable that can affect the flavor and texture of a burger.

Here are the most essential tips I've found for enhancing your burger experience, whether in the yard or the kitchen. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

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In bread, this can be a good idea, however with hamburgers, overhandling can create an unwanted dense texture. (Incorporating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or extra seasoning, like onions and herbs, also forces you to exhaust the meat and sidetrack from the beef flavor, so avoid it.) Salting the beyond your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

This is a good thing in sausages, which ought to have a firm texture, but with burgers, you desire looseness. A burger needs to be tender, with plenty of pockets for juices and rendered fat to gather.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Browning your patties deeply optimizes taste. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York City Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Whether you're making a huge burger 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 adding the patties, and prepare 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 faster. Credit ... Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Do not let your patties sit around on the cutting board (or worse, a steam table). Burgers are at their best fresh from the fire, before any juices have actually had a possibility to drip out.

Smash BurgersCredit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Diner BurgerCredit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York City Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Thick Backyard BurgerCredit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York City Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Follow,,, and.

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Upgraded May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI have actually always been a hamburger fan. 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 might 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 best hamburger.

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 however I simply. Maybe I have not attempted your favorite burger. Perhaps 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 sparkling from the beef and maybe a little grease diminishing the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I always opt for a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty should be seared to help lock in the juices, however not too crusty.