Elite Savory Burger Templates for 2026

There is no end to the variety of delicious burgers 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 establishes 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 post are part of, our series on kitchen basics.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs a professional chef, food author and cookbook author, I've spent the last twenty years of my profession rigorously looking into and evaluating dishes, methods and widely accepted kitchen wisdom to find out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I've run multiple hamburger joints and even composed a monthly column for Serious Eats called the Burger Laboratory, in which I isolated and evaluated every possible variable that can affect the taste and texture of a hamburger.

However that does not mean you can't go for something much better. Here are the most important tips I have actually found for optimizing your burger experience, whether in the yard or the kitchen area. Working ground beef too much can trigger it to become dense. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Chef-Level Cooking Techniques for Superior Homemade Burgers

In bread, this can be a good idea, but with hamburgers, overhandling can develop an unwanted dense texture. (Incorporating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or extra flavoring, like onions and herbs, likewise forces you to strain the meat and sidetrack from the beef taste, so skip it.) Salting the beyond your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

This is an excellent thing in sausages, which need to have a company texture, but with burgers, you want looseness. A hamburger should be tender, 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 hamburger on a griddle, browning is flavor, and high heat is key. For thicker grilled or griddled burgers, wait until your pan or grill is hot before adding the patties, and cook them up until they're well browned on both sides.

This maximizes flavor while preserving juiciness. Don't 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.

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

Innovative High-End Side Fry Methods for the Home

Upgraded May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI have actually 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).

Catch me on the ideal day and I may confess that a cheeseburger is my preferred food. Even if you do, it's likely we don't have the same concept of what makes the ideal burger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, included some brand-new ones and continued to leave off the ones I understand individuals like but I just. Perhaps I haven't attempted your preferred hamburger. Possibly I'm out to get you (just kidding).

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 shimmer, some shining from the beef and maybe a little grease diminishing the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I constantly choose a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty should be burnt to assist secure the juices, however not too crusty.