Delicious Outdoor Dinner Inspiration for 2026

There is no end to the number of tasty 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 Times on food and science, and he develops recipes 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 belong to, our series on kitchen principles.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs a professional chef, food author and cookbook author, I have actually spent the last 2 years of my career rigorously investigating and testing dishes, techniques and extensively accepted kitchen wisdom to figure out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I have actually operated numerous burger joints and even composed a regular monthly column for Serious Consumes called the Hamburger Lab, in which I isolated and evaluated every possible variable that can affect the taste and texture of a burger.

Here are the most important pointers I have actually found for optimizing your burger experience, whether in the yard or the kitchen. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Essential Outdoor Grilling Tips for 2026

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

Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Salt breaks down muscle proteins and helps them to link up more quickly. This is an advantage in sausages, which must have a company texture, however with burgers, you want looseness. A hamburger ought to be tender, with plenty of pockets for juices and rendered fat to gather.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Browning your patties deeply takes full advantage of flavor. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Whether you're making a big burger on the grill or a crisp-edged smash hamburger on a griddle, browning is flavor, and high heat is crucial. For thicker grilled or griddled burgers, wait until your pan or grill is hot before adding the patties, and prepare them till they're well browned on both sides.

This takes full advantage of flavor while maintaining juiciness. Don't let your patties sit around on the cutting board (or worse, a steam table). Burgers are at their finest fresh from the fire, before any juices have had a chance to leak out.

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

Choosing the Best Beef for Savory Burgers

Updated May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI have actually always been a hamburger 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 may admit that a cheeseburger is my favorite food. Actually, I might state that on a lot of days. And you may state the same. Even if you do, it's most likely we do not have the very same concept of what makes the ideal burger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, added some brand-new ones and continued to leave off the ones I know individuals like however I simply. Maybe I haven't attempted your favorite hamburger. Possibly I'm out to get you (simply joking).

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

When I bite in, I require to see a little sparkle, some glistening from the beef and perhaps a little grease running down the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I always choose a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty should be burnt to assist secure the juices, however not too crusty.