12 Celebrity Chef Tips For The Perfect Burger

When you think of classic American fare, hot dogs, pizza, and, of course, burgers come to mind. Burgers are such a simple dish, yet we can't get enough of them. We've been cooking them for many generations, but we're still uncovering new toppings, cooking techniques, and ways to plate them. If you look online, you'll be bombarded with endless homemade burger recipes that will ensure your weekly burger night is never boring.

An impressive burger perk is that they're pretty hard to mess up, which means lots of beginners in the kitchen can approach them with relative ease. We've all had too many good burgers to tally in our lifetime, but how many burgers have been absolute perfection? If you're interested in leveling up your burgers, turning to celebrity chefs could unlock life-changing knowledge.

What tricks do celebrity chefs have up their sleeves when they're preparing a burger? Read on to gather insights from 12 beloved celebrity chefs so you can get excited to sink your teeth into your next burger. Some of their advice may even raise several questions, but you can't knock it until you try it.

As it happens, there's a long list detailing the best meats for a mouthwatering burger. Many people have heard about the 80/20 rule for buying ground beef. That label means that your burgers have a 20% fat content, which keeps them nice and juicy. Yet not as many people stop to think about what kinds of meats are actually in that neat container. When you buy ground beef from the store, there could be all kinds of trimmings thrown in there. Butchers may throw sirloin, chuck, round, and other leftover bits from other cuts that aren't as popular. You can rest assured that there are no fillers or organ meat in there, though. You can always count on grocery store ground beef, but it's not the best quality possible.

Gordon Ramsay prefers to grind his own cuts of meat to create the most flavorful, juiciest burger. One of his preferred blends is chuck and brisket. If you're worried about the meat falling apart, he has two tips that can help: Add an egg as a binder and form the patties the night before so they can firm up. Ramsay is also a big fan of salt and pepper on his burgers. Not only does he drizzle a bit of oil over his patties to ensure the seasonings stick, but he also rolls them around on a tray so salt and pepper adhere to the sides.

Some home cooks aren't aware that grilling cold burger patties is bad. Rachael Ray is doing her best to spread the gospel of room-temperature patties. The science behind this move is that the exterior of cold meat cooks quickly when it comes into direct contact with a pan or grill, but the inside holds on to the chill. Some folks joke that they want their steaks and burgers to still be mooing, but the safest way to enjoy burgers is to have only a bit of pink in the center. Letting the meat rest on the counter for a while helps the burgers cook evenly throughout. No more battling between a dry, lifeless patty and a pink one that makes you question if you'll get sick. Thin burgers don't have this issue, so grill away whenever you want, but those thickies benefit greatly from a rest beforehand. This strategy applies to other kinds of meats as well, so do your best to remember to pull your proteins out of the fridge before you're ready to cook them.

Another trick she uses to help the meat cook evenly is shaping the center of the patty thinner while forming the burger. Other cooks may press their thumb into the center of the patty before cooking it, which packs the meat more tightly. Hand-forming the beef as Ray does will keep every bite tender and juicy.

If you've ever tried a stuffed burger, then you know the glory of taking that first bite and feeling the gooey cheese ooze out. The crucial step you need to take before ever stuffing a burger is sealing the edges to prevent a messy eruption. Stuffed burgers can go way beyond cheese, though. Some yummy ingredients that folks shared on Reddit include bacon, cream cheese, jalapeño slices, caramelized beer onions, feta, and bleu cheese.

Giada De Laurentiis takes stuffed burgers to new heights. Since traditional stuffed burgers carry risks, she simplifies the process while still ensuring every bite has a bit of everything. Instead of stuffing, she chops her ingredients in a food processor, then incorporates them into the meat by hand. Her recipe is inspired by pizza, so she includes sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, tomato paste, fresh basil, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, freshly grated mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese.

The reason this tastes so incredible is that some bits of the fresh cheese will make direct contact with the pan or grill, while other bits melt within the meat. If you've ever thrown mozzarella sticks in the oven and had some burst open, you already know that those crispy cheese bits are surprisingly delicious. Nothing could ever replace the classic stuffed burger, but De Laurentiis' take is a fun way to switch up your burger routine.

You should get into the habit of heating your pans before you cook, especially when you're making burgers. Without the right temperature, the Maillard effect may not be as successful. Basically, you want to hear that heavenly sizzle as soon as your burger patties hit the pan. If you're not sure your pan is hot enough yet, an expert tip is to run your hand under the faucet and flick the water over the pan. If those droplets sizzle immediately, your burgers will, too.

Katie Lee says that you're not in the clear yet even if you're diligent about preheating your pan. A common mistake that busy home cooks make is overcrowding their pans with too many burgers. If you're trying to feed a large crowd and all you want to do is sit down and enjoy your meal, it's understandable why you want to expedite the cooking process. Your burgers will suffer if they don't have room to breathe, though.

High heat cooking of the meat will create a lot of steam, which makes your house smell wonderful. However, excessive moisture around the burgers will prevent them from searing and developing that amazing crust. Depending on how large your pan is, you'll have to eyeball how many patties can reasonably be cooked at the same time. 

Flipping burgers is a lot more controversial than you may think. The old-school advice is to only flip your burgers once, so it's no surprise that seasoned celebrity chef Bobby Flay also backs up this claim. The benefit of doing only one burger flip is that the meat has ample time to develop a magnificent crust through the Maillard reaction. Chefs also worry that moving the meat around too much can reduce the burgers' juiciness, but burgers are less finicky than other cuts of meat like steaks. Some burger experts go so far as to say that flipping a patty only once is one of the top burger myths.

Here's the thing: Your burger isn't going to be bad if you follow Flay's advice. The technique must hold merit if he and so many other chefs believe in it. However, the dilemma comes from patty thickness and cooking technique. If your burger is thick, flipping the patty multiple times can help distribute heat evenly throughout the meat, which results in a juicier burger. Also, grills are tougher to manage than stovetops because they have hot spots. When you're grilling burgers, flipping them multiple times can help prevent unwanted charring.

Thin patties should most definitely only be flipped once. When you're cooking relatively normal-sized patties on the stove, one flip should also be sufficient. Ultimately, this is some advice you can play with.

Every helpful conversation about cooking burgers has to include the Maillard reaction. One of the most clever tips for greatly increasing the Maillard reaction on your patties comes from Jamie Oliver. He urges home cooks to carefully shuffle their burgers around while they're searing in the pan.

Why? If you press the sides of each patty up against the sides of the pan, more surface area can undergo the Maillard reaction. This tip does come with its own small challenges, though, since moving the meat too soon could cause the burger to tear. It's wise to let the exterior sear for a solid minute before you attempt to readjust the patties. Doing this could be just what you need to make your burgers more complex and aromatic. Oliver's advice could also come in handy for folks who stuff their patties, since searing the sides would create a sturdier barrier that locks everything inside.

Have you ever heard of an Oklahoma onion burger? Oklahoma smashburgers prove there's no such thing as too much onion, and they're one of Ree Drummond's favorites. She educated Food Network fans about this burger's origins, which date back to the Great Depression. Folks needed to stretch their burgers; thus, onions came to the rescue. They added bulk and lots of flavor.

Many smash patties begin with sliced onions in the skillet. Then, the chef smashes the ground beef on top of them. This recipe calls for the opposite; smashing the onions on top of the patties, then adding even more onions over them. You might be wondering why this method is more effective than starting with onions on the bottom. As the burgers sear, the steam surrounding the onions on top softens them. Once it's time to flip the burger, the onions are in a much better position to caramelize.

Another key difference is that the tops of the hamburger buns rest on the patties after you flip them. Those few minutes of steaming help the buns soften and soak up those spectacular aromas.

Guy Fieri is firmly in the camp that you can never have enough cheese on your burger. Not only does he enjoy crafting a flavorful cheese sauce to drizzle over his patties, but he also adds a slice of cheese on top of the sauce. He traps the burger under a metal bowl after squirting some water on the hot pan to create steam. It's a Flavor Town sauna.

Fieri's technique is brilliant because a cheese sauce can incorporate an endless variety of cheeses. When they meld together, the taste is complex and rich in just a single drop. To achieve the same taste on a burger, you'd have to pile on a dozen different slices. At that point, you may not even be able to call that dish a burger anymore. Adding a slice of American cheese on top and letting it melt beautifully ensures the burger doesn't miss the classic taste and mouthfeel you expect. Some of the cheese sauce also drips down onto the pan, so it gets a bit toasted and crunchy.

Fieri's cheese sauce contains half-and-half, a block of processed cheese (which appears to be Velveeta), Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, smoked gouda, cheddar, and provolone. You can gather all of your favorite cheeses, though. Havarti, Colby, Jack, and mozzarella are fantastic melting cheeses. Gruyère, Parmesan, fontina, and Comté can further develop the flavor.

One of the nicest things about whipping up a simple smash burger recipe is that you have room on the bun to stack two or even three patties on there. You can enjoy all that Maillard reaction goodness without skimping on the meat. Another benefit is that you can fit more toppings between each patty so every bite is epic. Alex Guarnaschelli pushes her burgers to the limit. They feature a classic mirepoix mixture and cheese sauce that goes between each burger layer. The monstrous burger is then topped with ice-chilled red onions to add refreshing crispness.

Roasted mirepoix may not be a traditional burger topping, but it works because those flavors are comforting and familiar. So many phenomenal dishes start with mirepoix, so why not on a burger, too? Cooking thin patties is quick, but there is a small risk of the meat becoming a bit dry. The cheese sauce is a nice touch because the addition of cream can lend some moisture to this burger instead of simply slapping cheese slices on each patty. Guarnaschelli even jokes that you'll want to keep the leftover sauce in a container next to your plate so you can dunk the burger in it. This burger is probably the absolute worst thing you could ever eat on a first date, but you and any of your closest loved ones will get a kick out of sharing this delicious mess.

Caramelized onions are one of the greatest gifts to burgers and countless other dishes, which is why onions can get away with being a diva. Everyone knows that the best way to caramelize onions is by cooking them low and slow for hours. There are some tricks you can use to expedite the process, such as sprinkling some sugar on them, but purists would scoff at this. For the average home cook, caramelized onions just aren't in the cards.

This is why raw onion is a common topping on burgers. The crunch and water content really liven up the rich patty. Some people refuse to add onions to their burgers despite enjoying the taste because of the dreaded onion breath that can linger for hours afterward. To get technical, both onions and garlic contain sulfur compounds, which stink to high heaven. The sulfur excites bacteria in our guts, which can cause smelly gas to come out of both ends. This sulfur can even make its way into our lungs, so the off-putting scent is emitted with each exhale.

Wolfgang Puck solved both of these onion problems with one genius ingredient: Onion marmalade. This shelf-stable ingredient has all of the flavors of caramelized onions without any effort. The oil or butter that it sits in adds extra juiciness to the burger, and best of all, your breath won't stink afterward. It may just become your new favorite burger topping.

For many, Food Network hasn't felt the same since Anne Burrell's tragic passing. It was heartening to see Food Network stars pay tribute to Anne Burrell and help unify the community. Throughout her years as a celebrity chef, she has instilled many wonderful insights in home cooks. Burrell proved that black bean burgers don't have to be bland. Her recipe includes black beans, portobello and shiitake mushrooms, sautéed garlic and onion, cracker crumbs, an egg, toasted cumin seeds, smoked paprika, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. The veggie burgers developed a gorgeous brown crust when she pan-fried them in some oil.

Burrell's colleague and fellow celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver, is also a fan of veggie burgers. His use of them is different from hers, though. Instead of making a patty that's 100% plant-based, Oliver suggests adding cooked lentils to ground beef to make it juicier and stretch it further. In this stressful economy, this simple hack could help you save a lot of money.

Whether you go all in on the veggies or use them to pad your beef, you'll reap health benefits. In addition to making your burgers moist, veggies give you a hefty dose of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They also tend to be lower in calories and saturated fat, but you still get satiating plant protein. As long as you use binders such as eggs or flaxseed soaked in water, your veggie burgers won't fall apart.

What does Andrew Zimmern's ideal burger taste like? He grinds his own chuck, short rib, brisket, and fat. The patty should have a 75/25 ratio and receive a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper before searing in a cast-iron pan. Something non-negotiable for his burgers is a soft bun that's smeared with butter and lightly toasted in the pan. That crispy, buttery exterior gives way to a pillowy carb cloud. As much as Zimmern loves a high-quality bun, don't even think about serving him an oversized bun. Each bite should have plenty of meat.

Why do most people love a toasted, buttery hamburger bun? Burgers tend to have a lot of wet toppings, such as lettuce, onion, tomato, and pickles. Ketchup and mustard are also wet. Taking the time to toast the bun can help hold the entire burger together and add nice textural contrast.

The fat you use to help the bun crisp up also lets you develop more flavor. Zimmern's preference is butter, but you can also experiment with mayo, infused oils, and even bacon grease. You'll already have that tasty bacon grease on hand if you fried up a few slices for your burger. The only thing you have to be aware of is the cook time. Your buns can toast quickly if your pan is already hot, so don't turn your back to chop your toppings or dig for condiments in the fridge.