Alton Brown is a font of culinary wisdom. By now, you should have some of his cooking tips memorized — like adding mayo to scrambled eggs for a luxurious finish, or upgrading a Negroni through switching out gin for whiskey. But he’s back with a hack to take your burger game to the next level. The former “Cutthroat Kitchen” presenter took to Instagram to let fans in on the big secret: “Burgers are tricky,” he shared, in a live video. “They give off a lot of fat.”
His suggestion? “Fry the patty.” While Alton wouldn’t turn down a grilled burger, he added that it’s “way easier to griddle or fry it.” Deep-frying the meat makes for a crispy, indulgent dish that’s rich with flavor. On his website, the 62-year-old shared more top tips in a recipe for the best burger ever. After cooking the burger, he recommends adding smoked cheddar cheese and a little mayonnaise between two buns before serving, to really give it that wow factor.
“You’re AWESOME,” one fan gushed under the Instagram video. “You make me smile,” another added, and so the celeb chef is sure on to something special with his burger hack.
How to make the perfect burger
So, you’ve got the patty cooking process nailed down, courtesy of Alton Brown. But there’s a whole host of celebrity tips and tricks to take your burger to the next level. For Anne Burrell, texture is key: she adds coarsely chopped water chestnuts for a crunchy edge, and Tyler Florence blends bacon into the burger mix for an umami kick. Then there’s Andrew Zimmern, who’s partial to burgers that are a little fatty, and Rachael Ray, whose secret ingredient is a sauce made from sour cream or Greek yogurt, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and relish.
When choosing toppings for your burger, you may want to balance at least two contrasting flavors and two contrasting textures. This could look like mixing spicy and sweet (like spicy slaw and BBQ sauce), or gooey and crunchy (for instance melted cheese and crispy onions).
You can also customize your burger with more condiments like bacon jam, hummus, or pesto, or really push the boat out with unique fried toppings like potato chips, fried pickles, or even fried eggs. Burgers are the perfect canvas for playing around with taste and texture, and if you follow Alton Brown’s cooking trick, you’ll be in for a succulent base that will make flavors sing.
