| Style | Time on the heat | Recipe |
|---|---|---|
| Ultra-thin smash, two 2 oz patties | About 45 seconds, then flip and stack | Ultra-Smashed Cheeseburger |
| Smash burger, pressed to ⅛ in | About 1½ minutes, then about 1 minute after flipping | Joshua’s Perfect Burger |
| Diner smash, ½ in thick | About 1½ minutes, then 30 seconds (medium-rare) | Classic Diner-Style Smashed Cheeseburger |
| ShackBurger, ⅓ in thick | About 2½ minutes, then about 1 minute (medium) | ShackBurger |
| Thin pan patty, 5–6 oz | 3–4 minutes a side | Texas Fried Burger |
| Grilled thin patty | About 4 minutes on the first side, then cheese | Whopper-Style Cheeseburger |
| Cheese-stuffed Juicy Lucy | 4–5 minutes a side | Juicy Lucy |
| Thick 8 oz patty in cast iron | 5 minutes, flip, then 5 minutes; rest 1½ minutes | Thick Pub Classic Burger |
| Thick patty, oven finish | 2 minutes a side, then 3–6 minutes at 300°F (150°C) | Juicy Pub-Style Burgers |
| Reverse sear | About 20 minutes at 250°F (120°C), then 2 minutes a side | Reverse Sear Burger |
| Deep-fried | 3–4 minutes a side in oil at 375°F (190°C) | Tennessee Deep-Fried Burger |
| Ground chicken patty | 4–6 minutes, flip, then 5–7 minutes to 160°F | Buffalo Chicken Burgers |
| Fried chicken thigh | About 6 minutes in oil at 350°F (175°C) | Fried Chicken and Cole Slaw |
Thin cooks fast
Kenji’s ultra-smashed burger is done so quickly that he sets up the bun and toppings before the beef goes in.
From: Ultra-Smashed Cheeseburger
Leave it alone
Motz doesn’t move a thick patty until it’s ready to flip. He flips when red juice appears on top.
From: Thick Pub Classic Burger, Green Chile Cheeseburger
Rest the thick ones
Thick burgers get a short rest before serving: 1½ minutes for Motz, 5 minutes for ATK.
From: Thick Pub Classic Burger, Juicy Pub-Style Burgers
Times are a guide, not a rule
Every stove and pan is different. For thick burgers and chicken, the recipes give a target temperature as well as a time. See our guide to burger temperatures.
From: Juicy Pub-Style Burgers, Buffalo Chicken Burgers
Every tip above is taken from the recipe it links to. Where the experts disagree, we say so rather than picking one.