Burger 101: When To Season Beef For The Best Flavor Results

The burger's widespread appeal is understandable. It's a food that delights with its simplicity, only needing a tasty ground beef patty held between two buns. Yet such a simple template allows for so much variation. This quality is especially apparent when it comes to seasoning. What you add, when you add it, and how much you put in can all make a huge difference in your finished burger. 

The timing of your seasoning can result in a surprisingly drastic textural difference. A burger salted earlier in the cooking process will be much denser than one seasoned right before it hits the heat. There's an impact on flavor, too, which can be further altered by how well distributed your seasoning is throughout the patty. When's the best time to season beef, then? Opinions differ, but there are two we hold in especially high esteem: Gordon Ramsay advises chefs to salt a day in advance, while J. Kenji López-Alt prefers a last-minute application. Whichever one you opt for, it's best to understand precisely how and why it works.

Applying salt to burgers in advance activates a process akin to dry brining, which makes a big difference. As the mineral sits on the beef, it breaks down proteins. The resulting salty liquid permeates the patty, both seasoning and continuing to deconstruct its composition. A beef protein called myosin soon dissolves, and forms a bouncy, sausage-like texture once cooked.

The result is predisposed to dryness, but also tends to be a more tightly held-together burger. If you're making sliders, or prefer your beef with a bit of chew, this method is for you. It can also be helpful if you're making smash burgers, which benefit from a bit more structure. Just note that salt's toughening effects settle in quickly: A textural difference is noticeable in 30 minutes.

There's another big advantage to earlier seasoning: The patty becomes more richly flavored throughout. It's the main reason chefs are drawn to the technique, as it ensures their burgers have richer flavor in every bite. If you're using other spices, or some of the best salts from your pantry, the earlier you apply, the more flavor you'll receive.

If you're after a burger that truly showcases your meat then you want to season right before cooking. Ground beef salted in this way turns out softer, naturally falling apart with every bite. Especially when served medium rare, this means that every bite is juicier. Plus, if you're sourcing high quality beef, its intrinsic flavor will shine. Here, salt is only employed to accentuate the contained flavor. It's thus wise to opt for a flakier, coarser salt like kosher to ensure even coverage.

The less burger meat seasoned in this way is handled, the better its texture will be. Salting only the exterior is for the best, then: This practice helps minimize contact, but will still be enough to impart flavor. There's no reason to mix salt into the patty unless you've just ground the beef yourself, which isn't likely.  Opt for this method of low intervention to craft a perfectly tender, juicy burger that's all about the beef.