Before You Season Burger Patties, Remember This Rule

It seems like we live in the age of the fancy burger. Where once the most optionality you might have had was temperature preference and cheese or no cheese, now you have options like double wagyu with confit onions or bone marrow aioli as a topping. However, when it comes to best practices for seasoning your homemade burger, we still subscribe to the Michael Scott method: "Keep it simple, stupid" (great advice, but it hurts our feelings every time).

We reached out to Nathan Gerard of Pellet Head, who gave us his take on why you don't need anything other than salt and pepper to season a burger patty. "Too many seasonings can draw moisture out of the meat and mess with the texture, making things dense or dry. You want that natural beef flavor to shine," Gerard says. He's not the only one who subscribes to this burger prep philosophy. Salt and pepper are also the only two ingredients Bobby Flay uses to season his burgers, and he only applies the spices once the patties have been formed, which is crucial for yielding the best, juiciest meat.

This is because salting the meat too early breaks down the proteins and creates a stickier, heartier patty. While that might sound like a good thing — after all, who wants a burger that's going to fall to pieces with a little jostling? — it means that the end result is more rubbery, with a texture closer to sausage than a classic cheeseburger.

For those worried about whether salt and pepper are going to give your eaters an exciting enough meal, it's worth noting that in only using the classic duo, you create a beautifully blank template for other flavor additions. "You can always add seasonings to the burger after it has cooked, or mix it into a homemade ketchup if you are feeling adventurous," Nathan Gerard notes.

If you do want to go beyond this simple preparation, Gerard has ideas for options that won't turn your burgers into rubbery pucks. "A dash of Worcestershire, a touch of onion powder, or a little smoked paprika can go a long way," he says. "You're not masking the meat — you're just nudging the flavor a bit. Keep it light and you'll still get that juicy, beefy payoff."

Dijon mustard or a drizzle of hot honey are other secret ingredients that can elevate burger patties while helping ensure a perfectly moist texture. If you like the idea of giving your burgers an extra mustardy kick but don't want to risk adding a wet ingredient, take a tip from another legendary chef and use dry mustard to flavor your smash burgers like Ina Garten does. She mixes a bit of mustard powder in with salt and pepper while taking care not to overwork the meat. If you're already going to use mustard as a condiment, you might as well double down ahead of time, right?