Burgers Are Boring Until You Add A Handful Of Cheese And Let It Melt Into Crispy Magic

Many home chefs top their cheeseburgers with a single slice of cheese, but a quick hack takes the ingredient to new heights. Using a layer of shredded cheese can turn the dairy topping into a crunchy, golden crown as the patty cooks. The dramatic-looking presentation adds a toasty crunch to the burger and doesn't require any special know-how to accomplish.

Simply add the cheese toward the end of the burger's cooking by scattering it on top of the patty, allowing pieces to fall onto the pan or griddle around the burger. Let the cheese-crowned patty sizzle until the edges of the cheese turn golden brown. The approach works because cheese is mostly fat, protein, and water. When it hits a hot surface, the water cooks off, the fat renders out, and the proteins brown. What is left is crisp, flavorful strands, and the browning adds a nutty taste that a regular melted slice doesn't offer. 

Let the cheese be the star of this simple burger build, and set the cheese-topped patty into a toasted bun to soak up drippings from the cheese and meat. Fresh shreds of cheddar, Monterey Jack, and other melting cheeses can be spread evenly on top of a patty, allowing you to create a ring of crispy cheese instead of one single layer of melted cheese. Cheese lovers may want to double up on the approach, using one slice of melted American cheese with shredded Swiss. Thinner smashed patties offer more surface area for the cheese skirt, maximizing the crispy edges in each bite. Your choice of toppings like pickles and tangy sauce can balance the richness of the build, or caramelized onions can add sweetness to the burger. For extra crunch, a crisp piece of bacon can impart even more texture.

If you'd rather separate the cheese so guests can dress their own burgers, topping burgers with a cheese crisp can be useful when feeding a crowd, and you can make cheese crisps in the air fryer that can be added to cooked patties. The same trick works beyond burgers, too, and you can add freshly shredded cheese to sandwiches cooked on the grill.