A NOx reduction burner system and process. Fuel modification and fuel rich reactor zone (18) gases are brought together with products from a fuel lean reactor zone (20) in a low temperature burnout and NOx reduction reactor zone (22). The fuel modification fuel rich reactor (18) stabilizes combustion through recirculation of hot gases to the reactants. Nitrogenous species decay reactions in the fuel rich zone controls the production of NOx. The nitrogenous species from the fuel rich zone (18) and the NOx from the fuel lean zone (20) then react in the burnout zone (22) at an optimal temperature and nitrogenous species mix where NOx is minimized. Temperature in all zones, and in particular the burnout zone, can be controlled by furnace gas entrainment, induced flue gas recirculation, force flue gas recirculation and active cooling by radiative and/or convective heat transfer. NOx can be even further reduced by introducing ammonia, or a like amine species, into the low temperature burnout zone. By balancing combustion and emissions control reactions over several zones, low emissions can be achieved under good flame stability, turndown, heat transfer and noise characteristics.