Food Recipes Dinner Burgers Our 25 Best Burger Recipes Here are our favorite beef patty blends, veggie burgers, and more proteins and toppings for cookouts, family meals, and more. By Paige Grandjean Paige Grandjean Paige Grandjean is a food editor, recipe developer, and food stylist with over seven years of experience in food media. Her work has appeared in more than 15 nationally distributed publications, award-winning cookbooks, and digital platforms. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 30, 2024 Close Photo: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell The ultimate summer cookout staple, hamburgers were first introduced to the American public in 1904 at the St. Louis World’s Fair. Fast forward 120 years, and what started as a simple patty-on-bun combo has become a cultural phenomenon, available stuffed, smashed, stacked, and topped with every ingredient under the sun. But behind every great burger you’ll find the same essential ingredients and fundamental techniques. Vegetarian versions aside, the most important element of any burger is the meat. A high-quality butcher shop burger blend (typically a mix of brisket, chuck, and ribeye) with a lean to fat ratio of 80/20 delivers the ideal balance of meaty flavor and juiciness. “Always use fresh ground beef,” says George Motz, burger historian, and chef/owner of Hamburger America in NYC. Freshly ground meat — ideally ground the same day you’ll cook it — has a loose texture that, when shaped into patties using a gentle hand, will result in supple, melt-in-your-mouth burgers. Purchasing beef that has been pressed into a tube or mashed into a mound is a sure way to end up with tough patties. Timely seasoning is also key. Cookbook author J. Kenji López-Alt discovered that mixing salt into the patties denatures the proteins, which results in a dense and bouncy, sausage-like texture. Seasoning only the exterior of the patties, and seasoning just before they hit the heat, gives you a tender, juicy patty. Heat is your final factor: the thinner the patty, the hotter the grill should be. Smash Burgers cook quickly and need a smoking hot surface to form their crisped, scraggly edges, while thick Tavern Burgers require a moderate heat to nail the perfect medium-rare center. Some purists believe that a burger must be cooked on the grill, but we found a cast iron griddle or skillet, which provides the surface area to encourage caramelization while also trapping the drippings and preventing flare-ups, yielded better-tasting burgers. (Pro tip: The pool of residual drippings on the griddle are liquid gold, superb for toasting buns or sautéing vegetables). Here are some of our favorite burger recipes, from cheddar-stuffed burgers to Hatch Chile Smash Burgers. Swap out the protein in your patties with flavor-packed Italian sausage in these Italian-Sausage Burgers with Garlicky Spinach, with juicy seafood in these shrimp burgers, or load up the toppings with these Japanese-Style Chili Burgers and the Urdaburger. We have enough recipes to keep every burger night unique. 01 of 25 Urdaburger Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis Smoky, melty "pimentón" cheese, crispy jamón serrano, and a savory-sweet aioli top beef patties in this towering tapas-inspired burger from Urdaneta, a popular tapas spot in Portland, Oregon. Get the Recipe 02 of 25 Next-Level Turkey Burgers with Lemon Aioli Victor Protasio The secret to chef Dan Kluger's super-moist turkey burgers? A quick brown sugar brine. Add a sofrito of onion, garlic, and jalapeño and top with a zingy lemon aioli and sweet barbecue sauce, and you've got a next-level turkey burger. Get the Recipe 03 of 25 Ultimate Veggie Burgers Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis These veggie burgers from Food & Wine's Kelsey Jane Youngman hit every satisfying, savory note with a hearty mix of pearl barley, chickpeas, mushrooms, and crispy panko. Get the Recipe 04 of 25 Hatch Chile Smash Burgers Victor Protasio This spicy, crispy, cheesy, swoon-inducing smash burger will have you going back for seconds thanks to the cheese and salsa that melt into a queso-like moment and take this burger to the next level. Our Hatch Chile Salsa replaces the acidity of ketchup with just enough heat to keep things interesting. Get the Recipe 05 of 25 Japanese-Style Chili Burgers with Yuzu Mayo Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Thom Driver This burger is a two-hander, topped with Japanese-spiced chili, tomatoes, and shredded iceberg lettuce. Get the Recipe 06 of 25 Rajma (Kidney Bean Curry) Veggie Burgers Photo by Rachel Vanni / Food Styling by Judy Haubert Your quest for the perfect veggie burger is over. Mashed rajma (curried kidney beans) or canned beans get an umami burst with the addition of grated Parmesan and a melty slice of sharp cheddar cheese — and don't skimp on the piles of toppings. They make this already wonderful burger even more special. Get the Recipe 07 of 25 Tavern Burgers with Drunken Mushrooms Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley We love these thick, pub-style burgers, topped with sautéed mushrooms, white cheddar cheese, and a smear of garlicky mayonnaise, served alongside a frosty beer. Keep the patties chilled, and season them just before they hit the grill for the most tender texture and juiciest bite. Get the recipe 08 of 25 Crispy Comté Frico Cheeseburgers Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell Salty, buttery, and slightly sharp, Comté cheese crisps similarly to Parmesan, adding an irresistibly crunchy frico layer to these cheeseburgers. Get the Recipe 09 of 25 Cheddar-Stuffed Burgers with Pickled Slaw and Fried Shallots MARCUS NILSSON Chef Kyle Bailey makes these cheese-stuffed "Juicy Lucy" burgers with a custom blend of ground rib eye steak and pork fatback, and serves them on homemade herb-butter rolls. This streamlined version for the home cook calls for ground beef chuck and store-bought brioche buns. Get the Recipe 10 of 25 Jalapeño-Onion Smash Burgers Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Caramelized onions and jalapeños take these double-stacked smash burgers to the next level. Inspired by Oklahoma onion burgers, this recipe calls for paper-thin slices of onion to be pressed directly into the flattened patties, which sandwich melty American cheese. Jalapeños add just the right amount of heat, while a classic burger sauce of mayo, ketchup, Worcestershire, and spices balances every bite with a sweet, umami-forward flavor. Jalapeño-Onion Smash Burgers 11 of 25 Caprese Burgers © Ryan Liebe The delicious flavors of a caprese salad — basil, tomato, and mozzarella — are captured in these juicy burgers. Get the Recipe 12 of 25 Juicy Lucy Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Juicy beef, gooey cheese, tangy pickles, and silky caramelized onions come together for an unforgettable burger. Before you ask, extra-melty American cheese is a must for this iconic burger from Minneapolis, which is easier to make than you might think. get the recipe 13 of 25 F&W's Ultimate Burger © Con Poulos Meat expert Pat LaFrieda of LaFrieda Meat Purveyors worked with us to create the most delicious homemade burger blend, combining five cuts of meat into the juiciest, beefiest and most consistently delicious burger you'll ever have. Get the Recipe 14 of 25 Bacon-and-Kimchi Burgers © Con Poulos Chef Wesley Genovart makes this over-the-top, Shake Shack–inspired burger with two thin stacked patties, thick-cut bacon, kimchi, and a spicy homemade sauce. Get the Recipe 15 of 25 Cheddar BLT Burgers with Tarragon Russian Dressing QUENTIN BACON Chef Laurent Tourondel brushes burgers with butter while they're on the grill. The natural sugars caramelize, making the meat on these BLT burgers extra-delicious. Get the Recipe 16 of 25 Ginger-Sesame Pork Burgers with Slaw © Hannah Queen Former F&W senior associate recipe developer Melissa Rubel Jacobson adds scallions, fresh ginger, garlic, and sesame oil to ground pork to make juicy burgers. They're ready in just 25 minutes. Get the Recipe 17 of 25 Nacho Burgers © John Kernick These next-level burgers from Bobby Flay are topped with gooey cheese, salsa, and tortilla chips. Pair them with a bold, berry-rich Zinfandel. Get the Recipe 18 of 25 Umami Burgers with Port and Stilton © Marcus Nilsson For this burger, resist the urge to pile on classic toppings like lettuce, tomato, and ketchup. "The port is your condiment," Adam Fleischman says. The wine is reduced and drizzled on top of Stilton-topped burgers for flavor-packed results. Get the Recipe 19 of 25 Lamb Burgers with Onion Soup Aioli John Kernick Instead of putting caramelized onions on these tasty lamb burgers, Food & Wine's Justin Chapple whisks onion soup mix into mayonnaise for a very playful and delicious spread. Get the Recipe 20 of 25 Shrimp Burgers Aaron Kirk This hearty shrimp burger is a nod to the classic New Orleans po'boy, but without the hassle of pulling out the deep fryer. The trick here is putting half the shrimp into a food processor to use as a binder for the burger, meaning that the patty has more shrimp flavor. Get the Recipe 21 of 25 Chicken Burgers Photo by Eva Kolenko / Food Styling by Carrie Purcell / Prop Styling by Jillian Knox Flavored with scallions, parsley, basil, and lemon zest, these chicken burgers are delicious enough to stand alone, but for a fuller meal, serve them with coconut rice and a green salad, or on brioche with harissa-honey mayo. Get the Recipe 22 of 25 Cheddar-and-Onion Smashed Burgers © Marcus Nilsson Inspired by the sliders at White Manna in Hackensack, New Jersey, Umami Burger founder Adam Fleischman creates beef patties by flattening balls of ground meat on the griddle. Get the Recipe 23 of 25 Avocado Burgers with Chile and Queso Fresco DAVID MALOSH This terrific burger is sprinkled with a spice mix halfway through grilling. Garnishes of crema and avocado add rich creaminess. Get the Recipe 24 of 25 Smoked Gouda and Bacon Burgers with Barbecue Sauce © MARCUS NILSSON This smoky patty melt features smoked Gouda cheese, hot sauce-spiked onions, and sweet homemade barbecue sauce. Get the Recipe 25 of 25 Italian-Sausage Burgers with Garlicky Spinach © Stephanie Foley Using sausage in burgers is a smart shortcut, because the meat is already seasoned. Here, former Food & Wine editor Grace Parisi makes her burgers with sweet or hot Italian sausages, tops them with provolone cheese, and serves them on ciabatta rolls with garlicky spinach and sun-dried-tomato pesto. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit