Next Level Burger Recipes

Updated May 01, 2007
Credit: Photography: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Anna Hampton; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine

With spices and other secret ingredients, these turkey, chicken, vegetarian, and spruced-up beef patties take your everyday burger to new heights.

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Beach BBQ Burger

Credit: Greg Dupree; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Beach BBQ Burger Recipe

This is the sweet-savory burger of your dreams. The two meat mixture is key here: The sirloin and has clean, distinctive flavor, while the chuck provides fattiness and keeps the burger juicy. 

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Mushroom-Beef Burger

Credit: Iain Bagwell Styling: Claire Spollen

Mushroom-Beef Burger Recipe

For a really good flavor and really moist burger experience, nothing beats mushrooms!

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Caviar Burgers with Caviar Mayo

Credit: Greg DuPree

Caviar Burgers with Caviar Mayo Recipe

Rich ground-beef patties studded with caviar make for the ultimate in surf and turf--and decadence.

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The Best "Beefy" Vegan Burgers

Credit: Daniel Agee; Styling: Rishon Hanners and Audrey Davis

The Best "Beefy" Vegan Burgers Recipe

This umami-rich burger is unabashedly attempting to imitate a beef burger in flavor, texture, and appearance. Mushrooms and grains form the bulk of the burger--the mushrooms are tender, and the grains stay firm to give the impression of protein which has been cooked. The fat helps coat the separate elements so that it holds together nicely and isn't piecey like most veggie burgers. The patty absorbs lots of grill flavor to deliver a charred, smokey patty just like a traditional beefy backyard burger.

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Spiced Beef Burger

Credit: Annabelle Breakey Styling: Jeffrey Larsen

Spiced Beef Burger Recipe

A bit of a project (but well worth the effort), Middle Eastern spices flavor this weeknight-friendly, pita burger.

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Cheddar-and-Onion Smashed Burgers

Credit: Marcus Nilsson

Cheddar-and-Onion Smashed Burgers Recipe

Inspired by the sliders at White Manna in Hackensack, New Jersey, Adam Fleischman creates beef patties by flattening balls of ground meat on the griddle.Tip: Burger purists handle ground meat as little as possible; over-working the beef can create a tight, meatloaf texture.

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Burgers with Green Tomato Mayonnaise

Credit: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Burgers with Green Tomato Mayonnaise Recipe

This is a fabulous new way to add even more tomato flavor to a great burger.

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Serrano Pepper Burgers

Credit: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

Serrano Pepper Burgers Recipe

Florida Georgia Line's songwriter friend Craig Wiseman shared his recipe with the band. The secret? Grill-roasted peppers that add spicy heat and a touch of sweetness and smoke to juicy burgers. Use your favorite peppers, including milder Anaheim, Cubanelle, bell, or poblano.

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The Classic Burger

Credit: Victor Protasio

The Classic Burger Recipe

Sink your teeth into a delicious restaurant-style, hamburger recipe made from lean beef. Skip the prepackaged patties and take the extra time to craft up your own, and that little extra effort will be worth it. To make cheeseburgers, about 1 minute before burgers are done, top with sliced cheese; continue cooking until cheese begins to melt.

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Bloody Mary Burgers

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Lindsey Lower, Claire Spollen

Bloody Mary Burgers Recipe

Inspired by the classic cocktail, these bold-flavored burgers make a fantastic brunch entrée. For an extra umami kick, whisk 1 to 2 teaspoons vodka into the sauce.

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Cheesesteak Burgers with Pickled Peppers, Onions, and Cucumber

Credit: Jason Varney; Styling: Claire Spollen

Cheesesteak Burgers with Pickled Peppers, Onions, and Cucumber Recipe

Quick pickles add tangy crunch to our fresh riff on the cheesesteak sandwich.

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Grilled Beef-Mushroom Burgers

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Grilled Beef-Mushroom Burgers Recipe

Blending finely chopped mushrooms with ground beef adds great flavor, moisture, and even fiber to these no-bun burgers. Garlicky cucumber-yogurt sauce is tasty Middle Eastern–inspired alternative to standard ketchup and mustard. Served with a juicy slice of fresh tomato and crisp butter lettuce, these burgers are naturally gluten-free. Double the greens and tomato and call it a burger salad. If you're in the mood for bun, try these tucked into warm whole-wheat pitas instead.

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Turkey Dinner Burgers

Credit: Time Inc. Video Studios

Turkey Dinner Burgers Recipe

Rocking a succulent turkey patty (flavored with traditional turkey day aromatics), a cranberry mayo, pickled green beans, and French’s crispy onions between within potato bun, this burger boasts all the familiar flavors of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner—but packaged in a manageable, handheld entree.

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Hawaiian Burger with Spam and Pineapple Slaw

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Hawaiian Burger with Spam and Pineapple Slaw Recipe

Elevate Hawaii’s claims to fame—Spam and pineapple—on this island-inspired burger. Chop freshly grilled pineapple (which adds a caramelized element) for a crunchy cabbage, sesame oil, and jalapeño slaw, and coat Spam in honey and soy sauce before grilling to perfection. The bun of choice? Sweet Hawaiian, of course.  Pair with: Maui Brewing Co. Pineapple Mana. A hint of Maui Gold pineapple complements the tropical slaw, while Mana's wheat base softens Spam's saltiness.

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Spicy Cheddar-Stuffed Burgers

Spicy Cheddar-Stuffed Burgers Recipe

Like the Gold Nugget Burger, these burgers feature cheese that melts between two patties instead of on top of one. However, mixing chipotle pepper purée with the ground meat before forming the patties adds a deliciously spicy kick to the burgers themselves. Have tomatoes, red onion, lettuce, mustard, and mayonnaise on hand for guests to dress the hamburgers as they please.

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Greek Isles Burger with Tempura Lemon Slices

Greek Isles Burger with Tempura Lemon Slices Recipe

Step aside beef, there’s a new burger meat in town (and we’re not talking about turkey). Lamb has a similar richness to ground beef, but with an earthy, gamey touch. Finish your out-of-the-ordinary burger with a bracing fennel-celery slaw and tempura lemon slices—lightly fried bites that are a crispy to a fault.   Pair with: Stillwater Artisanal Yacht. Tame tempura and gamy lamb with a pilsner bolstered by a significant hop backbone.

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Pacific Northwest Umami Burger

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Pacific Northwest Umami Burger Recipe

Prepare your palate for umami fires on all cylinders—paté-like mushrooms spread, red miso beef patties, and togarashi-mustard mayo. We recommend saving this mushroom recipe (minus the pureeing) for a knockout side dish.  Pair with: Ecliptic Brewing Capella Porter. This iconic brewer produces a porter robust enough for an over-the-top burger.

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Mexican Chorizo Burger

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Mexican Chorizo Burger Recipe

With a fiery burger (courtesy of fresh Mexican chorizo blended with ground beef sirloin) and Serrano chile salsa, fresh avocado slices, and crumbles of cotija cheese help cool things down.  Pair with: Full Sail Brewing Co. Sesión Cerveza. Like a salsa-capped chorizo burger, this light, Mexican-style lager demands to be savored on a hot summer day.

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The Best "Beefy" Vegan Burgers

Credit: Daniel Agee; Styling: Rishon Hanners and Audrey Davis

The Best "Beefy" Vegan Burgers Recipe

This umami-rich burger is unabashedly attempting to imitate a beef burger in flavor, texture, and appearance. Mushrooms and grains form the bulk of the burger--the mushrooms are tender, and the grains stay firm to give the impression of protein which has been cooked. The fat helps coat the separate elements so that it holds together nicely and isn't piecey like most veggie burgers. The patty absorbs lots of grill flavor to deliver a charred, smokey patty just like a traditional beefy backyard burger.

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Korean Barbecue Burgers

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Korean Barbecue Burgers Recipe

Enjoy traditional Korean flavors by grilling a batch of these burgers, based on a Korean barbecue specialty called bulgogi. Green onions, brown sugar, garlic, and classic Asian ingredients like fresh ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil give the burgers their tangy taste. A splash of rice vinegar and a touch of kimchi on top will add even more authentic flavors.

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Perfect Grilled Burgers

Credit: Jen Causey; Food Styling: Margaret Dickey and Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland

Perfect Grilled Burgers Recipe

Delightfully charred, juicy, and full of nuance, these burgers are the only ones you will ever want to make. That’s why we named them Perfect. 

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Bacon-Wrapped Barbecue Burgers

Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lisa Powell Bailey

Bacon-Wrapped Barbecue Burgers Recipe

A sautéed mushroom and onion mixture offers the "Wow" factor for these bacon-wrapped burgers. Part of the savory mixture is pressed into the center of each burger before grilling, and the remainder is mixed with barbecue sauce and used for the topping. The result is "over-the-top" good.

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BLTA Burger

Credit: Kate Sears

BLTA Burger Recipe

Bacon brings the flavor, while avocado brings the chill. Enjoy the fusion of a BLTA sandwich and a burger by combining them together for the ultimate sandwich experience.

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Mediterranean Burgers

Credit: Annabelle Breakey; Styling: Dan Becker

Mediterranean Burgers Recipe

To add Mediterranean flavor to your burgers, stir feta cheese, oregano, rosemary, and lemon zest into ground lamb or beef, then spread a kalamata olive paste onto the buns.

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Black Bean Burgers with Comeback Sauce

Credit: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke

Black Bean Burgers with Comeback Sauce Recipe

What's our secret to a tasty black bean burger? The slow cooker. Slow cook the beans in broth kicked up with smoky bacon and sautéed aromatics, then use them to make these hearty Black Bean Burgers topped with a spicy, smoky sauce. You can easily make the burgers vegetarian by omitting the bacon and swapping the chicken broth for vegetable when slow cooking the beans. We’ve paired this flavorful burger patty with Comeback Sauce. This mayonnaise-based sauce hails from Mississippi, but Southerners all across the Deep South love the spicy kick it gives to a plethora of fried, grilled, and steamed foods.

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Lamb Burgers

Credit: Annabelle Breakey; Styling: Dan Becker

Lamb Burgers Recipe

These juicy burgers are a nice alternative to hamburgers. Roasted piquillo peppers add a sweet, clean taste to the burgers, but you can use regular roasted red peppers instead.

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Shrimp Burgers With Sweet 'n' Spicy Tartar Sauce

Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lisa Powell Bailey

Shrimp Burgers With Sweet 'n' Spicy Tartar Sauce Recipe

Recipes for shrimp burgers, a favorite food of Southern shrimping towns, are often a big secret. Here we divulge our version, which is chunky and spicy with some Cajun flair.

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BLT Chicken Burgers

Credit: Annabelle Breakey; Styling: Basil Friedman

BLT Chicken Burgers Recipe

Poultry burgers have a reputation for being dry and bland, but jazzed up with sharp cheddar, parmesan, and garlic—and then topped with crisp bacon, juicy tomatoes, and lettuce—they're boldness in a bun.

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Hoisin-Glazed Salmon Burgers with Pickled Cucumber

Credit: Oxmoor House

Hoisin-Glazed Salmon Burgers with Pickled Cucumber Recipe

Quick-pickled cukes give these burgers tart crunch. Panko and egg white hold the patties together. Use cilantro leaves on the burgers as you would ­lettuce for herby freshness.

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Greek Turkey Burgers

Credit: Victor Protasio

Greek Turkey Burgers Recipe

Riffing off the flavor of a Greek gyro, these turkey burgers cook up fast in a cast-iron skillet or grill pan. Lemony, olive-studded yogurt sauce adds more Middle Eastern–inspired flavor and is a tasty alternative to ketchup and mustard. Piled high with arugula, cucumber, and red onion, these are filling enough to be called dinner. Or, round out the meal with roasted potato fries. For the juiciest burgers, go for 93% lean ground turkey (a combination of white and dark meat).

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Cherry and Brie Burgers with Rosemary and Grilled Onion

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Food Styling: Randy Mon

Cherry and Brie Burgers with Rosemary and Grilled Onion Recipe

These are only quarter-pounders, but they look heftier because the meat is mixed with ground dried cherries (a powerful antioxidant) and a little bulgur. The seasonings and cheese take the cherries in a savory direction, keeping the burgers from being too sweet.

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"New" New Mexican Green Chile Cheeseburgers

Credit: Line T. Klein; Styling: Paige Hicks

"New" New Mexican Green Chile Cheeseburgers Recipe

Black bean patties make a savory, delicious alternative to beef. A poblano pepper can stand in for the Cubanelle in the green chile relish.

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Cabernet-Balsamic Burgers with Sautéed Mushrooms & Onions

Credit: Romulo Yanes; Food Styling: Simon Andrews; Prop Styling: Helen Crowther

Cabernet-Balsamic Burgers with Sautéed Mushrooms & Onions Recipe

Grilled cheeseburgers get an irresistible upgrade with creamy blue cheese and caramelized onions spiked with jammy red wine and tart-sweet vinegar. A portion of the tender onions are mixed into the patties to help keep the lean beef moist.

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Cilantro Burgers with Sriracha Mayo

Credit: Justin Walker; Food Styling: Simon Andrews; Prop Styling: Kaitlyn du Ross

Cilantro Burgers with Sriracha Mayo Recipe

Chopped cilantro flavors the beef, while whole sprigs take the place of the usual lettuce. Sriracha has rightfully become an all-purpose condiment--its sweet chile heat and its vinegar punch go well beyond burgers, perking up brothy soups, meat marinades, and dipping sauces.

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