Every burger counter worth filming has one opinion it will not budge on — the grind, the smash, or the bun. That stubbornness is useful, because a burger gets better when the cook commits to a style instead of stacking on distractions. These 30 recipes cover crisp double smashes, thick pub patties, cheese-stuffed centers, regional originals, poultry burgers, sturdy vegetable patties and sliders that still have real crust. The Oklahoma onion burger, Minnesota Juicy Lucy, mexico/" class="ddd-auto-link">New Mexico green chile cheeseburger, Mississippi slugburger and Wisconsin butter burger each keep the method that gives the name meaning. More than a dozen measured sauces are included, so none of the interesting burgers depends on a mystery squirt from a bottle. Start with cold meat, a properly hot surface and a bun that can survive the first bite.
Classic Double Smash Burger with Tangy House Sauce
Two lacy-edged beef patties, melted American cheese and a sharp house sauce give this griddle burger the right counter-style balance. Press once, immediately, while the beef is cold; touching it again squeezes out the juice you wanted to keep.
Classic Double Smash Burger with Tangy House Sauce
Ingredients
Method
- Stir the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, pickle brine and garlic powder together and refrigerate the house sauce.
- Heat a steel griddle or cast-iron skillet over high heat until a drop of water skitters away, then butter and toast the cut buns for 1 minute.
- Place 4 cold beef balls on the bare hot surface, season them and immediately press each one firmly through a square of parchment to about 1/4 inch thick.
- Leave the patties untouched for 90 seconds until the edges are dark and lacy; do not re-smash them.
- Scrape hard beneath each patty, flip it, add one cheese slice and cook for 60 to 90 seconds until the beef reaches 160°F.
- Repeat with the remaining beef balls, keeping the first batch warm without stacking the crisp edges.
- Spread sauce on both halves of each bun, then stack lettuce, 2 cheesy patties and 4 pickle chips inside each bun.
- Close the burgers and serve immediately while the edges still crackle.
Oklahoma Onion Burger
Paper-thin onions are smashed into the beef, not cooked in a separate pile. They steam sweet against the patty, then brown when the whole thing flips. Use more onion than seems reasonable; that is the point of this Oklahoma original.
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Oklahoma Onion Burger
Ingredients
Method
- Toss the sliced onion with 1/2 teaspoon salt, rest it for 10 minutes and squeeze it firmly in a clean towel until no longer wet.
- Heat a large steel griddle or cast-iron skillet over high heat and toast the buttered buns for 1 minute; move them to plates.
- Set the cold beef balls on the hot surface and immediately mound one-quarter of the onions over each one.
- Press each onion-topped ball firmly through parchment to 1/4 inch thick so the strands embed in the meat, then season with the remaining salt and pepper.
- Cook untouched for 2 minutes until the beef edges brown; do not press the patties a second time.
- Scrape under the patties, flip them onion-side down and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the onions brown and the beef reaches 160°F.
- Top each patty with American cheese for the final 30 seconds, then transfer to a bun with mustard and 3 pickle chips.
Minnesota Juicy Lucy
The cheese belongs inside this Minneapolis-style burger, sealed between two thin beef rounds. Crimp harder than you think and let the finished patty rest, because the molten center is both the reward and the hazard. Bite from an edge first.
Minnesota Juicy Lucy
Ingredients
Method
- Divide the beef into 8 equal portions and press each between parchment into a thin 5-inch round.
- Place one compact stack of quartered cheese in the center of 4 rounds, leaving a 1-inch bare border.
- Cover with the remaining beef rounds and pinch the edges together firmly, then smooth the seams so no cheese is exposed.
- Season both sides with the salt and pepper and chill the stuffed patties for 10 minutes.
- Toast the buttered buns in a heavy skillet over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove them.
- Cook the patties over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes per side, turning gently once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meat beside the cheese pocket reads 160°F.
- Rest the patties for 3 minutes so the cheese settles and the beef finishes safely.
- Build each burger with mustard, chopped onion, 3 pickle chips and one stuffed patty, then warn diners that the center is hot.
New Mexico Green Chile Cheeseburger
Roasted New Mexico green chile supplies smoke, heat and enough moisture to soften sharp cheddar over a deeply browned patty. Drain the chopped chiles before they hit the burger. A wet scoop can turn a sturdy bun into paste.
New Mexico Green Chile Cheeseburger
Ingredients
Method
- Divide the beef into 4 portions and shape loose patties 1 inch wider than the buns with a shallow dimple in each center.
- Season both sides with the salt and pepper and keep the patties cold while the skillet heats.
- Toast the buttered buns cut-side down in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute, then remove them.
- Cook the patties for 4 to 5 minutes on the first side until a dark crust forms, then flip without pressing.
- Pile 1/4 cup drained green chile on each patty, cover with cheddar and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the beef reaches 160°F and the cheese melts.
- Spread mayonnaise over the buns and build each burger with lettuce, tomato and one green chile patty.
- Serve at once, keeping the chile on top of the cheese so its juices stay away from the bottom bun.
Mississippi Slugburger
Northeast Mississippi’s slugburger stretches beef with cracker meal. The result is a thin, crisp-edged patty, not a standard hamburger. This home version shallow-fries safely without a restaurant fryer. Mustard, onion and pickle are all it needs.
Mississippi Slugburger
Ingredients
Method
- Mix the beef, cracker crumbs, cold water, egg, salt and pepper with a fork just until evenly combined.
- Divide the mixture into 6 portions, press each between parchment into a compact 1/3-inch-thick patty and chill for 10 minutes.
- Pour the oil into a deep cast-iron skillet to about 1/4 inch and heat it to 350°F.
- Lower 3 patties into the oil with a slotted spatula and fry for 3 to 4 minutes per side until dark golden and 160°F in the center.
- Drain the patties on a wire rack rather than paper towels so their thin crust stays crisp, then repeat with the remaining patties.
- Warm the buns in a dry skillet for 30 seconds without browning them hard.
- Place one patty on each bun and top with 1 tablespoon mustard, chopped onion and 3 pickle chips.
Wisconsin Butter Burger
A Wisconsin butter burger earns its name with butter on the toasted bun and another cool pat melting over the hot beef. This is not a subtle burger. Keep the onions soft and sweet, and use a sturdy bun that can catch the buttery juices.
Wisconsin Butter Burger
Ingredients
Method
- Combine the onion, water and 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-low heat, cover and cook for 8 minutes.
- Uncover the onions and cook for 4 more minutes until tender and lightly golden, then transfer them to a bowl.
- Shape the beef into 4 loose patties wider than the buns and season both sides with the salt and pepper.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter on a griddle over medium-high heat and toast the cut buns for 1 minute.
- Cook the patties on the hot griddle for 4 to 5 minutes per side without pressing until they reach 160°F.
- Lay American cheese on each patty for the final minute and cover briefly to melt it.
- Spread the remaining 5 tablespoons softened butter thickly across the cut buns, then build each with a cheesy patty, warm onions and 3 pickle chips.
- Serve immediately so the cool bun butter melts into the beef rather than pooling on the plate.
Bacon Cheddar Pub Burger
This is the thick one: a well-crusted patty, aged cheddar, bacon and onions cooked slowly enough to go jammy. The center still needs to hit 160°F, so moderate the heat after searing instead of burning the outside while chasing the thermometer.
Bacon Cheddar Pub Burger
Ingredients
Method
- Cook the bacon in a wide skillet over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes until crisp, then drain it and leave 1 tablespoon fat in the pan.
- Add the red onion and cook for 8 minutes, then stir in the brown sugar and vinegar and cook for 3 minutes until glossy.
- Divide the beef into 4 thick patties, dimple the centers and season them with the salt and pepper.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and sear the patties for 4 minutes on the first side.
- Flip the patties, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until the centers reach 160°F.
- Top each patty with cheddar for the final minute and cover the skillet until the cheese slumps over the sides.
- Toast the buns in the bacon skillet for 1 minute, then spread them with mayonnaise.
- Build each burger with arugula, one patty, 2 bacon slices and a spoonful of the sweet-sour onions.
Mushroom Swiss Pub Burger with Thyme Aioli
Brown the mushrooms until their water is gone or they’ll slide off in a gray heap. Swiss cheese and a measured lemon-thyme aioli pull the earthy filling together. A thick pub patty is right here, provided you cook it through without flattening it.
Mushroom Swiss Pub Burger with Thyme Aioli
Ingredients
Method
- Stir the mayonnaise, lemon juice, thyme and garlic together and chill the aioli.
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the mushrooms for 8 to 10 minutes until browned and dry-looking.
- Shape the beef into 4 thick patties with center dimples and season both sides with the salt and pepper.
- Sear the patties in a hot cast-iron skillet for 4 minutes, flip them and lower the heat to medium.
- Cook for 5 to 7 minutes more without pressing until the centers reach 160°F.
- Top with the mushrooms and Swiss, cover and cook for 1 minute until the cheese melts around the mushrooms.
- Melt the remaining butter on the cleared skillet and toast the buns cut-side down for 1 minute.
- Spread thyme aioli over both bun halves and enclose one mushroom-topped patty in each.
Black Pepper Blue Cheese Burger with Onion Jam
Blue cheese needs something sweet and dark beside it. A stovetop onion jam with balsamic vinegar does the job. Don’t rush those onions. Press coarse pepper onto the patties so it forms a crust instead of scorching loose in the skillet.
Black Pepper Blue Cheese Burger with Onion Jam
Ingredients
Method
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat and cook the onions for 15 minutes until soft and golden.
- Stir in the brown sugar, balsamic vinegar and water and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until the onions are dark, sticky and nearly dry.
- Shape the beef into 4 patties, season with salt and press the cracked pepper onto both sides.
- Heat a separate heavy skillet over medium-high heat and cook the patties for 4 to 5 minutes on the first side.
- Flip and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes without pressing until the centers reach 160°F.
- Divide the blue cheese over the patties, cover the skillet for 1 minute and let it soften without fully disappearing.
- Toast the split pretzel buns for 1 minute, then build each with spinach, one patty and a generous spoonful of onion jam.
Smoky Barbecue Bacon Burger
The barbecue sauce here is a quick measured batch, tangy first and smoky second. Brush it on only after the burger flips; sugar burns over hard searing heat. Crisp bacon and cheddar make this familiar, but the homemade sauce keeps it from tasting assembled from bottles.
Smoky Barbecue Bacon Burger
Ingredients
Method
- Simmer the ketchup, vinegar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika and garlic powder in a small saucepan for 5 minutes until glossy.
- Cook the bacon in a heavy skillet over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes until crisp, then drain it and wipe out all but a thin film of fat.
- Shape the beef into 4 patties, dimple the centers and season both sides with the salt and pepper.
- Heat the skillet over medium-high heat and sear the patties for 4 minutes without moving them.
- Flip, brush each patty with 1 tablespoon barbecue sauce and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the centers reach 160°F.
- Add cheddar for the final minute and cover until melted, then toast the buns briefly in the cleared skillet.
- Build each bun with one glazed cheeseburger patty, 2 bacon slices, red onion and another spoonful of barbecue sauce.
Diner Chili Cheeseburger
Loose, finely crumbled chili is the sauce on this diner burger, so skip the beans and keep the tomato mixture thick. Give the patty a real crust before burying it under chili, cheddar and raw onion.
Diner Chili Cheeseburger
Ingredients
Method
- Crumble 1/2 pound of the beef into a saucepan over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes until browned and at least 160°F.
- Add the yellow onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, then stir in the chili powder and cumin for 30 seconds.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, broth, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes until spoon-thick.
- Shape the remaining beef into 4 patties and season with the remaining salt and pepper.
- Cook the patties in a hot heavy skillet for 4 to 5 minutes per side without pressing until they reach 160°F.
- Lay American cheese on each patty, cover for 30 seconds and toast the buns alongside them.
- Place one patty in each bun and spoon 1/3 cup hot chili over it, then finish with chopped white onion.
Pimento Cheese Smash Burger with Comeback Sauce
Hot beef loosens pimento cheese into the craggy edges of this smash burger. The Mississippi-style comeback sauce is made from mayonnaise, chile sauce, mustard and lemon, not poured from one bottle. Keep the sauce underneath and the cheese on top so the bun holds.
Pimento Cheese Smash Burger with Comeback Sauce
Ingredients
Method
- Stir the mayonnaise, chile sauce, mustard, lemon juice and smoked paprika together for the comeback sauce.
- Mix the cheddar, cream cheese and pimentos in a separate bowl until spreadable but still textured.
- Heat a steel griddle or cast-iron skillet over high heat until faintly smoking and toast the split buns for 1 minute.
- Place 4 cold beef balls on the hot surface, season them and immediately press firmly through parchment to 1/4 inch thick.
- Cook untouched for 90 seconds until crisp at the edges; do not re-smash, then scrape, flip and cook for 60 to 90 seconds until 160°F.
- Repeat with the remaining beef and spread 2 tablespoons pimento cheese over each of the final 4 patties for the last 30 seconds.
- Spread comeback sauce over each bun, add lettuce and stack one plain patty beneath one pimento-cheese patty.
Nashville Hot Chicken Burger
Ground chicken makes a tender patty, but it needs a light touch during mixing. It also must reach 165°F. A cayenne-brown sugar butter glaze supplies the Nashville-style heat. Cool pickles and lettuce keep this from turning into a dare.
Nashville Hot Chicken Burger
Ingredients
Method
- Mix the chicken, panko, egg, salt and garlic powder gently until the crumbs disappear, then shape 4 patties with damp hands.
- Chill the patties for 10 minutes while a lightly oiled nonstick skillet heats over medium.
- Cook the patties for 5 to 6 minutes per side, turning once and never pressing, until the centers reach 165°F.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan and whisk in the cayenne, brown sugar and smoked paprika for 30 seconds.
- Brush both sides of each cooked chicken patty with the hot butter glaze.
- Toast the buns cut-side down in the skillet for 1 minute.
- Spread mayonnaise over the buns, then build each burger with lettuce, one glazed chicken patty and 4 pickle chips.
Turkey Burger with Cranberry Mustard Sauce
Cranberry and mustard make a tart sauce that gives lean turkey a reason to exist, while grated onion adds moisture without leaving raw chunks. Don’t judge doneness by color; ground turkey is ready at 165°F.
Turkey Burger with Cranberry Mustard Sauce
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk the cranberry sauce, Dijon mustard and cider vinegar until spreadable and refrigerate it.
- Mix the turkey, grated onion, panko, egg, salt and sage gently until just combined.
- Shape 4 patties with damp hands and chill them for 10 minutes so they firm up.
- Coat a skillet lightly with oil and cook the patties over medium heat for 6 to 7 minutes per side.
- Check the centers with an instant-read thermometer and continue cooking until every patty reaches 165°F.
- Top the patties with cheddar, cover for 1 minute and let the cheese melt while the buns toast.
- Spread cranberry mustard on both bun halves and assemble with spinach and one turkey patty.
Chicken Burger with Avocado Lime Crema
A cool avocado-lime crema covers the ground chicken’s biggest weakness: it can taste dry before it looks dry. Scallions and cumin season the patty from within. Use a thermometer and pull it as soon as the center reaches 165°F.
Chicken Burger with Avocado Lime Crema
Ingredients
Method
- Mash the avocado with the sour cream, lime juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt until mostly smooth, then press plastic wrap against the crema and chill it.
- Mix the chicken, scallions, panko, egg, remaining salt and cumin gently until combined.
- Shape 4 patties with wet hands and chill them for 10 minutes.
- Heat a lightly oiled nonstick skillet over medium and cook the patties for 6 to 7 minutes on the first side.
- Flip once and cook for 5 to 7 minutes more until the thickest centers reach 165°F.
- Toast the buns in the cleared skillet for 1 minute.
- Spread avocado crema over both halves, then build each burger with lettuce, tomato and one chicken patty.
Chorizo Pork Burger with Roasted Tomato Salsa
Fresh chorizo and plain ground pork split the difference between juicy and overly salty. A roasted tomato-jalapeño salsa keeps the burger bright without burying the paprika and garlic in the patty. Cook the pork mixture to 160°F, full stop.
Chorizo Pork Burger with Roasted Tomato Salsa
Ingredients
Method
- Broil the tomatoes, jalapeño and onion 5 inches from the heat for 6 to 8 minutes until blistered and softened.
- Pulse the roasted vegetables with the lime juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt into a chunky salsa, then drain any watery liquid.
- Mix the chorizo, ground pork, cumin and remaining salt just until marbled together and shape 4 patties.
- Cook the patties in a skillet over medium heat for 6 to 7 minutes on the first side without pressing.
- Flip and cook for 5 to 7 minutes more until the centers reach 160°F.
- Top each patty with Monterey Jack, cover for 1 minute and toast the split rolls alongside them.
- Build each burger with shredded cabbage, one pork patty and 2 tablespoons drained roasted tomato salsa.
Lamb Burger with Cucumber Feta Sauce
Lamb can handle oregano, feta and a cold cucumber sauce. Squeeze the grated cucumber dry. The sauce should cling, not run down your wrist. These are thick burgers, but ground lamb still needs a 160°F center.
Lamb Burger with Cucumber Feta Sauce
Ingredients
Method
- Stir the yogurt, cucumber, half the feta, lemon juice and garlic together and chill the sauce.
- Mix the lamb, oregano, salt, pepper and remaining feta gently, then shape 4 thick patties with shallow center dimples.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and sear the patties for 4 minutes on the first side.
- Flip, lower the heat to medium and cook for another 4 to 6 minutes without pressing until the centers reach 160°F.
- Rest the patties for 3 minutes while the buns warm cut-side down in the skillet.
- Spread cucumber feta sauce on each bun and add romaine, tomato and one lamb patty.
Black Bean Burger with Chipotle Lime Sauce
A black bean burger should have browned edges. Its middle should stay tender and visibly textured. It should not resemble hummus. Drying the beans first makes that possible. Smoky chipotle-lime sauce brings heat without loosening the patty.
Black Bean Burger with Chipotle Lime Sauce
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 375°F, spread the beans on a sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes until their skins look dry and split.
- Mash three-quarters of the beans in a bowl, leaving the rest whole for texture.
- Stir in the panko, egg, red onion, cumin and salt and shape the mixture into 4 firmly packed patties.
- Whisk the mayonnaise, chipotle and lime juice together for the sauce.
- Coat a nonstick skillet lightly with oil and cook the patties over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes per side until browned and firm at the edges.
- Rest the patties for 2 minutes so the crumbs can set, and toast the buns in the skillet.
- Spread chipotle lime sauce on the buns and assemble with lettuce, tomato and one black bean patty.
Lentil Mushroom Burger with Garlic Herb Yogurt
Browned mushrooms bring savoriness while lentils provide a firm, nubby structure. Let the cooked mixture cool before shaping or it will stick to everything except itself. A measured garlic-herb yogurt gives the finished burger a clean, cool edge.
Lentil Mushroom Burger with Garlic Herb Yogurt
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the mushrooms for 8 to 10 minutes until deeply browned and dry.
- Pulse the lentils and oats in a food processor 5 times until coarse, not smooth.
- Mix the lentil mixture with the mushrooms, egg, soy sauce and salt, then cool it for 10 minutes and shape 4 compact patties.
- Stir the yogurt, garlic, parsley and lemon juice together and refrigerate the sauce.
- Cook the patties in a lightly oiled nonstick skillet over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes per side until browned and firm.
- Rest them for 3 minutes and toast the buns in the cleared skillet.
- Spread garlic herb yogurt on both bun halves and assemble each with arugula and one lentil mushroom patty.
Sweet Potato Quinoa Burger with Green Goddess Sauce
Sweet potato needs quinoa and oats around it or the patty turns into mash between bread. Chill the shaped burgers before cooking and flip only once. The parsley-scallion green goddess sauce is sharp enough to check the sweetness.
Sweet Potato Quinoa Burger with Green Goddess Sauce
Ingredients
Method
- Steam the sweet potato cubes for 10 to 12 minutes until tender, then spread them on a plate to cool and release steam.
- Mash the sweet potato coarsely and mix it with the quinoa, oats, egg, smoked paprika and salt.
- Shape 4 compact patties and refrigerate them for 15 minutes until firm.
- Blend the mayonnaise, parsley, scallions, lemon juice and capers until flecked green but not completely smooth.
- Cook the patties in a lightly oiled nonstick skillet over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes per side, flipping once, until browned and set.
- Rest the patties for 3 minutes and toast the buns cut-side down.
- Spread green goddess sauce over each bun and add lettuce and one sweet potato quinoa patty.
Chickpea Burger with Lemon Tahini Sauce
This chickpea patty borrows the garlic, cumin and crisp surface of falafel but stays broad enough for a bun. Flour and egg hold the coarse beans together. Thin the tahini sauce carefully; one extra spoonful of water can be the difference between drizzle and soup.
Chickpea Burger with Lemon Tahini Sauce
Ingredients
Method
- Pulse the chickpeas, parsley, onion, garlic, cumin and salt in a food processor until coarse crumbs form.
- Fold in the egg and flour, shape 4 compact patties and chill them for 10 minutes.
- Whisk the tahini and lemon juice until thick, then whisk in the cold water 1 tablespoon at a time until spoonable.
- Coat a heavy skillet with a thin film of oil and cook the patties over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes per side until crisp and firm.
- Rest the patties for 2 minutes while the buns toast in the skillet.
- Spread lemon tahini sauce over each bun and assemble with romaine, tomato and one chickpea patty.
Salmon Burger with Dill Pickle Sauce
Hand-chopped salmon gives this burger distinct flakes instead of the bounce of a processed fish cake. Freeze the fish for ten minutes before chopping; dill pickle sauce, lettuce and a soft bun handle the rest.
Salmon Burger with Dill Pickle Sauce
Ingredients
Method
- Chill the salmon in the freezer for 10 minutes, then hand-chop it into pea-size pieces.
- Mix the salmon with the panko, egg, scallions, Dijon and salt and shape 4 compact patties.
- Stir the mayonnaise, chopped pickles, dill and lemon juice together and refrigerate the sauce.
- Heat a lightly oiled nonstick skillet over medium and cook the salmon patties for 4 to 5 minutes on the first side.
- Flip carefully and cook for 3 to 5 minutes more until the centers reach 145°F.
- Toast the buns for 1 minute, spread them with dill pickle sauce and add lettuce and one salmon patty.
Jalapeño Cheddar-Stuffed Burger
Cheddar and pickled jalapeño hide inside this thick burger, where both stay hotter than the surface suggests. Seal the beef completely and probe the meat beside the filling. Loose seams make cheese puddles; careful crimps make dinner.
Jalapeño Cheddar-Stuffed Burger
Ingredients
Method
- Divide the beef into 8 portions and flatten each between parchment into a 5-inch round.
- Place one cheddar piece and 1 tablespoon jalapeños in the center of 4 rounds, leaving a 1-inch border.
- Cover with the remaining beef rounds, pinch every edge firmly and smooth the seams closed.
- Season the stuffed patties with salt and pepper and chill them for 10 minutes.
- Cook in a heavy skillet over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes per side, turning once without pressing.
- Confirm the beef beside the cheese pocket reaches 160°F, then rest the patties for 3 minutes.
- Toast the buttered buns, spread with mayonnaise and assemble with lettuce, tomato and one stuffed patty.
Mozzarella-Stuffed Pizza Burger
This stuffed burger keeps its pizza argument focused: mozzarella in the beef, thick tomato sauce on top and a toasted garlic bun. Reduce the sauce until it sits rather than runs. As with any cheese-filled patty, test the meat at the side of the molten pocket.
Mozzarella-Stuffed Pizza Burger
Ingredients
Method
- Simmer the crushed tomatoes, oregano, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt for 10 minutes until thick enough to mound on a spoon.
- Divide the beef into 8 portions and flatten each into a 5-inch round.
- Place one mozzarella piece in the center of 4 rounds, cover with the remaining rounds and pinch the edges firmly closed.
- Season with the remaining salt and pepper, then chill the stuffed patties for 10 minutes.
- Cook the patties in a skillet over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes per side until the meat beside the cheese pocket reaches 160°F.
- Rest the burgers for 3 minutes while mixing the butter with the remaining garlic powder and spreading it on the buns.
- Toast the buns cut-side down, then fill each with one stuffed patty, 1/4 cup tomato sauce and Parmesan.
Griddled Patty Melt Burger
A patty melt is a burger with sandwich discipline. It needs thin rye, deeply browned onions, Swiss and patient griddle heat. Cheese touches the bread so it acts like mortar. Rest it one minute before cutting or the layers skate apart.
Griddled Patty Melt Burger
Ingredients
Method
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-low heat and cook the onions for 18 to 20 minutes until deep golden.
- Shape the beef into 4 thin oval patties slightly larger than the bread and season with salt and pepper.
- Cook the patties on a hot griddle for 3 to 4 minutes per side without pressing until they reach 160°F.
- Butter one side of each rye slice with the remaining butter and lay 4 slices butter-side down on a board.
- Top each with Swiss, one patty, browned onions, another Swiss slice and a mustard-spread rye slice with its buttered side facing out.
- Griddle the melts over medium-low heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side until the bread is crisp and the cheese is melted.
- Rest the melts for 1 minute, then cut each diagonally and serve.
Pineapple Teriyaki Turkey Burger
Fresh pineapple can overwhelm a turkey burger, so one browned ring and a glossy homemade teriyaki glaze are enough. The sauce thickens before it touches the meat. Cook the ground turkey to 165°F, then glaze it off direct heat so the sugar doesn’t scorch.
Pineapple Teriyaki Turkey Burger
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic and cornstarch in a small saucepan.
- Simmer the teriyaki sauce for 2 to 3 minutes until glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon.
- Mix the turkey with the panko, egg and salt gently and shape 4 patties with damp hands.
- Cook the patties in a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat for 6 to 7 minutes per side until the centers reach 165°F.
- Move the patties off the heat and brush each with 1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce.
- Sear the pineapple rings in the same skillet for 1 to 2 minutes per side until browned at the edges, then toast the buns.
- Build each burger with cabbage, one glazed turkey patty, one pineapple ring and another spoonful of teriyaki sauce.
Diner Cheeseburger Sliders
These aren’t one baked slab cut into vague squares: six small griddled patties give every slider its own browned edge. American cheese, pickles and griddled onions keep the flavor at the diner counter; serve two per person.
Diner Cheeseburger Sliders
Ingredients
Method
- Heat a steel griddle or cast-iron skillet over high heat and toast the buttered slider buns for 1 minute.
- Scatter the onion in 6 small piles on the hot surface and place one cold beef ball over each pile.
- Immediately press each ball firmly through parchment into a thin patty, then season with salt and pepper.
- Cook untouched for 90 seconds until the edges brown; do not re-smash the patties.
- Scrape, flip onion-side up and cook for 60 to 90 seconds until the beef reaches 160°F.
- Add half a cheese slice to each patty for the final 30 seconds.
- Spread mustard on the buns and assemble each slider with one patty and 3 pickle chips.
Buffalo Chicken Sliders
Ground chicken sliders stay neat enough for a platter but still carry the vinegar heat of wings. The buffalo glaze is butter, hot sauce and Worcestershire measured into a quick emulsion. Celery slaw provides the crunch that loose celery sticks usually miss.
Buffalo Chicken Sliders
Ingredients
Method
- Mix the chicken, panko, egg, salt and garlic powder gently and shape 8 small patties with damp hands.
- Stir the cabbage, celery and blue cheese dressing together and chill the slaw.
- Cook the patties in a lightly oiled nonstick skillet over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes per side until their centers reach 165°F.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan and whisk in the hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce until emulsified.
- Brush every cooked patty generously with the warm buffalo sauce.
- Toast the slider buns cut-side down for 1 minute.
- Place one buffalo chicken patty and 2 tablespoons celery slaw in each bun and serve 2 sliders per person.
Breakfast Burger with Maple Sriracha Sauce
A crisp-edged hash brown belongs inside this breakfast burger, where it catches beef juice beneath a fried egg. Maple-sriracha sauce walks the sweet-hot line without becoming syrup. Keep the egg yolk jammy rather than liquid if you’re trying to eat this without changing shirts.
Breakfast Burger with Maple Sriracha Sauce
Ingredients
Method
- Stir the mayonnaise, maple syrup, sriracha and cider vinegar together and chill the sauce.
- Form the hash browns into 4 thin rounds and fry them in 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat for 4 minutes per side until crisp.
- Shape the beef into 4 patties, season with salt and pepper and cook in a hot skillet for 4 to 5 minutes per side until 160°F.
- Top the patties with cheddar for the final minute and cover until melted.
- Heat the remaining oil in a nonstick skillet and fry the eggs for 3 to 4 minutes until the whites and yolk surfaces are set.
- Toast the English muffins until their edges brown.
- Spread maple sriracha sauce on each muffin and stack one cheesy patty, one hash brown round and one fried egg inside.
Bacon Jam Smash Sliders
Bacon jam makes sense on a slider because one spoonful is plenty. Onion, coffee, brown sugar and vinegar cook it sticky. The little beef patties stay crisp. Smash once, immediately; any later pressing only wrings out fat.
Bacon Jam Smash Sliders
Ingredients
Method
- Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat for 7 to 9 minutes until browned, then spoon off all but 1 tablespoon fat.
- Add the onion and cook for 6 minutes, then stir in the coffee, brown sugar and vinegar.
- Simmer for 6 to 8 minutes until the bacon jam is dark, sticky and almost dry, then keep it warm.
- Heat a steel griddle or cast-iron skillet over high heat and set the cold beef balls on the bare surface.
- Immediately press each firmly through parchment into a thin patty, season and cook untouched for 90 seconds; do not re-smash.
- Scrape, flip and cook for 60 to 90 seconds until the beef reaches 160°F, adding half a cheddar slice to each for the last 30 seconds.
- Toast the slider buns for 1 minute and fill each with arugula, one cheesy patty and 1 tablespoon bacon jam.
Grind, fat ratio and why 80/20 keeps winning
An 80/20 beef blend has enough fat to lubricate the meat as it cooks and enough lean protein to hold a patty together. On a hot griddle, rendered fat fills the tiny gaps between meat and metal, helping the surface brown into a continuous crust. A 90/10 blend can work, but it gives you a narrow window between safely cooked and dry. Adding egg, breadcrumbs or milk to compensate turns a beef burger toward meatloaf. For straightforward smash and pub burgers, buy 80/20 chuck and leave it alone except for salt and pepper on the outside.
Grind size changes the bite. A medium grind creates distinct little pieces that stay tender when handled lightly. Finely ground beef packs dense and springy, especially after aggressive mixing; a very coarse grind can crumble unless the butcher balances the cuts well. Keep the meat below 40°F, divide it with a scale if you have one and shape it just enough to hold. Loose balls are right for smashing. Thick pub patties need softly joined edges and a shallow center dimple, not repeated kneading or hard compression.
Fat ratio doesn’t excuse poor temperature control. Ground beef should reach 160°F because surface bacteria can be mixed throughout during grinding, and ground poultry needs 165°F. Use an instant-read thermometer from the side so the probe reaches the center without passing through the hottest outer crust. For stuffed burgers, aim the probe through meat beside the cheese pocket and confirm the center reading in more than one place. Resting helps the juices settle, but it isn’t a substitute for reaching the safe temperature first.
Smashing properly: the tools and the timing
A smash burger requires a flat steel griddle or a broad cast-iron skillet, a rigid metal spatula and enough heat to brown the meat before its moisture floods the surface. A flimsy turner bends instead of transferring pressure. Preheat the bare pan until a drop of water skitters, then work in batches so each patty has open metal around it. Cold, loosely portioned beef gives you time to spread the meat before its fat begins rendering. Parchment between the spatula and beef prevents the raw patty from climbing up the tool.
The press happens during the first few seconds. Push firmly until the beef is roughly 1/4 inch thick, then lift the tool and leave the patty alone. Do not return for a second press. Once the meat warms, another smash forces rendered fat and juice onto the griddle instead of improving contact. Season after pressing, wait until the outer rim looks dark and lacy, and use the spatula edge to scrape beneath every bit of crust before flipping. That crust belongs on the burger, not welded to the pan.
After the flip, a thin patty needs little more than a minute to reach 160°F. Add cheese immediately and cover only if it needs help melting. Double patties give a better meat-to-crust ratio than one oversized smash, but stacking them too early traps steam and softens the first batch. Toast buns before the beef goes down, keep toppings ready and assemble as soon as the final patty leaves the surface. A smash burger’s best texture lasts minutes, so this is not the style to cook an hour before everyone eats.
Questions people ask
When should I salt burger patties?
Salt the outside immediately before the patties hit the pan or griddle. Mixing salt into ground beef early dissolves proteins and makes the finished burger springy and sausage-like. Stuffed patties can be shaped and chilled first, then seasoned on both surfaces just before cooking.
How do I keep burgers from shrinking into thick balls?
Make a thick pub patty about an inch wider than its bun and press a shallow dimple into the center. As the proteins tighten, the dimple rises and the outer edge pulls inward, leaving a flatter finished patty. Smash burgers solve the problem differently: press them very thin during the first few seconds and never press again.
Can I cook these burgers on an outdoor grill?
Thick beef, turkey, chicken, pork and lamb patties work well over a clean, medium-high grill, though you should still verify their listed internal temperatures. Smash burgers need a solid griddle plate rather than open grates because their thin edges and rendered fat require full contact. Vegetable patties are safest on a griddle plate or perforated grill pan so they do not break into the fire.
Why does cheese leak out of a stuffed burger?
The filling is probably too close to the edge or the seam was left thin. Keep a full inch of bare meat around a compact cheese portion, crimp both rounds firmly and smooth the perimeter before chilling the patty. Cook over medium rather than ripping-high heat, and turn with a spatula instead of squeezing with tongs.
What is the best way to reheat a cooked burger?
Reheat the bare patty in a covered skillet with a teaspoon of water over medium-low heat until it reaches 165°F, then add fresh cheese if wanted. Toast a new bun and add cold toppings afterward; microwaving the fully assembled burger wilts lettuce and turns the bread tough. Crisp smash edges never return completely, so those burgers are much better cooked to order.
