Now that the burger has been fully gentrified into its "craft" version, it seems absurd to pay 20 bucks for one. Truth be told, you can get that craft burger experience at home for a fraction of the price, and here are 30 ways to do so.
Classic Double Smash Burger with Tangy House Sauce
The smash burger has fully taken over, but it's actually really easy to replicate at home; no need for a massive steel flat-top. I just use a cast iron and smash with my heaviest coffee mug.
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 burgers and serve immediately while edges are crisp.
Oklahoma Onion Burger
Onions have a way of falling apart on a burger, but this burger solves the problem. Instead, the onions are smashed directly into the patty, ensuring cohesion.
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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
I'd never heard of the Juicy Lucy until I moved in down the street from the South Minneapolis tavern where it was invented. The cheese might be even better inside the burger patty than on top.
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
With peppers on burgers, the sky's the limit. This recipe uses canned mexico/" class="ddd-auto-link">New Mexico chiles, but I'd strongly recommend giving them a quick pass through the skillet as well as draining them.
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
This is one of those foods born out of poverty and necessity, but which has since become a regional favorite. The saltines and egg actually help keep things moist, and a shallow-fry makes this easier for the home cook than a classic deep-fry.
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
If you're from the Upper Midwest, you know, and you know you're having frozen custard afterward (if your cardiologist allows it). I've lived far away for a long time, but a butter burger brings me right back to long-ago teenage hangouts.
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 bun butter melts into the beef without pooling on the plate.
Bacon Cheddar Pub Burger
This is one of those intricately constructed, restaurant-style burgers, right down to the brioche bun. I'd personally skip the bacon (heresy!) But sharp cheddar goes just so well with beef.
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.
- 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
I love the way the cheese melts around the mushrooms on a good mushroom-Swiss burger, and embedding the mushrooms in the Swiss really is the key here. A thyme aioli adds a nice touch too.
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
Sweet ingredients would be cloying on most burgers, but blue cheese provides the right balance. I personally stump for Iowa's own Maytag Blue as the ideal blue cheese for a burger.
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 blue cheese over patties, cover 1 minute and let soften without fully melting.
- 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
If you've got smoky bacon on a burger, barbecue sauce is the natural topping. This recipe uses a homemade sauce, but I think any Kansas City-style sauce (Gates, Bryant's, etc.) Works just as well.
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
While the chili cheeseburger is pretty much designed for leftover chili, you can whip up a from-scratch version too, without cooking a whole pot of chili. Here, it's more like a meaty tomato sauce.
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
Pimento cheese isn't just for the party tray; it works great on a burger. The "comeback" sauce is a mix of mayo, chili sauce, mustard, lemon, and paprika, and it's as good as it sounds.
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 works great as a background for stronger flavors. The Nashville treatment, a brush with spice oil, isn't just for deep-fried chicken; it works great on a patty too.
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
Most turkey burgers I've had have frankly been pretty bland. However, the cranberry-mustard sauce more than makes up for it here.
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 10 minutes to firm.
- 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
The avocado-lime crema in this recipe would compete with the burger on a beef hamburger, but on a chicken burger it can shine. Dial back the sour cream a bit if you want a healthier option.
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
Chorizo alone on a burger would probably be a bit much. Some ground pork provides balance, and a roasted tomato salsa accentuates the chorizo.
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
If anything, I like a lamb burger more than a beef burger. The tzatziki-style dressing is a natural match.
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
There's no need to buy the premade veggie burger patties. Canned black beans make a tasty vegetarian patty, and a heavy hand with the spices is advisable.
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
Mushrooms do some serious heavy lifting in vegetarian cooking, bringing meatiness, and lentils provide the heft here. The garlic yogurt is good enough that the carnivores might be reaching for it too.
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 goes great as a patty, but it does have a way of falling apart. The quinoa and oats help keep things tidy in this burger.
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
I love a falafel pita, and this is basically the same thing, but with a jumbo-sized patty. When you're making the tahini drizzle, be conservative with the water — you want it to run, not pour.
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
For a salmon burger, you don't want to grind it into a paste; discrete pieces taste so much better. The pickle sauce is basically a quick tartar sauce, so feel free to sub in the tartar sauce of your choice.
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
The Juicy Lucy concept isn't restricted to cheese only. This burger stuffs the patty with cheddar and jalapeños to incorporate just a touch of spice.
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
It's a slightly ridiculous concept, but think about it: beef with mozzarella stuffed inside, marinara in lieu of tomato sauce, and a garlic bun. Suddenly it doesn't seem so crazy.
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
Whether a patty melt is a burger is up for debate, but especially if you can't get higher-quality buns, it's often the better option. I think rye bread works particularly well.
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
Cooked pineapple is probably the most controversial ingredient in the American kitchen. If you're not a fan, it can just be a teriyaki burger- no sweat.
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
If you can make a cheeseburger, you can make sliders. If you can't find dedicated slider buns, any kind of small roll works.
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
The buffalo wing concept, taken to the chicken burger. Rather than fried chicken, this burger uses a ground chicken patty.
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
Basically an egg-and-sausage muffin, this makes for a fun weekend brunch. The maple-sriracha sauce is very much optional, and I'd personally leave out the maple.
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
If you're a bacon-head, this is worth trying if you're getting tired of bacon cheeseburgers. The smoky, sweet bacon jam may quickly find a home in other recipes, so feel free to make plenty extra.
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.
