24 Hamburger Recipes to Put on Repeat

Steak Burger with au Poivre Special Sauce
Photo: Victor Protasio

How do you like your hamburger? Plain, with ketchup? Loaded up with cheese and bacon? With a touch of heat, thanks to Hatch chiles? In this roundup, we've included all kinds of different burger recipes, from Bloody Mary-inspired burgers (horseradish, Worcestershire, and all) to our ultimate burger, which blends five — five! — different cuts of meat and gets simply topped with ketchup, mustard, lettuce, and tomatoes. Read on for those recipes and even more hamburgers to try whenever the mood strikes.

01 of 24

Classic Beef Burgers

Classic Beef Burgers
© Tina Rupp

Many restaurants claim to be the birthplace of the hamburger. Louis' Lunch, in New Haven, Connecticut, is a leading contender. Since 1900, the Lassen family has been grinding its beef daily, hand-shaping the patties to order, and grilling the burgers in antique cast-iron broilers over an open flame. The Louis' Lunch classic is topped with just onion and tomato, though the Lassens do offer a cheddar cheese sauce. The version of that sauce here is spiked with beer.

02 of 24

Cheddar and Onion Smashed Burgers

Cheddar-and-Onion Smashed Burgers
© Marcus Nilsson

The secret to these burgers from Umami Burger founder Adam Fleischman is "umami dust" — a blend of bonito flakes, dried kombu, and shiitake mushrooms.

03 of 24

Bacon and Kimchi Burgers

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. 

04 of 24

Bloody Mary Burgers

Bloody Mary Burgers
© Nicole Franzen

F&W culinary director at large Justin Chapple seasons these juicy beef burgers with horseradish, tomato paste, hot sauce, Worcestershire, and celery seeds.

05 of 24

Cheddar BLT Burgers with Tarragon Russian Dressing

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 extra delicious. 

06 of 24

Fleishers' Perfect Burger

Fleishers' Perfect Burger
© Abby Hocking

For that perfect juicy-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside burger patty, butcher Bryan Mayer suggests keeping your uncooked patties extra cold and only salting them right before they hit the heat. Both tips ensure a super-tender burger, keeping those little bits of fat and moisture inside the beef. 

07 of 24

F&W's Ultimate Burger

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.

08 of 24

Fried Green Tomato Double Cheeseburgers

Fried Green Tomato Double Cheeseburgers
JOHN KERNICK

"Anyone who loves a good burger has a soft spot for the Big Mac," says chef Edward Lee. In his ode to the fast food classic, he swaps the middle bun for a crisp fried green tomato that absorbs all of the savory juices from the beef, melty cheese, and sweet chile mayo. "More bread is just boring," he says. "The fried tomato adds crunch and a mild acidity." 

09 of 24

Hatch Chile Smash Burgers

hatch-chile-smash-burgers-FT-seo-RECIPE0719.jpg
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. Don't try to use ground beef with less than 15% fat; it's crucial to delivering a juicy patty that doesn't dry out when smashed.

10 of 24

Classic Cheeseburgers

Classic Cheeseburgers
Dennis Prescott

"This recipe is for a classic, diner-style burger with all my favorite toppings," cookbook author Dennis Prescott writes. "Adding a mustard layer to the beef before frying creates the most [incredibly] delicious crust — you'll be an immediate convert." 

11 of 24

Steak Burgers with au Poivre Special Sauce

Steak Burger with au Poivre Special Sauce
Victor Protasio

A duo of briny green peppercorns and cornichons combined with a dash of cognac dress up store-bought mayo to create a creamy sauce that's just sharp enough to cut through the fatty heartiness of these salt-crusted burgers.

12 of 24

Japanese-Style Chili Burgers with Yuzu Mayo

Japanese Style Chili Burger with Yuzu Mayo Recipe
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. Be careful not to overmix the beef before shaping it into patties ⁠— a light hand yields tender burgers.

13 of 24

Urdaburger

decadent burger
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 aïoli top beef patties in this towering tapas-inspired burger from Urdaneta, a popular tapas spot in Portland, Oregon. Kalimotxo, a Spanish red wine and cola cocktail, is the inspiration for the marvelously mauve aïoli. 

14 of 24

Pimiento Cheeseburgers with Bacon Jam

Pimento Cheeseburgers with Bacon Jam
© Abby Hocking

"This is like a bacon cheeseburger that went to heaven," says chef Edward Lee, of Whiskey Dry in Louisville. The pimiento cheese and sweet bacon jam both melt into one dreamy, messy bite — this is not a burger for the faint of heart. Save any leftover spreads for an out-of-this-world grilled cheese sandwich. 

15 of 24

Spicy 50/50 Burgers

Spicy 50/50 Burgers
© John Kernick

Mixing seasonings into ground beef can make the burgers tough if the meat gets overworked. Chef Michael Symon ingeniously solves the problem by combining seasoned hot Italian sausage with the ground chuck. The sausage gives this cheeseburger, which is adapted from Symon's 5 in 5 cookbook, great texture as well.

16 of 24

Double Cheeseburgers, Los Angeles-Style

Double Cheeseburgers, Los Angeles-Style
© Chris Court

For these double cheeseburgers, chef Roy Choi mixes toasted sesame seeds into the mayo for extra flavor and texture. He also tops the burgers with a combination of fresh shiso leaves and butter lettuce, in addition to thinly sliced red onion and tomato. 

17 of 24

Umami Burgers with Port and Stilton

Umami Burger with Port and Stilton
© Marcus Nilsson

Resist the urge to pile on any of the usual toppings — lettuce, tomato, ketchup. "The port is your condiment," explains restaurateur Adam Fleischman. 

18 of 24

Smoked Gouda and Bacon Burgers with Barbecue Sauce

Smoked-Gouda-and-Bacon Burgers with Barbecue Sauce
© Marcus Nilsson

Founding chef Brian Perrone was reluctant to put a burger on the Slows Bar BQ menu because he wanted to focus on barbecue. At the insistence of his partners, he came up with this patty melt-style burger topped with smoked Gouda, sweet housemade barbecue sauce, and hot sauce-spiked onions. He's glad he did: It was an instant hit. 

19 of 24

Crispy Comté Frico Cheeseburgers

Crispy Comté Cheeseburger
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. For best results, don't flip the buns straight out of the oven; letting them cool keeps the cheese crispy at the edges and soft in the center. 

20 of 24

Avocado Burgers with Chile and Queso Fresco

Mexican Avocado Burgers
DAVID MALOSH

This terrific burger from 2007 F&W Best New Chef April Bloomfield is sprinkled with a spice mix halfway through grilling; if you mix it in before cooking, the meat will get tough. Garnishes of crema and avocado add rich creaminess. 

21 of 24

Juicy Texas Burgers

Juicy Texas Burgers
© Quentin Bacon

These hamburgers from celebrity chef Bobby Flay combine two lone-star favorites: the flavors of barbecued brisket and a tangy coleslaw topping.

22 of 24

Vietnamese-Style Banh Mi Burgers

Vietnamese-Style Banh Mi Burgers
© Kana Okada

Is this an American take on a Vietnamese classic or a Vietnamese take on an American classic? Either way, these spicy burgers topped with Tabasco-spiked mayonnaise, slivers of crunchy pickled carrots, and sprigs of cilantro are wonderful.

23 of 24

Pancetta-Beef Burgers with Horseradish Ketchup

Pancetta-Beef Burgers with Horseradish Ketchup
© TIna Rupp

These decadent beef burgers from chef Koren Grieveson stay incredibly moist even when they're well done. The secret? Ground pancetta mixed into the ground beef bastes the burgers from the inside.

24 of 24

Bacon Burgers with Cilantro-Yogurt Sauce

Bacon Burgers with Cilantro-Yogurt Sauce
© Jonathan Lovekin

Instead of making a simple burger, chef and cookbook author Suvir Saran mixes ground beef chuck with bacon, scallions, mint, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for stellar flavor.

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