The Best Burger Recipes From Titanically Popular American Chefs
C'est Bun
As the days get warmer and we transition from spring to summer, it's time to dust off the grill and get ready for some serious cooking. Who doesn't crave a juicy burger sizzling on the grill? And guess what? Celebrity chefs are just like us – they adore sinking their teeth into a delicious burger too!
Sure, you might see them whipping up elaborate dishes on TV, but when it comes to burgers, simplicity often wins. Whether it's Alton Brown or Ina Garten, these culinary stars have some mouthwatering burger recipes up their sleeves. Some might use fancy toppings and intricate recipes, while others prefer to keep it quick and classic. So, as we gear up for the upcoming grilling season, why not kick it off with one of these fantastic burger recipes?
Bobby Flay's Beef Burgers With Peanut-Chipotle Barbecue Sauce
This flavorful sauce includes garlic, ginger, tomato puree, mustard, molasses, ancho and chipotle chiles, plus a surprising addition of peanut butter. As the patties sizzle on the grill, they're generously glazed with that mouthwatering sauce. And to top it all off, he adds a layer of melted cheddar and a sprinkle of scallions..
Recipe: Food & Wine
Anthony Bourdain's Favorite Burger
Anthony Bourdain, the beloved chef who tragically died in June 2018, was all about simplicity in the kitchen. His go-to burger recipe sticks to the basics: well-seasoned beef patties, crispy smoked bacon, gooey American cheese, all sandwiched between sesame seed buns with Russian dressing, lettuce, tomato, and onion. And here's a nugget of wisdom he shared: whatever you do, resist the urge to press down on those burgers while they're sizzling away on the grill!
Recipe: Best Company
Guy Fieri's Straight-Up With a Pig Patty Burger
Guy Fieri's burger may take some effort and time, but the payoff is absolutely worth it. He starts by roasting garlic and cooking bacon until it's practically melting in your mouth. Then, he transforms the bacon into a crispy "pig patty" under a heavy brick. The roasted garlic finds its way into Fieri's famous donkey sauce, adding a flavorful punch.
Recipe: Food Network
Julia Child's Pan-Fried Thin Burger
Even Julia Child had her go-to burger recipe. She went for a hands-on approach, chopping the ground beef with a knife and adding sautéed shallots for an extra flavor boost. The beef is then shaped into thin patties that cook up quickly in just a minute or two in a hot pan.
Recipe: Food Network
Gordon Ramsay's Bread Street Kitchen Burger
The burger served at Gordon Ramsay's Bread Street Kitchen in London combines ground short rib, chuck, and brisket for a patty bursting with flavor and the perfect fat ratio. To recreate it, simply ask your butcher to grind these cuts specifically for you. It's a savory delight that showcases the quality and expertise behind Ramsay's famous culinary creations.
Recipe: Hell's Kitchen
Rachael Ray's Burgers
Rachael Ray's burger recipe is all about embracing the flavors of Italy with a homemade olive tapenade. She combines a blend of beef and pork with garlic, fennel seeds, and Worcestershire sauce, grills them to perfection, then crowns them with gooey cheese, fragrant basil leaves, and a tangy tapenade made from black olives, capers, and anchovies.
Recipe: Food Network
Jamie Oliver's Insanity Burger
Jamie Oliver elevates his burgers by brushing ground chuck patties with mustard and Tabasco sauce while they sizzle on the grill, adding an extra layer of flavor. These flavorful patties are then placed atop a homemade creamy burger sauce, mixed with shredded iceberg lettuce like a slaw, for a refreshing crunch. To top it all off, pickled red onions are added for an additional tangy kick.
Recipe: Jamie Oliver
Giada De Laurentiis' Burgers a la Pizzaiola
Giada de Laurentiis puts her signature Italian spin on hamburgers with this flavorful twist. She infuses ground beef with ingredients reminiscent of pizza toppings, including sun-dried tomatoes, cheeses, garlic, basil, and tomato paste. Once grilled, these patties are topped with more cheese and a dollop of marinara sauce, transforming them into gourmet pizza burgers. It's a delicious fusion of Italian flavors and classic American comfort food.
Recipe: Food Network
Martha Stewart's Green Chile Chicken Burgers
Turkey burgers aren't the only alternative to beef out there. Chicken can also be the star of the show, as Martha Stewart demonstrates in this Southwest-inspired recipe. Seasoned with canned diced green chiles, cumin, and cilantro, these chicken patties pack a flavorful punch. And for a unique twist, thick slices of tomato are grilled up to serve as a deliciously juicy topping.
Recipe: Martha Stewart
Emeril Lagasse's Home-Ground Burgers With Bacon, Cheese, and Fresh Thyme
In true Emeril fashion, these burgers burst with flavor. Cubed beef chuck is marinated with bacon, onions, thyme, garlic, and Worcestershire before being ground together. These cheeseburgers are generously topped with not one, but two slices of cheddar, because when it comes to these hearty patties, one simply isn't enough. It's a burger that embodies Emeril's signature bold and flavorful approach to cooking.
Recipe: Emeril's
Ree Drummond's Favorite Burger Ever
The Pioneer Woman adds a touch of sophistication to her beloved burger. She caramelizes onions with brown sugar, prepares a spicy mayo, grills kaiser rolls, and finishes it off with crumbled blue cheese and baby greens.
Recipe: The Pioneer Woman
Wolfgang Puck's Prime Mini Burgers With Cheddar Cheese and Remoulade
Wolfgang Puck whipped up these slider-sized burgers for an Oscar after-party. The mini patties, made with ground chuck, come with classic toppings of cheddar, tomatoes, pickles, and Thousand Island dressing. Brioche buns add a touch of sweetness.
Recipe: Delish
Sandra Lee's Drive-in Walnut Burger
Vegetarians also enjoy burgers, and Sandra Lee offers a straightforward recipe for them. Garbanzo beans, walnuts, bread crumbs, seasonings, and eggs are combined to create these veggie burgers. They are served with honey mustard and avocado slices for a delicious and satisfying meal.
Recipe: Food Network
Ina Garten's Real Hamburgers
Ina Garten's hamburger recipe is delightfully uncomplicated, but it incorporates a couple of unique touches that set it apart. Along with ground beef, Garten includes steak sauce and egg yolks for added flavor and richness. Additionally, she adds a small pat of butter to each patty, which melts as the burger cooks, ensuring it stays juicy.
Recipe: Food Network
Tyler Florence's The Burger
Tyler Florence's substantial half-pound short rib and chuck burgers are elevated by homemade buns and a sauce he refers to as "burger goop." This flavorful sauce includes ketchup, mayo, mustard, chives, pickles, and capers (which sounds way better than the name!).
Recipe: Food Network
Jacques Pepin's Hamburger Royale
Jacques Pepin, being French, brings European flair to his favorite burger recipe, featuring French comté cheese and Italian ciabatta rolls. To ensure freshness and optimal flavor, he recommends having a beef brisket ground by a skilled butcher. It's a gourmet twist on the classic burger that reflects Pepin's culinary expertise and international influences.
Recipe: The Spruce
Alton Brown's Best Burger Recipe Ever
Alton Brown is known for his meticulous approach to cooking, favoring homemade ingredients and precision in his methods. Therefore, it's no shock that his burger recipe requires grinding your own meat. He opts for a blend of beef and lamb, grilling it over charcoal for optimal flavor. The toppings are kept simple yet satisfying, with grated cheddar and a dollop of mayonnaise.
Recipe: Food Network
Andrew Zimmern's Griddled Onion Burgers
Zimmern's griddled onion burgers draw inspiration from a beloved Oklahoma style that's perfect for onion enthusiasts. He cooks thinly sliced onions until deeply caramelized in a skillet. Next, he smashes the burger patty atop the onions, embedding them in the beef. Upon flipping, the dark brown onions become the burger's top.
Recipe: Andrew Zimmern
Cat Cora's Montecito Burger
Cat Cora's burger is a wildly extravagant affair. It features a truffle and herb aioli, goat cheese, mushrooms, grilled onions, a fried onion ring, and arugula, creating a towering sandwich. She even shares a recipe for baked sweet potato fries as the perfect side dish.
Recipe: Hallmark Channel
Rick Bayless' Queso Fundido Burger
Rick Bayless stays true to his Mexican-inspired cuisine with his queso fundido burger. He roasts poblano peppers and combines them with onions to create rajas, a savory mixture of sliced peppers and onions cooked together. These are then placed atop a chorizo and beef patty, with plenty of gooey Monterey Jack cheese.
Recipe: Rick Bayless
Steven Raichlen's Butter Burgers
You may or may not have heard of butter burgers (unless you're from Wisconsin, where they're a source of pride). Grill master Steven Raichlen puts his spin on this classic by first preparing a garlic and fresh herb butter. He then stuffs a pat of this butter into the middle of each patty, allowing it to melt into the burger from the inside out. Juicy!
Recipe: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Ayesha Curry's Turkey Burgers
Ayesha Curry's turkey burgers take on an Asian flair with a blend of soy sauce, chili paste, and ginger mixed into the meat. They're served with a zesty apple and savoy cabbage slaw and a smoked paprika mayo for a burst of flavor.
Recipe: Woman's Day
Aaron Sanchez's Chorizo and Beef Burger With Grilled Sweet Potato
Aaron Sanchez's burger boasts Mexican-inspired flavors with equal parts ground chorizo and beef. Seasoned with homemade adobo—a rich and flavorful marinade typically made with vinegar, garlic, and spices—the patties are topped with pickled onions, chile-lime crema, and grilled sweet potato slices.
Recipe: The Daily Meal
Curtis Stone's Burgers With Red Onion Marmalade and Maytag Blue Cheese
Curtis Stone swears by onion marmalade and blue cheese as the ultimate burger toppings. He caramelizes red onions with sugar, red wine, and vinegar to create a tangy-sweet topping, while Maytag blue cheese is melted over the patties on the grill for a creamy finish. A zesty, mustardy aioli adds a burst of bright flavors.
Recipe: Curtis Stone
The Neelys' Memphis Beale Street Burger
The Neely family grills up a burger reminiscent of Memphis-style barbecue—a style characterized by slow-cooked meats, often pork, with a tangy tomato-based sauce. Shallot, garlic, Worcestershire, and barbecue dry rub are mixed into the patties. They're topped with coleslaw and a creamy sauce that includes buttermilk and barbecue sauce.
Recipe: Food Network
Martin Yan's Dynasty Burger With Spicy Hoisin Barbecue Sauce
This burger recipe from Martin Yan features two layers of Asian flavors: In the patty itself and in a sauce on top. The hoisin barbecue sauce starts with bottled barbecue sauce and hoisin—a thick, savory, and slightly sweet sauce commonly used in Chinese cuisine—making it quick to prepare. The ground beef is seasoned with soy sauce, sesame oil, and ginger before being cooked.
Recipe: The Seattle Times
Ming Tsai's Onion-Burger 'Hot Dogs' With Sweet Chile Relish
Ming Tsai's burger recipe with an Asian twist is sure to please kids. Instead of the traditional patty shape, the beef is formed into sausage-like links and served in a hot dog bun. They're then topped with a cooked relish made with onions, bell pepper, honey, rice vinegar, and chili sauce.
Recipe: Golf Digest
J. Kenji López-Alt's Ultra-Smashed Cheeseburgers
In this recipe from J. Kenji López-Alt, simplicity reigns supreme, with just a handful of ingredients. The key lies in the technique: Small balls of beef are flattened onto an ungreased griddle and scraped off, resulting in a crispy, browned crust. To hold it all together, a slice of American cheese is nestled between two patties. And really, who doesn't love American cheese on a burger?
Recipe: Serious Eats
Melissa D'Arabian's Mustard-glazed Mushroom Burgers
Mushrooms and Swiss cheese make for a fantastic burger duo. Melissa d'Arabian takes it up a notch by adding a glaze of Dijon mustard and soy sauce to enhance the umami flavor—a savory taste sensation often described as the fifth basic taste, alongside sweet, sour, bitter, and salty—even further.
Recipe: Food Network
Graham Elliot's Graham Burger
When grilling his cheeseburgers, Graham Elliot elevates them with a slice of gooey brie cheese. A mayonnaise with a mild, cooked garlic flavor joins grilled onions and peppery watercress, creating a medley of unique tastes—each ingredient contributing to a distinctive flavor profile.
Recipe: Tasting Table
Note: We edited this story with the help of AI
This article was originally published on Cheapism
