20 Burger Recipes That You Would Actually Eat

Korean BBQ Burger

When you want to host a backyard barbecue that’s a cut above the rest, remember these Korean-style burgers with kimchi coleslaw.

The ground beef is flavored with ginger, garlic, and soy. Once cooked, they’re glazed in an irresistible barbecue sauce with brown sugar, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce, and more fresh ginger.

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Whiskey Burger

Jack Daniel’s burgers were popularized by a big restaurant chain, but their version can’t beat a homemade cheeseburger.

You can pick any whiskey for the glaze, like a sweet and salty scotch or smoky bourbon. Use something you like because you’ll have lots of leftover glaze.

Then you can use the best quality beef, like grass-fed, which tends to have less saturated fat and more omega-3s. Finish with your favorite toppings, whether that’s the standard bacon, lettuce, tomato or something creative like pomegranate ketchup and radish relish.

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Southwestern Turkey Burgers

The trick to making a good turkey burger is to mix ingredients into the patty that’ll keep the meat moist.

This recipe does that expertly by mixing in a bunch of different items that function to retain moisture and add flavor, including roasted green chilies, panko bread crumbs, and mayonnaise.

Then a chipotle in adobo sauce turns this into a spicy Southwestern burger.

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Caprese Stuffed Burgers

The best stuffed burgers have a bunch of gooey cheese that’s melted in the middle. Yet you don’t have to stop there: most toppings that you’d place between the patty and the bun can be used as a burger filling.

This puts the emphasis on the juicy beef while also making the burger gourmet, even when you’re using everyday ingredients like tomatoes and mozzarella.

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Open-Faced French Stuffed Bison Burgers

These gourmet burgers are not just restaurant-quality, but could be served in an upscale restaurant with these indulgent flavors.

Rather than mere caramelized onions, which already make a sinfully good burger topping, these burgers are stuffed with shallots that are sautéed in butter and honey. Figs are also in the mix after being cooked in pomegranate juice.

The burger patties use standard seasonings but replace beef with bison.

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Buffalo Turkey Sliders

After one bite of these Buffalo sliders, you’ll never think of turkey burgers the same way again.

The patties are infused with red hot buffalo sauce, which not only adds flavor but keeps the turkey burgers from drying out. Then to complete the flavor of Buffalo wings, they’re topped with shredded cheese as well as creamy blue cheese dressing.

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Turkey & Lamb Pita Burgers

Instead of going out to the Mediterranean spot nearby, use shawarma pita pockets as inspiration for your next homemade burger.

This recipe combines ground turkey and lamb to get the best of both. Lamb is richer in terms of flavor, fat, and usually cost. By mixing it with lean turkey, you can make a low-fat lamb burger, so it’s not as greasy or as gamey.

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Tropical Chicken Burgers

When it’s sweltering hot outside, a big beefy burger might not be the most refreshing thing to eat. These tropical burgers provide a delicious alternative with a patty of chicken, bell peppers, jalapeno, and mango.

They’re no harder to make than a standard hamburger – chop up some ingredients, mix with ground meat, and form into patties – but the end result is like a totally new comfort food.

Serve with salad or on toasted buns with teriyaki sauce.

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Jalapeno Cheddar Stuffed Burgers

Just a touch of Mexican inspiration puts these burgers over the top. On the outside, they appear to be regular burgers, but on the inside, there’s an amazing filling of jalapeno cream cheese.

To cut out 10 grams of fat, use reduced-fat cheeses and lean ground turkey. You can also lower the carbs and calories by wrapping these jalapeno burgers in warm tortillas instead of whole-wheat buns.

These are delicious in any adaptation, and for taco burgers, serve with salsa or pico de gallo.

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Blue Cheeseburger with Crispy Shoestring Mushrooms

Onion straws are a quintessential burger topping, but believe it or not crispy fried mushrooms are even better.

Slice shiitake mushrooms into thin strips, and coat with Marsala wine, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then they bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until they reach the right texture.

Once you try them, you’ll be making these crispy mushrooms to go with everything.

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The Hunter Burger

If you want to make the ultimate venison burger, you need to track down an expert hunter. They go out to scout the deer, have patience to wait for the perfect moment, and then dress it.

By the time the meat is ready to be cooked, it’s already been handled with respect, so it’s no wonder that follows into the kitchen to make a mean burger. When the meat is prepared just right, you won’t even need to worry about toppings.

But if you want to go the extra mile, pile mushrooms, thick-cut bacon, and French fries on top.

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Cauliflower Veggie Burger

A low-calorie vegetable, cauliflower is often used as a replacement for starchy foods like rice or potatoes. But in this recipe, a head of cauliflower is chopped down and roasted to make lentil veggie burgers.

Of course these won’t be a protein-packed meal like most burgers. Yet it makes a great light lunch served as an open-faced sandwich, or good fuel for an endurance workout with the whole bun.

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Open-Faced Chicken Parmesan Burger

Rather than baking whole chicken breast for dinner, which takes about 20 minutes, you can cook them like burgers under the broiler to make a quick chicken parm.

This is served as an open-faced sandwich, and instead of using the bottom of a burger bun, the chicken parm burger is served on top of a slice of garlic bread.

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Mushroom, Lentil & Olive Burgers with Cashew Garlic Sauce

A lot of vegetarian burgers are delicious, yet too light to satisfy the same kind of carnivorous craving that calls for a traditional hamburger.

This veggie patty has the right blend of ingredients and flavor to deliver big on umami flavor, and the mushroom-lentil mix offers something to really sink your teeth into. Simple seasonings and fresh herbs complete the picture.

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Sprouts & Avocado Cheeseburger

You don’t have to give up your cheeseburger just because you’re trying to eat a wholesome diet. Practically anything fresh from the farmers’ market can be transformed into a burger topping, such as coleslaw or even jam.

At the height of the summer season, you won’t have to do anything but slice up veggies to make a nutritious burger. Simply slice an avocado and tomato, and add a handful of fresh sprouts.

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Salmon Quinoa Burgers

When you’re craving a gourmet burger but want to avoid red meat, salmon is a great alternative.

These salmon burgers can even be served on top of a salad instead of with a bun, so you’ll want to remember this one if you’re ever cutting carbs. To turn the finely chopped salmon into burger patties, the fish gets mixed with quinoa.

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Black Bean Beef Burgers with Blue Cheese & Onion Marmalade

Veggie burger patties use a wide variety of ingredients like beans, quinoa, or lentils. But any of those can also be mixed with ground meat to replace bread crumbs, as in these beef and black bean burgers

Any mix-ins that you add to the meat can help to make a juicier burger – just be sure you have eggs in the fridge to act as a binder for the various ingredients when you’re making gourmet burger patties.

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German Pork Burger

Burgers don’t have to be made with beef. Using pork instead can lend itself to other flavor profiles, like this German sausage-inspired burger.

The seasonings are what make this a standout burger: namely caraway seeds and juniper berries, which are similar to peppercorns yet with a piney, citrusy flavor. Then what else would you top a German burger with but sauerkraut and sharp mustard? There’s also sour cream mixed into the ground beef.

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Crock Pot Pizza Burgers

This recipe’s proof you can make anything in a slow cooker. You don’t even have to take a minute to form the burger patties because these are more like sloppy joes held together with melted mozzarella.

By browning the beef in a skillet before it goes in the slow cooker, you can drain some of the grease drippings. Mix in tomato sauce, cheese, pepperoni, and pizza seasonings, and cook on low or four hours.

Spoon onto toasted buns, and top each pizza burger with a slice of cheese.

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Lucky Peach Lamb Burgers

These burgers don’t have peaches in them – the recipe comes courtesy of Peter Mehan, the editor of food magazine Lucky Peach and author of 101 Easy Asian Recipes. So while you might be used to Mediterranean lamb burgers, these are made with cumin, cilantro, and Sichuan peppercorns.

Pick up the cookbook for more great recipes like miso clam chowder, dry-fried green beans, and tofu dressing.

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