Our Best Burgers: Menus : gourmet.com

Aussie Burger

Some Australians add grilled onions to this burger—feel free to make it your own.

Photograph by Romulo Yanes

Tucked inside these juicy chuck burgers is a pocket of rich, salty tapenade. To experience the full range of flavors, build your burger with all the accompaniments—the bite of red onion and the sweet crunch of gherkin pickles are key. You can push the envelope even further with homemade buns.

Photograph by Romulo Yanes

Turkish-Style Lamb Burgers with Walnut Sauce

Bulgur gives a nutty texture to spicy lamb burgers; pita rounds sop up the flavorful juice.

Photograph by Romulo Yanes

BLT Burgers

With the exception of beef and cheese, there is no burger combination more revered than beef and bacon. We’ve improved on a classic by putting crumbled pieces of cooked bacon in the middle of the burger.

Photograph by Romulo Yanes

Barbecued Pork Burgers with Slaw

Spicing up store-bought barbecue sauce with a touch of cayenne and a splash of vinegar is an easy trick that makes a big difference. Here, pork burgers get a triple hit of flavor: The sauce gets mixed into the meat, slathered onto the cooked burgers for the last minute of grilling, and brushed on the bun. A cabbage slaw with a creamy dressing tops them off with just the right crunch.

Photograph by Romulo Yanes

Bulgur Veggie Burgers with Lime Mayonnaise

Most veggie burgers must have self-esteem issues, since they’re always pretending to be something they’re not. But these bulgur burgers don’t try to hide their meatless nature and instead celebrate their grain-centric origins with wonderful texture and a hint of Middle Eastern spice.

Plus, these other delicious patties, made with earthy portabella mushrooms and hearty kasha, defy the bland reputation of vegetarian burgers. A fiery dollop of chipotle mayonnaise makes them even more irresistible.

Photograph by Romulo Yanes

Buffalo Burgers with Pickled Onions and Smoky Red Pepper Sauce

A low-fat alternative to beef, ground buffalo is becoming increasingly available.

Photograph by Romulo Yanes

Chipotle Burgers

Minced chipotle chiles spice up grilled hamburgers with a touch of smoky heat; English muffins sandwich the juicy patties just right.

Photograph by Romulo Yanes

Dominican Chimichurri Burgers

No need to worry about why this Dominican burger shares a name with the Argentinean sauce—nobody knows. Instead, just call it a chimi, grab a cold beer, and enjoy!

Photograph by Romulo Yanes

Meatball Sliders

Food editor Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez often cooks for hordes of children, including her three-year-old son, Alex, and she knows that meatballs are always an easy sell. Inspired by the tiny meatball sandwiches served at New York City’s Little Owl restaurant, she came up with these kid-size treats that can be eaten with one hand (leaving the other one free to wreak kid-size havoc).

Photograph by Roland Bello

Creole Crab Burgers

Food lovers on America’s coasts have long known that crab cakes make wonderful sandwiches. A thin layer of tangy tartar sauce and crisp lettuce is all the accompaniment these panfried cakes need.

Photograph by Romulo Yanes