It’s hard to fault a classic, but burgers are so much more versatile than a humble patty topped with a slice of cheese and a squirt of ketchup. What about grilled pineapple? Caramelized peaches? Bacon and brie? Here, 25 burger toppings you haven’t tried yet (but that are about to become regulars in your rotation). Follow these recipes to a T, or just use them for inspiration. Happy summer, y’all.
25 Burger Toppings You Haven’t Tried, from Crunchy Apple Slaw to Caramelized Peaches
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Published Jun 12, 2022
1. Guacamole Burger Bites
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: keto-friendly, crowd-pleaser, low carb, low sugar
We ditched the buns to keep these minis keto-friendly, but feel free to customize them as you see fit. The real key is this: Guac and mozz seem like an unlikely pairing (and burger topping), but one bite and it just makes sense.
2. Bacon Western Double Cheeseburger
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: kid-friendly, special occasion–worthy, ready in <30 minutes
Gather round, cowboys and girls. These burgers feature beer-battered onion rings, barbecue sauce and cheddar, and you won’t want to miss ’em.
3. Three Hot Burger Toppings
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: high protein, beginner-friendly
Take your pick: Tex-Mex (aka pepper Jack and pico de gallo), steakhouse (that’s bacon and blue cheese) or Mediterranean (hummus and all the fixings). If you can’t choose, consider this your invitation to put out all the toppings and set up a burger bar.
4. Double Decker Italian Turkey Burger
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <30 minutes, high protein
Whether you go with turkey or traditional ground beef, these burgers are anything but bland, thanks to garlic aioli, basil vinaigrette and plenty of peppers and cheese.
5. Juicy Lucy
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
What if we told you to put your burger toppings inside the patty? Imagine the delight on everyone’s faces when they bite in.
6. Pork Banh Mi Burger
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: dairy free, beginner-friendly
The one where two top-tier sandwiches meet and fall in love. Sriracha mayo, pickled vegetables and cilantro are all musts.
7. Green Chile Cheeseburger
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It:
Hatch chiles are rich, smoky and slightly buttery when roasted, and a classic burger topping in New Mexico. You won’t frequently find them elsewhere…unless you make them at home.
8. Crispy Quinoa Burgers Topped With Sweet Potato Fries And Beer Caramelized Onions
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy,
The homemade sweet potato fries and beer-infused onions have a way of jazzing up an otherwise standard vegetarian patty, but we wouldn’t fault you for trying them on a beef burger if you wanted.
9. French Onion Burger
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, ready in <30 minutes
This burger has a secret: It starts with just three ingredients, and one of them is store-bought onion soup mix. The Dijonnaise and caramelized onions are optional—or are they?
10. Southwestern Beyond Burger
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, vegetarian
Caramelized onions and poblanos, avocado, pico de gallo, chipotle mayo…are you drooling yet?
11. Mediterranean Turkey Burger
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: under 500 calories, kid-friendly
As it turns out, a healthy burger is *not* an oxymoron. These clock in at less than 500 calories each, and that’s with all the toppings.
12. Brie And Bacon Stuffed Burgers
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, beginner-friendly
On the other hand, we’re all for indulging every now and then. These patties are stuffed with brie and crisp bacon bits, so the toppings are kept low-key. (Think burger sauce and pickles to offset the rich cheese.)
13. Goat Cheese Guac Burgers With Cheddar And Caramelized Onions
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: high protein, special occasion–worthy
Some folks are burger purists, and some like to smother their sammies in every cheese, vegetable and sauce they can find in the fridge. Chaos is good sometimes.
14. Sweet And Spicy Barbecue Bacon Hawaiian Turkey Burgers
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: kid-friendly, ready in <30 minutes, less than 500 calories
We can’t all agree on Hawaiian pizza, but we can agree on Hawaiian burgers. The sweet-tangy-savory flavor combination just works.
15. Grilled Blue Cheese Burgers With Bacon And Crunchy Apple Slaw
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, <10 ingredients
A crispy-crunchy apple slaw is just the thing to balance out these decadent burger patties, which are studded with blue cheese and bacon in every bite.
16. Broccoli And Cheddar Burger
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <30 minutes
Broccoli and cheddar are like cookies and milk: a dream team. And as burger toppings, they’re even better.
17. Fried Mozzarella And Caramelized Peach Caprese Burger
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, ready in <30 minutes
It’s no secret we love tossing fresh peaches on the grill, but we never thought to put them on a burger until now. Besides, if the grill is already on…
18. Chipotle Burgers
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <30 minutes
They’re spicy, but not so spicy that everyone will be sweating and crying at the dinner table. Pair them with chips and salsa for a casual meal, or a fruit-and-feta salad for an elegant affair.
19. Smoky Sweet Cherry Pepper Cheeseburgers
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: high protein, beginner-friendly
The smoked cheddar cheese and chopped cherry peppers are reminiscent of pimento cheese, so of course we’re already obsessed.
20. California-style Bison Burgers
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <30 minutes, high protein
Bison tastes a lot like beef, but it’s leaner and higher in omega-3s. If you can find it at your store, it pairs great with sprouts, avo and Havarti cheese (but ground chuck works fine too).
21. Avocado Turkey Burgers
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, ready in <30 minutes
Creamy avocado and gooey pepper Jack cheese need little introduction. They’re just the right duo to add moisture and flavor to turkey burgers.
22. Jalapeño Pepper Jack Turkey Burgers
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
You had us at jalapeños and again at spicy ranch. The patties are seasoned with cumin, paprika and cilantro for extra kick.
23. Tuscan Garlic Burgers With Pesto Mayo
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: high protein, low sugar
Pesto is good on everything from pasta to salmon, so why wouldn’t it be equally delicious on a burger?
24. Bourbon Bacon Barbecue Burger
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
Get this: The bacon is coated in brown sugar and bourbon before it’s cooked, so it’s chewy and sweet when it reaches your burger (and your mouth).
25. Buffalo Chicken Burgers With Gorgonzola Slaw
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, high protein
The crisp cabbage slaw features honey, garlic and lemon juice in addition to blue cheese. You’re going to want extra napkins for this one.
