Hamburgers won’t ever exit of favor. However the toppings? They might use an improve. Why will we really feel confined by cheese, lettuce, tomato, and purple onion (a.ok.a. “the works”) when there are such a lot of different substances that may complement — or higher but improve — the burger patty? 

To assist us suppose exterior of the burger field, we requested 9 skilled cooks for his or her favourite unconventional burger toppings. From pantry staples to luxurious objects, listed here are seven substances it’s best to think about including to your subsequent burger.

‘Nduja

“I prefer to maintain my burger fairly easy, however with a twist that makes it unforgettable,” says 1990 F&W Finest New Chef Roberto Donna. “I unfold a layer of spicy ‘nduja sausage, which melts proper into the patty, including a deep, smoky warmth.” He tops the patty with a beneficiant spoonful of candy purple onion jam and caciocavallo, a semi-hard Italian cheese just like provolone. “It melts fantastically and brings a nutty, barely tangy taste that ties all the pieces collectively.”

French fries

2014 F&W Finest New Chef Gregory Denton has a genius solution to eat quick meals … sooner. “I prefer to dump my fries on my burger and eat them collectively,” he says. “I’m undecided why this method is best or totally different than consuming fries after a chew of burger, however it’s.” 

Kimchi

Once you need to punch up the acidity of your burger or add successful of umami, strive including some kimchi. 2004 F&W Finest New Chef Melissa Perello tops her burgers with store-bought or housemade kimchi to steadiness out the wealthy, beefy flavors. Identical goes for 2010 F&W Finest New Chef Jonathan Sawyer. “I like to think about burgers as handheld taste bombs, so I’ll throw on issues that get up the palate,” he says. If not kimchi, he’ll add black garlic aïoli, pickled inexperienced strawberries, or a sheet of nori.

Foie gras

For 2020 F&W Finest New Chef Trigg Brown, the final word burger topping isn’t essentially one he’s indulging in at dwelling, however one he’ll e-book a airplane ticket for. At Can Paixano, a conventional tapas bar and sandwich store in Barcelona, Brown orders the burger with foie gras. The seared piece of fatty duck liver provides a contact of sweetness and ups the luxuriousness of an in any other case commonplace patty.

Anchovies

Anchovies improve all the pieces from Caesar salad to pasta sauce, and so they additionally convey mouthwatering umami to burgers. However as a substitute of layering them immediately on prime of the patty, 1998 F&W Finest New Chef Michael Symon sneaks them into the sauce. “I mince [the anchovies] and fold them into the mayo,” he says. This delicate improve will make your burger a lot extra complicated. 

Ramen noodles

“I’ve eaten some bizarre meals mixtures in my life, however this one is simply enjoyable,” says 2013 F&W Finest New Chef Justin Cogley. Impressed by MOS Burger, a McDonald’s-style fast-food chain in Japan, Cogley tops his burger with cooked ramen noodles. In contrast to the viral Ramen Burger, the place two pucks of crispy noodles act because the bun, Cogley’s burger continues to be sandwiched between bread. This fusion hamburger may not be an on a regular basis affair, however for Cogley, it transports him proper to Japan.

Something however the bread

2017 F&W Finest New Chef Jordan Kahn’s unconventional spin on the burger isn’t a lot about what’s added to the patty — it’s about what’s eliminated: the bun. “My spouse and I make ‘fork and knife’ burgers at dwelling,” he says. “The ‘fork and knife’ component refers back to the absence of bread. In different phrases, we construct it like a Hamburg steak, with giant salad or vegetable assortments on prime.” A few of his previous mixtures have included lamb with eggplant confit, smoked tomatoes, and dates; and beef with caramelized onions, endive, radish, and inexperienced peppercorn Dijonnaise.