Seven Weird Burger Toppings that Somehow Work
That’s right, y’all. For the third week in a row, I’m giving you an article on burgers. It’s time to fire up your grills, okay?
Anyway, this time around it’s time to talk about how to make some truly unique burgers by looking at the way you top it. Following is a list of my seven favorite slightly wacky burger combos. I’ve tried them each myself and can personally vouch for their yum factor. Check it out:
Fried Egg: Both the flavor and texture of a soft (or runny) egg add a little layer of decadence to your burger without being too intrusive. It ups the gourmet factor just a tad and leaves plenty of room for other ingredients. My favorite combo is a fried egg with caramelized onions and butter lettuce. In this case, I forgo the popular tomato.
Peanut Butter and Pickles: Don’t click away! Hear me out. This is shockingly good. Just spread a thin layer of peanut butter on your bun or on top of the patty, and add some sliced pickles to cut the fat. You might not need anything else on that burger, but some cheddar or American cheese wouldn’t hurt.
Chili: What a delight. A lot of chili is loaded with ground beef already, so combining a burger and chili is just a natural match. As for other toppings? Just make it the best of both worlds—add green onions, sour cream, shredded cheese, pickles, even tomato or mustard. It all goes well.
Pastrami: The pastrami burger has a special place in my heart because it was popularized by Crown Burger—a native Utahn establishment. Pastrami goes really well with your burger patty because they’re both made from beef, so their flavors don’t contradict each other at all. On the contrary, the spice of the pastrami adds something unique to the burger, and it also brings some more fun textures to the party. For fixings you can treat it just like a normal burger (lettuce, onion, the works). Just one word of warning: the vast majority of restaurants serving a pastrami burger tend to go a little over the top. From experimentation I’ve found that a little bit of pastrami on your patty goes a long way, but a lot of pastrami will overtake the whole sandwich.
Cranberry Sauce and Muenster: Gorgeous. Just divine. Cranberry sauce is a Thanksgiving staple because it is highly acidic, which helps cut through all the fatty, starchy foods you’re getting with your meal. You know what else is fatty and starchy? That’s right, burgers. And cranberries complement it perfectly well for the same reason. In fact, cranberry ketchup is very much a thing worth trying.
Spicy Chilis and Marshmallow Spread: Another truly weird combination, I tried this one time and was floored by how good it is. I have yet to make it myself, but I was served this burger with a spread of red hot chilis over the patty and a thick dollop of marshmallow creme on top. It was a fiesta of amazing flavors and textures.
Jalapeno Poppers: Anyone who loves jalapeno poppers tends to look for a way to sneak them into almost everything, and on top of your favorite burger is no exception. Just slice a jalapeno in half, stuff it with cream cheese, and scorch it black on ripping high heat. Drop that thing on top of your finished burger and you won’t be sorry. Whenever I add these to my burger I make sure to avoid ketchup, but everything else works great.
Do you have any weird burger toppings you enjoy? Drop a comment below and give me something new to try.
Matthew Christensen
Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2023
Email the author! matthew@dvo.com