12 Creative Burger Recipes

Juicy Baked Turkey Burgers on a cutting board with various ingredients in the background — The Spruce

Our beloved hamburger has been around for more than 100 years. According to The Encyclopedia of American Food & Drink, by John Mariani, one of the first known mentions of a "hamburg steak" in print was in 1884 in the "Boston Evening Journal." The term "hamburger" appeared on a New York Delmonico's restaurant menu which was believed to have been printed in 1834. In Mrs. Rorer's New Cook Book (1902), the hamburg steak is described as beef put twice through a meat grinder and mixed with onion and pepper.

By 1912, ground meat patties were being served in buns, and according to "The American Dictionary of American Slang", the suffix "burger" came to mean "any hot sandwich served on a bun, often toasted, with many condiments...."

White Castle opened their first "hamburger stand" in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas, and the popularity of the hamburger grew as Americans began to travel by car. In the 1950s the McDonald's chain began, creating more competitors.

Also according to "The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink", Americans eat three hamburgers per week per person! That's about 38 billion annually, or 59 percent of all sandwiches consumed.

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Basic Grilled Burgers With Topping Suggestions

The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

These easy grilled burgers are flavored with some Worcestershire sauce and a bit of brown sugar. Top them with a slice of pepper jack or cheddar cheese and your choice of toppings.

Remoulade sauce and chipotle mayonnaise are delicious on burgers, and they're a nice change of pace from ketchup or mustard.
02 of 12

Burrito Burgers

Diana Rattray

Taco or burrito seasoning flavors the burger mixture, but the toppings make this a true burrito-flavored burger. Refried beans, salsa, pepper jack cheese, and your favorite burrito toppings make this burger extraordinary.
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Juicy Baked Burgers

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

These indoor burgers are seared and then baked in a hot oven. A little steak sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and cayenne pepper jazzes these burgers up.
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Beef and Bacon Burgers

Diana Rattray

An egg and breadcrumbs bring the ground beef and diced bacon together in these great-tasting burgers. The burgers are flavored with simple seasonings, along with chopped onion and Worcestershire sauce.

Continue to 5 of 12 below.
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Cajun Burger With Remoulade

Diana Rattray

Cajun seasonings are in both the burger as well as the remoulade sauce, giving these hamburgers a double dose of Louisiana spice. The recipe calls for making your own Cajun mix, but you can use store-bought if need be.
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Juicy Baked Turkey Burgers With Garlic

The Spruce / Cara Cormack

These yummy turkey burgers are made with a combination of turkey thighs and turkey breast, making them lean but still juicy.
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Chicken Burgers

Diana Rattray

Ground chicken thighs keep these burgers moist and juicy. The chicken burgers are flavored with garlic, some lime juice and cilantro, and Cajun seasoning.
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Mushroom Stuffed Burgers

The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

Sautéed sliced mushrooms are tucked into the center of these delicious burgers. Top your burgers off with your favorite cheese and toppings.

Continue to 9 of 12 below.
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Mexican Burgers

John E. Kelly / Getty Images

Tex-Mex seasonings add flavor to these burgers along with pepper jack cheese. Broil, grill, or pan-grill these burgers.
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Reuben Burgers With Sauerkraut and Thousand Island Dressing

Kyle Monk / Getty Images

These round beef patties are topped with classic Reuben sandwich toppings, including Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, pickles, and Thousand Island dressing. Serve the burgers open-faced on rye bread or serve them in multi-grain or rye buns.
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Grilled Salmon Burgers

Diana Rattray

Use fresh sockeye salmon to make these delicious burgers. Cilantro, ginger, and sesame oil give them Asian flavor.

Serve the salmon burgers with a spicy chili mayonnaise or sweet chili mayonnaise (see directions, below). Cook the burgers on the grill, an electric grill, or in a grill pan on the stovetop.
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Easy Meatloaf Sliders

Diana Rattray

These little meatloaf burgers are baked in muffin tins. The burgers are the perfect size for sliders. Top them with bacon and cheese if you'd like.