Take Your Burger to the Next Level

Break the cardinal rule of grilling-don't press the patties!-with this diner-style smash burger, made on the grill in a cast-iron griddle or skillet. The recipe comes from Weber's Ultimate Grilling, by the grill company's resident chef, Jamie Purviance.

Southside Minneapolis is home to this three-napkin burger famous for its molten cheese center. Both Matt's Bar and the 5-8 Club claim its creation. No matter the lineage, it's burgerlicious.

After searing a burger on cast iron (and tasting the crust that develops), you may never grill burgers outside again. We topped ours with herby veggies and feta cheese.

Bring along extra toppers inspired by pizza-parlor classics: thinly sliced sweet peppers and onion, spinach, sautéed mushrooms, jarred banana peppers or sliced olives.

Try this easy, crunchy topper on sliders, hamburgers or hot dogs. 

Horseradish mustard adds a kick to grilled burgers, while barbecue sauce and white Cheddar cheese create a flavorful topping combo.

Sugared bacon and melting cheese curds or string cheese make a mouthwatering filling for these behemoth burgers. The recipe comes from chef/owner John McClure of Starker's Restaurant at Country Club Plaza in Kansas City.

Romesco is a garlicky Spanish sauce made of almonds, tomato and roasted red peppers. Here, it takes the place of ketchup on a spiced lamb burger topped with goat cheese. (Note: You can definitely make this burger with ground beef if you aren't a fan of lamb.)

Add kick to your burgers or sandwiches with this quick four-ingredient condiment.

This sandwich looks a bit plain, but appearances can be deceiving. It's packed with flavor. Mustard, herbs and lemon zest season the meat, which is topped with wine-poached pears, sharp cheddar and pepper jelly. The recipe comes from Jen Smallwood of Portsmouth, Virginia.

Brush this super-easy sauce on burger patties, chicken or other meats for a punch of smoky flavor.

Start with ground turkey for this tall burger that offers big flavor from curry powder, garlic, red onion and jalapeno pepper. A cool and creamy aioli tops the grilled sandwich. 

Here's a way to pack traditional burgers with extra flavor. The basic burger is mixed with egg, water, beef bouillon granules, chopped onion, cheese, basil, Worcestershire sauce and spices. An optional mustard sauce adds even more kick.

Irish flavors infuse this burger recipe, which calls for mixing corned beef, cabbage, and caraway seeds into ground beef. Serve with grilled onions and spicy horseradish mustard.

To keep in step with the small-meal trend in restaurants, we created this Mini Burger Party Platter with fun sauces to choose from, including Balsamic Mayo, Herbed Goat Cheese and Citrus Ketchup. You could use this platter for an appetizer or a main dish.

Top burgers with a spoonful of homemade pimiento cheese, or stuff the burgers with cheese before grilling. The recipe also gives an alternative for grinding your own burgers from hanger steaks.

This tasty burger from Northern Waters Restaurant in Duluth, Minnesota, is essentially a tender fish cake on a bun. The key is grinding or chopping the fish enough to hold together--but not so finely that it becomes mealy. 

Our light-as-a-summer-breeze cantaloupe-strawberry relish contrasts with a brawny bison burger full of chopped apple and jerk seasoning. To keep it from getting too cute, we slapped it on Texas toast.

Blue cheese and cream cheese join with so-sweet onions for a delicious burger topper. The cheese-onion combo also tastes great topping grilled steaks or chicken.

This lamb burger explodes with flavor: aromatic herbs, tangy lemon mayo, sweet grilled onion. We love lamb's earthy flavor, but if you aren't sure your family or friends will agree, use a 50-50 blend of beef and lamb. Or seek out American-raised lamb, which is more mild than meat imported from New Zealand.

Combine lean ground beef and ground turkey with fresh herbs, chopped onion and Parmesan cheese for this fresh-tasting burger.

Bold meets bold in this grilled pork burger. The ingredients (pesto, lemon pepper, peanut butter, chipotle) shouldn't taste good together, but trust us. It works. Leftover sauce goes great with chicken, too.

To create a Moroccan twist on burgers, stir chopped apricots, toasted pine nuts, cilantro, cumin and other spices into ground beef, then serve with spiced ketchup.

Homemade Onion Jam and goat cheese make these juicy burgers extraordinary. You can fix the Onion Jam up to two days ahead.

These burgers hold a surprise inside: a melty cheese-cranberry center.

For an upscale twist on a Midwest favorite, add East Indian-influenced spices such as cinnamon and coriander to hamburger. Then instead of the traditional ketchup and mustard, brush the burger with sweet/hot pepper jelly. Serve in pita bread instead of a bun.

We created this burger in honor of South Dakota, the largest producer of bison in the nation. Pita bread holds the moist, tender burger, and it's topped with a cabbage slaw tossed with Thousand Island dressing. You can use lean ground beef if you don't have ground bison.

This simple, flavorful recipe comes from reader Doug Heiken of Grand Rapids, Minnesota. It's a quick, easy recipe to throw together if you have a vegetarian at a cookout.

Designed for a party, our Hamburger Steak Sliders recipe makes 12 appetizer-size servings. Serve with assorted spreads and toppers to let guests build their own burgers.