Burger Recipes You Need to Get You Through Summer

Making a delicious burger seems so easy, but all sorts of things can go wrong. A bland, desiccated puck slapped in a squishy white bun with the obligatory ketchup squirt is an all-too-common cookout experience. Make underwhelming burgers a distant memory with a few new meat ’n' condiment combos. Choose from these beef, chicken, pork, lamb, and turkey burger recipes, plus a vegetarian portobello mushroom "burger." French fries and onion rings required.

1. Juicy Lucy Burger (a.k.a. Jucy Lucy)

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A Minneapolis daughter, Juicy Lucy is a cheese-stuffed beauty. American cheese is standard, but feel free to free-style with cheddar, even pepper jack. Get our Juicy Lucy Burger recipe.

2. Chipotle-Bacon Turkey Burger

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Anchovy paste and soy sauce add just enough umami to this baby to take it over the top. Add a slather of spicy chipotle ketchup, and you’ve got a tasty turkey burger that sings. Get our Chipotle-Bacon Turkey Burger recipe.

3. Double-Decker Portobello “Burger”

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Pesto and a crunchy ciabatta bun add extra flavor and texture to this meatless sandwich that sacrifices none of the drama of its cow-burger cognate. Cheese (Monterey jack or provolone) make it deluxe. Get our Double-Decker Portobello “Burger” recipe.

4. Pork and Chorizo Chile Burger

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Ground pork is juicy, but can be a little too one-note for a burger. Enter Mexican chorizo, which, with its vinegar and spices, can never be accused of blandness. Get our Pork and Chorizo Chile Burger recipe.

5. Mediterranean Lamb Burger

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Lamb tenderness and rich, lanoline-like flavor make it the perfect candidate for a smoky char and an assertive spicy mayo. Cilantro and a touch of cumin enhance the distinctive lambiness of these sophisticated burgers. Get our Mediterranean Lamb Burger recipe.

6. Banh Mi Chicken Burger

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The Vietnamese banh mi may just be the sandwich for our times—bright-tasting, full of character, and open to variation. This chicken-patty version hits all of that, plus pushes our burger button in the best way. Get our Banh Mi Chicken Burger recipe.

6. Onion Rings

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These are definitely not burgers, but a burger universe that does not include onion rings is unthinkable. These have a supercrisp breadcrumb layer that makes them out of this world. Get our Onion Rings recipe.

8. French Fries

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Fries are burgers’ invariable companion, but they aren’t always what they should be. This recipe, which calls for a double-fry technique, yields fries with good color, a crisp skin, and a light, fluffy interior. Get our French Fries recipe.