Unexpected Burger Toppings You Need To Try

This Thursday, May 28, it’s National Hamburger Day – and if you’re anything like us, you’ll be celebrating the only way we know how: With a patty, a bun, and some toppings. This year, though, we want to do things a little differently. We’re sick of the same old stuff going on burgers! Cheese, bacon, lettuce…it’s all got quite samey, guys. 

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So, this year, we’re encouraging you to think outside the box. Here are some left-field burger toppings that will improve your sandwich in no time at all. 

Jalapeño Poppers

In our opinion, jalapeño poppers give you serious bang for your buck. They’re cheesy, salty, crispy, and spicy, all in one go. As such, they can take the place of a good few toppings in your burger while delivering a lot of impact – or you can throw them on top of other ingredients for a mega sandwich. 

You just need to make sure you’re using the best jalapeño poppers you can find. For our money, TGI Fridays and Farm Rich are two very good options. 

Orange Marmalade

Bear with us on this one. Orange marmalade might seem strange, but it works surprisingly well in burgers, thanks to its balance of sweetness and bitterness. This sugary, yet sour effect cuts through the deep savoriness of beef patties, lightening them without being too distracting. 

Orange marmalade works especially well with Gouda or Emmental cheese, and it also pairs excellently with bacon. If you can find out, a burnt orange marmalade will give you an extra layer of flavor. 

Charred Broccoli

If you want to find a way to improve your burger while also maintaining the virtuous glow of someone who gets their five a day, charred broccoli’s your best bet. Charring broccoli gives it smokiness, but also enhances its inherent sweetness and nuttiness. It also gives your burgers a crisp texture point, which stops the sandwich from getting too chewy or dense. 

Chili Crisp

I personally believe that chili crisp should be on everything, so it’s probably no surprise that I’m recommending it here as a burger topping. If you haven’t tried it yet, though, I beseech you to do so. Chili crisp gives burgers heat, spice, umami, and additional fat, which enhances all of the other flavors in the sandwich. 

It’s also astonishingly easy to add to a burger: Just spoon it on. If you want to cut it with something, try mixing it with mayonnaise. Thank me later.

Anchovy Butter

Anchovies are now well-known for their ability to provide umami to virtually anything, and in burgers, they can amp things up considerably. When mixed into butter, they give saltiness and savoriness without an overt raw fish taste, and make the sandwich taste more whole and complete. 

If you’re whipping up an anchovy butter at home, you may also want to add in your favorite herbs to cut through the intensity of the fish. Use it sparingly, too: A little goes a long way here.