In 2020, May is a great month if you love picnics, backyard grilling AND burgers! May 29 is National Burger Day and May 25 is Memorial Day. If there was ever a time to combine friends, family and grilling we cannot think of one!
We have put together a list of mouthwatering and items you may not think would go together to help you amp up your title of Backyard Burger King/Queen and share Memorial Day and National Burger Day with friends and family in a way they will be talking about long after they’ve finished the burger.
National Burger Day may not be considered a “holiday” but if you love burgers — and who doesn’t? — why not celebrate this backyard grilling favorite. There is no reason not to serve the traditional cheeseburger, but why not treat your guests to taste sensations they may never have considered… s’mores burger anyone? Yes, burger and marshmallows — delicious!
Plan A National Burger & Memorial Day Picnic
There’s nothing like a Classic Cheeseburger
Can you imagine a backyard barbecue or a Memorial Day party without a cheeseburger? We can’t! Here is a simple recipe for the best classic cheeseburger.
Ingredients
1 ½ lbs lean 80/20 ground chuck
Salt and pepper to taste
4 slices American cheddar cheese
4 hamburger buns split crosswise (elevate the bun by serving a brioche bun)
Directions
- Preheat your grill. If you’re a traditionalist when it comes to grilling burgers and use charcoal let them heat until the coals are glowing a bright orange.
- Divide the burger into four equal portions. Form a patty.
- Season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Place the patty direct heat.
- Cover and grill about three minutes or until the patties are slightly charred with those enviable grill marks.
- Flip and grill for another three minutes. Cook the burger to the doneness each guest prefers. Don’t press the burger or you will be releasing the juiciness of it.
- Place a slice of cheese to the tops of the burgers.
- Place buns on the indirect side of the grill, cut side down. Cover and grill for another minute to melt the cheese and toast the buns.
- Remove the burger patties and buns from the grill.
- Offer your guests their choice of toppings: Mayo, mustard, ketchup, pickles, onions, etc.
Bacon and Cheese Burger
A take on the traditional burger with the addition of bacon. You can grill the bacon on the grill or cook it indoors. With this burger offer different types of cheese and let your guests choose their favorite.
Chicken Parm Burgers
For those guests who don’t want beef (or even for those who do but want to try something different), ground chicken is the main ingredient in this mouthwatering burger. You’re sure going to cry out ‘Bellisimo’ with this Italian classic in burger form.
Ingredients
1 ½ lbs. ground chicken
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
4 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
4 sourdough rolls
Fresh basil leaves
1 tomato, sliced
Mayonnaise
Directions
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
- Combine ground chicken, parmesan cheese, garlic cloves, oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Divide into four portions and shape into patties.
- Place chicken patties on direct-heat side on the grill.
- Cover and grill for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Flip and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Top each patty with mozzarella cheese slices.
- Cover and grill for one to two 2 minutes or until the cheese melts and the patties have cooked through. Remove from the grill and loosely tent with aluminum foil to keep warm.
- Place the sourdough buns, cut side down, on the indirect-heat side of the grill for one to two minutes.
- Remove from the grill. Spread the buns with mayo.
- Place a chicken patty on top of the bottom bun and stack this with fresh basil leaves and tomato slices. Top with the top side of the bun. Serve immediately.
- Consider using a dollop of warm marinara in place of tomato
Juicy Lucy
This is a Minneapolis twist on the classic cheeseburger. In this burger though the cheese is placed between two patties instead of being placed on top. When you bite into the burger the heated cheese will ooze out.
Ingredients
4 slices of American cheese or another favorite cheese
1 ½ lbs. ground 80/20 chuck
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 hamburger buns
Sliced pickles
Directions
- Cut each slice of the cheese into 4 smaller squares. Stack the pieces on top of each other to form 4 stacks. Set aside.
- Mix the ground chuck, salt, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper.
- Divide into eight equal portions.
- Place two portions of the meat on a work surface. Form the 2 portions into ¼-inch thick patties, each about 1 inch wider in diameter than the hamburger buns. Place 1 stack of cheese in the center of one of the patties.
- Top with the second patty and pinch the edges to form a tight seal. Cup the patty with your hands and round out the edges, pressing on the top to flatten it and form a single thick patty. Transfer this onto a plate.
- Repeat with the remaining portions of meat and cheese to form 4 patties in total. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the patties to set.
- Heat the outdoor grill to medium-high heat.
- Place the patties on the direct-heat side of the grill.
- Cover and grill for four to five minutes per side or until grill marks appear and the patties are cooked through.
- Remove the patties and loosely tent with foil for at least 5 minutes.
- Split the buns and place them on the indirect-heat, cut side down, for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Remove from the grill. Place a patty on top of the bottom half of the bun, top with pickles and cover with the top half of the bun.
- Serve immediately.
Sweet and Savory Pork Burgers
Juicy pork burger patties topped with sweet grilled peaches and crumbly goat cheese makes this one decadent National Burger Day sandwich.
Ingredients
1 ½ lbs. ground pork
3 scallions, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 large peach, cut into wedges
1 teaspoon canola oil
4 whole wheat hamburger buns
Arugula leaves
Goat cheese
Mayonnaise
Directions
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
- Mix ground pork, scallions, salt, and pepper. Mix with your hands until well combined.
- Divide the mixture and form into 4 patties, each about ¼-inch thick. Brush the patties with oil on both sides.
- Place the patties on the direct heat side of your outdoor grill.
- Cover and grill four to five minutes on each side or until cooked through.
- Remove from the grill and tent loosely with foil to keep warm.
- In a mixing bowl, lightly toss the peach wedges with canola oil. Place the peach wedges and the hamburger buns on the indirect-heat side of the grill. Grill for 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until the buns are toasted and the peach wedges are softened with grill marks. Remove from the grill.
- To assemble, spread a layer of mayonnaise on the top and bottom bun. Place a burger patty on top of the bottom bun followed by some crumbled goat cheese, peach wedges, and arugula.
- Top with the top bun and serve immediately.
Buffalo Turkey Burgers
Buffalo blue cheese sauce gives a cool, creamy contrast to the spicy patties in this burger recipe.
Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground turkey
¼ cup hot sauce
1 tablespoon ranch seasoning mix
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg, slightly beaten
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
6 hamburger buns
1 medium tomato, sliced into circles
1 medium red onion, sliced into circles
1 small lettuce, leaves separated
Crumbled blue cheese
Buffalo wing sauce
For the buffalo blue cheese sauce:
1/3 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon ranch seasoning mix
1 tablespoon crumbled blue cheese
Directions:
- In a bowl, add the ground turkey, hot sauce, beaten egg, panko breadcrumbs, ranch seasoning mix, and garlic.
- Divide the mixture and form into 6 patties.
- Preheat outdoor grill to medium-high heat.
- Prepare buffalo cheese sauce.
- Add the yogurt, mayonnaise, hot sauce, ranch seasoning mix, and blue cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk everything together until smooth.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
- Place patties on the direct heat side of your outdoor grill.
- Cover and grill four to five minutes on each side or until cooked through.
- Remove from the grill.
- Toast the hamburger buns for 1 to 2 minutes on each side.
- Place the turkey burger on top of the bottom half of the bun.
- Top with blue cheese, tomatoes, red onion, lettuce, buffalo wing sauce and buffalo cheese sauce and the top half of the bun.
- Serve immediately.
Lentil Walnut Burgers
Lentils are a fantastic choice if you’re serving vegan burgers on National Burger Day. They are a delightful surprise to your meat-loving guests.
Ingredients:
½ cup red onions, roughly chopped
1 clove of garlic
Fresh ginger root, about ¼-inch thick, peeled
1/3 cup walnuts
¼ cup packed cilantro
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
A dash of black pepper
½ teaspoon garam masala
4 basil leaves
¾ cup cooked brown rice
1 15-ounce can cooked brown lentils, drained
2 teaspoons BBQ sauce
1 teaspoon oil
1 teaspoon flax seed meal
2 ½ tablespoon warm water
4 tablespoons gluten-free breadcrumbs
Directions
- Mix together flax seed meal and the warm water until well combined. Set aside.
- Add onion, garlic, ginger, walnuts, and cilantro in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Add the garam masala, salt, basil leaves, rice, and half of the cooked lentils. Pulse in the food processor a few more times until the mixture is well combined. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add the BBQ sauce, oil, flax seed mixture, and the remaining lentils.
- Mix everything together, slightly mashing the mixture until it forms a firm mixture.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Add breadcrumbs and mix until well combined into the mixture.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 minutes for the mixture to set.
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
- Take the lentil mixture out from the refrigerator. Divide this into 4 portions and form this into patties. Lightly brush with oil on both sides. Place on the grill on the direct-heat side of the grill. Cover and grill for 4 to 6 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.
- Remove from the grill and set aside.
- Place the buns, cut side down, on the indirect-heat side of the grill for one to two minutes.
- Remove from the grill. Spread a liberal layer of mayonnaise on the top and bottom bun. Assemble the burger by placing lettuce leaves on the bottom bun. Add the patty, tomato slices, and onion slices. Finish off with the top bun and serve. Source: Vegan Richa
The S’mores Burger
Ys, we said we were going to have a receipt for this! This burger combines sweet and savory and is delicious!
Ingredients:
2 lbs. 80/20 ground beef
6 ounces 60% dark chocolate
18 marshmallows
6 pieces graham crackers, divided into two
6 hamburger buns
Directions:
- Preheat the grill to high heat.
- Divide the beef into 6 portions and form each portion into a ball. Place a ball on a work surface. Flatten it and form a thin patty.
- Break a chocolate square into smaller pieces so that they can lay in a single layer in the center of the burger. Wrap the burger meat around the chocolate, cupping it in your hands as you turn it to form a thick patty. Place on a clean plate.
- Repeat until you have 6 burger patties.
- Season the patties with salt
- Thread marshmallows on bamboo skewers that have been soaked in water for at least an hour. Place the burger patties on the direct-heat side of the grill. Cover and grill for 3 minutes. Place the marshmallows on the indirect-heat side of the grill for 1 minute.
- Flip the burgers and remove the marshmallows from the grill. Add 3 pieces of the toasted marshmallows on top of each of the burger patties. Cover and grill for another 3 minutes, or until the patties are cooked through, and the marshmallows have melted and coated the top of the burger. Remove from the grill.
- Lightly toast the hamburger buns, crust side down, on the indirect-heat side of the grill. Put half of a graham cracker on the bottom bun. Top with the burger patty, another half of the cracker and the top bun. Serve immediately. Source: The Food in My Beard