Most Epic Burger Toppings Ever
Alright, what's the craziest thing you've ever had on a burger? From state fairs, to televised contests, to backyard grillmasters, to the wacky creations on Bob's Burger's (did you know they have a cookbook?), it would seem that there's no topping too crazy or exorbitant for the once-humble hamburger. Wanna join the trend and take your burger toppings to the extreme? Well then, you need to think way beyond guacamole and spicy sriracha sauce. These truly epic burger toppings will take your burger to the next stratosphere of awesomeness ... if you think you can handle it.
Epic bacon
Bacon, regaled as the almighty king of burger toppings ... but is it epic? It can be ... if the bacon is dipped in chocolate! The wacky folks at Philadelphia's PYT know a thing or two about outrageous burgers, and the Doh! Nut Burger doesn't disappoint, with its burger patty, American cheese, and slices of chocolate-covered bacon, sandwiched between two griddled glazed doughnuts. This is one burger that will have you saying "cowabunga, dude!"
Chocolate not your bag? Well, the gang over at Grill Em' All in Alahambra, California have taken bacon to the extreme ... by deep-frying it. That's right, their Witte Burger is topped with deep-fried bacon slices, cream cheese, sriracha, and malt vinegar aioli. If you'd rather get your epic bacon toppings on at home, why not try D'artagnan's recipe for their Upstate Burger, topped with Granny Smith apples and bacon slices candied in the oven with cayenne pepper and brown sugar? Like, why not try it right now?
More meat!
What could be more epic than topping your burger with even more meat? The famous Porky Burger, topped with pulled pork, features just one of the meaty topping choices at Chef Michael Symon's B Spot Burgers, where you can also rock out with a burger topped with chorizo sausage, capicola, or fried salami. Not to be outdone, smokehouse and raw bar Doc Crow's in Louisville, KY offers the Bubba Burger, topped with the truly epic meatilicious combo of sliced beef brisket and pulled pork, with a fried green tomato, onion rings, coleslaw, and a fried egg thrown on for good measure.
Not enough extra meat for you? Wow, you really are epic! How about trying this burger on for size: the Jump in the Fryer Burger from our buds at Grill Em' All is topped with deep-fried chicken and bacon slices, and sandwiched with cheddar and maple syrup between two freshly made waffles.
Fried ice cream
Cheryl and Dennis Reas of Carousel Foods know a thing or two about crazy burger toppings, so you won't be getting a boring old cheeseburger on their watch. Guests of Tampa's Florida State Fair were the first to tackle the Ice Cream Burger, a burger topped with cornflake-coated fried ice cream, along with pickles, bacon slices, and American cheese.
The combo of ice cream and a burger clearly struck a chord with the public, as evidenced by the New York Beef Industry Council's pick for Perfect Burger of 2012. The burger patty for the "Perfect Ice Cream Burger" is a mixture of ground beef, roasted peppers, worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and vanilla ice cream, cooked through, and then topped with a sauce of pesto-infused ice cream.
Peanut butter
The Fat Guy's Burger chain in Oklahoma is not only home to one of the most insane burger eating challenges out there (two pounds of burger, a pound of bacon, two hot dogs, a jumbo bun, and a pound of fries, all in under 60 minutes!), but it's also home to a pretty nutty burger. The Peanut Butter and Bacon Burger, which is just like it sounds, is the second-most popular item on the menu. The Zombie Burger and Shake Lab in Iowa has taken the idea to even more epic proportions with their Undead Elvis Burger, topped with peanut butter, fried bananas, bacon, American cheese, egg, and mayonnaise. Thangya, thangya verruhmuh'.
Looking to really take the peanut butter epicness to the next level? Why not try The Reese's PBC Burger, from Canadian outfit The Works Gourmet Burger Bistro. The burger is topped with — you guessed it — crumbled Reese's peanut butter cups, along with frizzled onions and strips of bacon. For extra measure, they even stuffed the beef patty with a whole Reese's peanut butter cup.
Mac and cheese
You either love mac and cheese, or you REALLY love mac and cheese, so why not let two great worlds collide and pile some mac and cheese on your burger? With a flavor harkening back to school days, when your Mom would make Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni for dinner, mac and cheese as a deluxe burger topping is a trend we can definitely get down with. The Cheesecake Factory tops their Macaroni and Cheese Burger with their famously decadent deep-fried macaroni and cheese balls, and smothers the burger further with a creamy cheddar cheese sauce.
Meanwhile, at the Gramercy location of NYC's Ainsworth Park, The Mac and Cheese Burger is served topped with panko-crusted mac and cheese, along with a generous scoop of their homemade traditional elbow macaroni and cheese. Ainsworth Park is so proud of their carbolicious creation, they've featured the Mac and Cheese Burger in their truly epic food challenge. Contestants have 45 minutes to cram down the stomach-busting combination of three Mac and Cheese Burgers, french fries, and a pickle. Those who succeed get far more than bragging rights: the prizes include a t-shirt, $500 cash, and the $60 meal itself.
Deep-fried oreos
Now here's a burger topping that really takes the cake ... or cookie. Do you think you could stomach a Deep-Fried Oreo Burger? Well, the gang at Carousel Foods, who cater to the State Fair circuit, put it to a vote. A contender for the 2015 annual People's Choice Burger at the Florida State Fair, the Deep-Fried Oreo Burger featured a beef patty deep-fried in Oreo batter, then topped with bacon. Says co-owner of Carousel Foods, Cheryl Reas, "The crazier it is, the more people want to try it."
It would seem the Deep-Fried Oreo Burger got at least one vote from Scotty's Brewhouse in Indiana. Their homage to the deep-fried treats served at the Indiana State Fair was their very own take on the Deep-Fried Oreo Burger. Scotty's limited edition burger from August 2015 was topped with three deep-fried Oreos and bacon, and drizzled with a cream cheese icing.
Gravy
Fans bemoaning the shuttering of Chicago's Wiener and Still Champion will need to bust out their own personal Fry Daddy to recreate the restaurant's famous burger topping creation: deep-fried gravy. Though owner Gus Pachlis would never divulge exactly how he made the little oozy hockey pucks of gravyliciousness, we do know they were made of chicken gravy dredged in seasoned flour. That should keep you, (and your local fire department,) very busy.
If you've got a hankering for a Thanksgiving meal anytime of the year, Smokin' Betty's in Philadelphia has your fix. Their Tur-duck-en Burger comes brimming with homemade stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potato ribbons, and of course, oodles of southern-style gravy, all on a patty of ground turkey, chicken, and truffled duck mousse. The cray-cray homage to Turkey Day was even featured on Food Network's Outrageous Foods.
Lobster
If you prefer your epicness to err on the side of decadence, look no further than the Surf and Turf Burger at Charleston, South Carolina's Palmetto Cafe, located in the chichi Belmond Charleston Place Hotel. Their house "21" Burger is topped with freshly made bearnaise sauce, and a large portion of lobster claw meat, nestled onto a brioche bun. Apparently, you'll have to get out of the house early to throw down nearly $30 on a burger of this magnificence, as the Palmetto Cafe is only open for lunch.
The Palmetto Cafe is hardly the first establishment to top a burger with this magnificent crustacean. The New England locations of the Shake Shack feature a limited-edition, seasonal burger called the Surf 'n Shack burger. Their burger-riffic take on the lobster roll is topped with chunks of freshly made lobster salad. Fast food giant Wendy's even got in on the lobster bandwagon, taking advantage of 2012's dip in lobster prices. The Lobster Surf and Turf Burger and the Premium Lobster and Caviar Sandwich were added to the menu, alongside other opulent choices like the Fois Gras and Truffle Burger. But you'll need a plane ticket to score these luxurious Wendy's meals ... they're only available in Wendy's locations in Japan.
A Cinnabon
While not technically a burger topping, you've gotta give a big shout-out to food blogger Nick over at Dude Foods, who (correctly) surmised that the Cinnaburger should come to be. A half-pound burger and fried bacon are sandwiched between the two halves of a Cinnabon. If you've ever been to a shopping mall pretty much anywhere in the U.S., you've probably been the slave to the cinnamony aroma wafting off these precious buns, so is it really any surprise they'd make for the ultimate burger bun? Bonus points to Nick for also creating an alphabet burger, with toppings from A-Z.
Grillmaster Clint Cantwell of Grillocracy has created a cinnamon bun masterpiece that you don't even have to leave the house for, as long as you are well-stocked with pop and bake Pillsbury cinnamon rolls. The cinnamon rolls are rolled with bacon, and the ground beef patties are prepared with a coffee dry rub. Then he tops it all with fried eggs and swiss cheese, which Clint assures us makes these burgers the perfect breakfast. Don't forget to add the drizzled icing!
Poutine
If you want real poutine on your burger, you'd better head to the source. Montreal's Jukebox Burger is home to ten different varieties of poutine, and they aren't scared to put them on top of your burger. Poutine, the French-Canadian classic late-nighter dish of french fries topped with cheese curds and gravy, is also renowned as a hangover helper, so we don't care what time of day you order one.
Care to try your hand at making a poutine-topped burger on your own? We like your style! And what could be more stylish than the Poutine on the Ritz Burger recipe from Bon Appetit, inspired by the Bob's Burgers recipe of the same name. The Ritz Burger calls for a rich, homemade gravy of porcini mushrooms, veal demi-glace, and over 10 other ingredients. The sumptuous gravy takes well over an hour to prepare, but don't worry — they give you a break and let you use frozen french fries in the next step.
Chile relleno
Challenged to create an epic, limited edition burger, chef/owners Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Miliken of the famous West Coast restaurants Border Grill answered the call. Enter the Chile Relleno Burger. A black angus brisket patty is topped with a chile relleno (a roasted poblano chile stuffed with manchego and cojita cheese, battered and fried) and topped further with tomato, lettuce, pickled onions and a chipotle-tinged thousand island dressing. The Mexcellent burger proved so popular, it's been added to the permanent lunch menu.
Further proof that the ladies at Border Grill hit burger gold? Well, they do say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so we are hoping they appreciated the Cheesecake Factory's version of their legendary burger. Fans adored this limited edition on the restaurant's "Glam-burger" menu, but alas, the Chile Relleno Burger did not earn permanent status on the menu.