Bright’s 7 Best Burger Recipes for National Hamburger Month

Can you smell that juicy piece of meat falling onto a moist bun with mayonnaise spread? Pilling on the pickles, tomatoes, onions, bacon strips, cheese slice, and a generous squirt of the secret sauce… say it with us — it’s National Hamburger Month!

From Wendy’s to Fat Burger, Burger King, In-N-Out, Whataburger, McDonalds, and more… what’s your favorite pick?

Burgers are the foundation of backyard barbecues and the cash cows that rule fast food joints. On Sunday, when you smell that sweet and spicy aroma of a burger patty cooking on your neighbor’s grill, your stomach starts rumbling and all you can think about is eating a big, juicy burger. So, it makes sense that America would dedicate an entire month to burgers because we absolutely LOVE them!

History of Hamburgers

What most people don’t know is that hamburgers were actually made from “garbage meat.” By that we mean the leftover meat from desirable steak cuts, meat slice cutoff corners, and muscle tissue, which was left behind when cattle was butchered. From this, you might assume that back then, hamburgers would have been quite cheap. In fact, it was the complete opposite! They were considered gourmet food and extremely expensive.

Coming to the origin of the hamburger, there’s no dispute that they hail from Germany. However, there’s still an ongoing fight over who invented the burger: A German or an American. Hamburgers were originally given their limelight in the 19th century. The beef patty was created from German Hamburg cows. The meet was minced, combined with onions, garlic, salt and pepper, and shaped into a patty, which was called the Hamburg Steak. The buns didn’t come into the picture until the end of the 19th century. Since the beef patty was a German staple, it was introduced to America when the German immigrants arrived in Chicago and New York.

Here’s one story that talks about how the hamburger was created:

During the Industrial Revolution, workers were offered Hamburg steak. Eating this patty, while standing, proved to be quite difficult. One of the food cart vendors decided to place the patty between 2 pieces of bun. Sadly, the name of this inventor is not known.

In 1758, Hannah Glasse published a book called The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy. It was this book that contained a recipe by the name “Hamburg Sausage.” It suggested that the meat patty should be placed on top of toasted bread. There were other recipes that suggested this too, and based on this, it is believed that the actual hamburger recipe was introduced in the mid-17th century. In 1986, the Chicago Daily Tribune wrote about the “hamburger sandwich,” which introduced the hamburger concept to the public.

The Hamburger Timeline

According to National Today, a website that posts about national holidays and observances, here’s how the hamburger was created:

1880 – A man named Fletcher Davis from Texas came up with the idea of placing a beef patty in the middle of 2 slice of bread. However, this fact is debatable.
1900– Louis Lassen, a blacksmith from Connecticut came up with the hamburger idea.
1916– Entrepreneur and Chef Walter Anderson opened the first hamburger joint in Kansas. This was what led to the opening of White Castle.
1930– The hamburger patty machine was introduced.
1960 and Onwards– Burger joints started opening all over the world and we were introduced to the likes of McDonalds and Burger King.

Now that you know the history of hamburgers, let’s have a look at some recipes.

Hamburger Recipes

Big Smokey Burger

Smokey burger with mayonnaise and cheese placed on a wooden bar tray

Putting a tasty and aromatic twist on a classic beef burger, we bring to you the Big Smokey Burger. It contains all the fixings of a normal burger but with the addition of liquid smoke flavoring, your tastebuds will rejoice on every bite.

Ingredients

Ground Beef Sirloin: 2 pounds
Onion: ½ (grated)
Grill Seasoning: 1 tbsp
Liquid Smoke Flavoring: 1 tbsp
Worcestershire Sauce: 2 tbsp
Minced Garlic: 2 tablespoons
Adobo Sauce from Canned Chipotle Peppers: 1 tbsp
Chipotle Chile in Adobo Sauce: 1 (chopped)
Pepper and salt to taste
Sharp Cheddar Cheese: 6 slices
Hamburger Buns: 6

Directions

Turn on the grill and switch it to medium heat
Combine the ground beef with grill seasoning, onions, garlic, liquid smoke, chipotle pepper and abodo sauce in a bowl
Form 6 patties, season them with pepper and salt, and set them aside
Place the patties on the grill and cook for 5 minutes on each side
Place the cheese slices on top of the patties and allow them to melt
Slather the bun with Smokey sauce and place your pick of veggies on it
Place the patty on the bun and cap it with the other piece

Jalapeño Blue Cheese Burger

Jalapeño Blue Cheese Burger placed on a wooden bar tray with French fries.

The star of a hamburger is that juicy beef patty but when it comes to the Jalapeño Blue Cheese Burger, we beg to differ. A little spice and a lot of white take this burger to a whole new level. Yes, it’s all about the beef but the blue cheese just might steal the show.

Ingredients

Ground Beef: 2 pounds
Jalapeño Peppers: 6 (seeded and chopped)
Crumbled Blue Cheese: 8 ounces
Onion Powder: 2 tbsp
Garlic Powder: 2 tbsp
Soy Sauce: 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Swiss-Cheese Slices: 4
Hamburger Buns: 4

Directions

Turn on the grill and switch it to high heat
Combine the ground beef with jalapeno peppers, onion and garlic powder, blue cheese, salt and soy sauce in a bowl
Place the patties on the grill and cook for 8 minutes on each side
Place a cheese slice on top and allow it to melt
Place your favorite sauce and toppings on a bun then the patty on top and cover it with the other bun piece

Garlic and Onion Burger

Garlic and onion burgers with Italian seasoning and dressing.

There’s nothing better than a hamburger having the heavenly aroma of garlic and the light crunch of onion. The secret ingredient that takes this simple hamburger and turns it into a masterpiece: The Italian dressing. So go ahead and try this recipe because it contains basic food staples that you will definitely find in your pantry.

Ingredients

Ground Beef: 2 pounds
Worcestershire Sauce: 1 tbsp
Garlic Cloves: 3 (minced)
Onion: ½ cup (minced)
Salt: 1 tsp
Ground Black Pepper: ½ tsp
Italian-Style Seasoning: 4 tsp

Directions

Turn on the grill and switch it to high heat
Combine the ground beef with Worcestershire sauce, onion, garlic, salt, Italian seasoning and pepper
Refrigerate the patties for 4 hours
Lightly oil the grate and place the patties on the grill. Cook for 6 minutes on each side
Slather the bun with a small amount of Italian dressing and place the patty on top
Drizzle a little bit of more sauce on top and cap the patty with the bun

Spinach Tomato Burgers

Spinach Tomato Burgers placed on a plate with a knife struck in the middle

This is a summer hamburger recipe. The coolness of the spinach dip and the sweetness of the sun-dried tomatoes really brings this burger together. For a little crunch, we suggest placing the patty on a bed of cucumbers and cabbage.

Ingredients

Large Egg: 1
Fat-Free Milk: 2 tbsp
Soft Bread Crumb: ½cup
Dried Basil: 1 tsp
Salt: ½ tsp
Pepper: ¼ tsp
Lean Ground Beef: 1 pound
Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns: 4
Spinach Dip: ¼ cup
Soft and sun-dried tomatoes: ¼ cup
Lettuce leaves

Directions

In a bowl, combine egg, fat-free milk, soft bread crumb, dried basil, salt and pepper, and ground beef
Shape the beef into four patties
Turn on the grill to medium heat, oil the rack and place the patties on the grill. Cook for 5 minutes on each side
Place the buns face-down on the grill and toast until the sides are golden brown
Lather the bun with spinach dip, and place the lettuce and sun-dried tomatoes on top
If you like your burgers with a little zing, then place a few pickles slices on top
Cap the burgers with the other piece of bun and serve

Feta-Stuffed Hamburger

Feta-Stuffed Hamburger on a plate with salad on the side

The Feta-Cheese burger comes with a cheesy surprise in the middle that will blow your mind. Be prepared to eat this burger alone because with that first bite, all you will be able to say is “mmm”.

Ingredients

Lean Ground Beef: 1 pound
Worcestershire Sauce: ½ tsp
Dried Parsley: 1 tsp
Pepper and salt to taste
Crumbled Feta Cheese: 1 cup

Directions

Turn on the grill and switch it to medium heat
Knead the ground beef with Worcestershire sauce, pepper and salt, and parsley in a bowl
Divide the beef mixture into eight balls and then press them to form patties
On four of the patties, place the feta cheese and light press so that the crumbs settle in
Place the simple patty on top and seal the edges by pinching them lightly together (don’t put too much pressure or the patty will break)
Place the patties on the grill and cook for 8 minutes on each side
Slather the bun with mayonnaise and top with your favorite veggies and pickles
Place the patty on the bun and drizzle with a little bit of ketchup
Cap the burger with the other half of the bun and serve

Portobello Mushroom Burger

Portobello Mushroom Burger placed on a plate with French fries on the side

Raise your hand if you love mushrooms. We honestly believe that loads of mushroom soaked in any sauce and a perfectly cooked beef patty are the best ingredients of a hamburger. Don’t you agree? This is one recipe that you should definitely try for Nation Hamburger Month.

Ingredients

Portobello Mushroom Caps: 4
Lean Ground Beef: 1 pound
Balsamic Vinegar: ¼ cup
Olive Oil: 2 tbsp
Dried Basil: 1 tbsp
Dried Oregano: 1 tbsp
Minced Garlic: 1 tbsp
Pepper and salt to taste
Provolone Cheese: 4 Slices

Directions

Turn on the grill and switch it to medium heat
In a bowl whisk vinegar, oregano, basil, salt, pepper and oil
Add the mushroom caps into the mixture and let it sit for 15 minutes
Shape the beef patties and rub them with salt and pepper
Brush the grates with oil. Place the patties on one side and cook for 8 minutes on each side
Place the mushroom picture on the other side and baste for 5 minutes
Top the patties with the cheese slice and allow it to melt
Lather the bun with mayonnaise and place your pick of veggies on the bun. Place the patty on top and then the mushroom mixture. Squirt some ketchup and cap with the other bun piece

Vegetarian Hamburger Recipe

Chickpea and Goat Cheese Vegetarian Burger

Chickpea and Goat Cheese vegetarian burger with chickpea buns and a goat cheese patty.

Are you a vegetarian? Don’t worry because we didn’t forget you. Even vegetarians can enjoy the juicy comfort of this hamburger recipe. The bun can be substituted with a chickpea bun and the beef patty with a goat’s cheese patty. Trust us when we say this — this hamburger recipe is equally tasty as the ones mentioned above.

Ingredients

Chickpeas (drained): 2 x 400 g cans
Small Onion: 1 (finely chopped)
Garlic Cloves: 4 (finely chopped)
Mashed Potatoes with 1 oz. Butter: 500 g
Lemon Zest: 2
Lemon Juice: 1 tbsp
Parmesan: 50 g
Egg: 1
Flat Leaf Parsley: 2 x 20 g packs
Chives: 10 g
Goat’s Cheese: 4 x 70 g
Olive Oil: 2 tbsp
Plain flour for dusting

Directions

Mash one can of chickpeas in a big bowl and add the remaining for a chunky texture
Add mashed potatoes, onions, garlic, lemon juice and zest, herbs, parmesan, two goat cheese pieces and salt and pepper into the chickpeas and mix well
Start shaping the patties (a 12 of total patties can be made from this mixture)
Dust the patties with flour and place them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes
In a non-stick pan, heat some oil and place the patties (fry each side for 4 minutes until brown)
Divided the remaining goat cheese and place it on 6 patties (turn the heat to low, so the cheese melts)
Place your pick of veggies on the cheesy patty and then place the simple patty on top

We know you are probably salivating after reading about all of these hamburger recipes. What are you waiting for? The kitchen awaits you. We have given you the juiciest ammunition to celebrate National Hamburger Month in style, so get on with the cooking. And please remember to visit the Bright Ideas blog often to find out about other national food holidays and recipes.