The burger is a great and mighty thing, and one of its best features is that it’s a veritable blank canvas for any kind of crazy flavors you happen to be craving. These 15 recipes give this tasty workhorse a global makeover — with riffs from Thailand, Louisiana, Italy, and beyond! Introducing, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego: The Burger Edition.
1. Thai Turkey Burgers: These turkey burgers from How Sweet It Is are your passport to Thailand. Topped with a sweet/creamy/spicy peanut sauce and a cilantro-cabbage slaw, these burgers are sure to take you places. Let’s go!
2. Middle Eastern Lamb Burgers: These Middle Eastern-spiced lamb burgers from Bon Appetempt are all cozy and nestled up with feta cheese and a bright tahini sauce. Dive in — mouth first.
3. Korean BBQ Burgers with Pickled Radishes, Onions, and Miso Mayonnaise:To get these burgers started, ground beef is mixed with scallions, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame, ginger, and garlic. The patties are topped with a miso-sriracha mayo and sharply-pickled vegetables — a bright alternative to cheddar and ketchup. (via Panning the Globe)
4. Brazilian Beef and Chorizo Burger with Egg: Is this Burger Heaven? you ask. No, it’s just Brazil. (Welcome.) When they aren’t at the beach, Brazilians are busy topping their burgers with runny-yolked eggs, a la this recipe from Oh Sweet Basil. BONUS: Chorizo.
5. Cheeseburger Quesadillas: Over at Pass the Sushi, the classic American hamburger is reimagined — in the form of a Mexican quesadilla. This edible culture mash-up can take you two places at once.
6. Andouille and Beef Burgers with Spicy Mayo and Caramelized Onions: This recipe is all about Louisiana. Jam-packed with andouille, pecans, cajun spices, and topped with fresh watercress and okra pods, this burger is taking itself very seriously. I approve. And I want to go to there. (via Epicurious)
7. Moussaka Patty Melts: This Greek-style patty melt from Closet Cooking is piled high with cinnamon-spiced beef, melty graviera cheese, thin slices of tender eggplant, and a warm tomato sauce. The Olympics of burgers.
8. Turkey Burgers with Blueberry-Onion Compote, Goat Cheese, and Arugula: Maine blueberries don’t have to be all about the blueberry pancakes. Cooking up these blueberry compote and goat cheese-topped turkey burgers will take you straight to that idyllic Maine blueberry farm you’ve been dreaming about. Let’s make a weekend of it — tomorrow night, we’ll have lobster. (via The Devil Wears Parsley)
9. Aussie Beet Burgers: According to Girl Cooks World, the toppings for a true “Aussie Burger” are hotly debated by the good people of the internet. There is one thing everybody agrees on, though, and that is the incorporation of sliced beets.
10. French Bistro Burgers with Caramelized Onions, Bacon, and Brie: Le hungry? Try this French bistro burger from Picture Perfect Meals. It has le bacon and le brie.
11. Hawaiian BBQ Salmon Burgers with Coconut Caramelized Pineapple: This salmon burger from Half Baked Harvest is no ordinary sandwich. Piled high with mashed avocado, little bites of jalapeno, and thick slices of coconut-caramelized pineapple, this sandwich will take you straight to the islands of Hawaii.
12. Curried Turkey Burgers: These curried-spiced turkey patties are stacked up with fresh mango and a cool cucumber-yogurt sauce. Serve these up on naan bread for a real Indian experience. (via Natural Noshing)
13. Chicken Parmesan Burgers: The classic Italian dish, chicken Parmesan, is made burger-relevant with this tasty mash-up from Erin’s Food Files. I’ll have some spaghetti on the side, please.
14. Chimichurri Burgers: Chimichurri is a garlicky parsley-based sauce that, in Argentina, often accompanies grilled meats. Simply Fresh Cooking streamlines this tradition by topping her burgers with the stuff. Fresh and fancy.
15. Cuban Burger: With its inclusion of ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard, the Cuban is a dubious contender for Ultimate Sandwich Greatness. Simple Comfort Food takes the Cuban one step further by throwing a beef burger into the mix.
What’s your burger dream vacation? And how do you get there? Talk to us in the comments below!