How to Build the Perfect Burger Stack

Look beyond stale buns, limp lettuce and tasteless patties – here’s how to elevate the humble burger into a gourmet, multi-layered feast this summer

If you want to know how to stack a burger, then read on! We’ve got some hot tips for you, from selecting the perfect bun to what order to stack your ingredients in!

Beginning with Burger Buns

When it comes to putting together the perfect burger, the icing on the cake, so to speak, is undoubtedly the hamburger bun sandwiching it all together – and they’ve certainly come a long way in recent years. No longer content with a regular, bog-standard bread bun, food-lovers have been going crazy for toasted, butter-rich brioche alternatives, and most recently, bagels.

Beyond the brioche, restaurants such as Roast in London’s Borough Market are now serving a roast dinner burger in a potato bun; Bird in Shoreditch serves theirs in a waffle and Yeah! Burger in King’s Cross tops theirs with a good-ole traditional Scotch egg – bun appetit!

How to Make the Perfect Burger Patty

When it comes to hamburger patties, it’s best to keep it simple. Perfectly grilled beef patties will always have their place in our burgers. High quality ingredients are key. If you use British grass-fed beef, really all you need to flavour the ground beef is a little salt and black pepper.

Of course, it’s always fun to jazz it up a bit, and try new tastes and flavours. There’s a lot to be said for increasingly popular street food favourites such as pulled pork, or seafood burgers packed with salmon or prawns. How about trying this tasty lamb and coriander burger? Or even this fish and chips burger?

What Order to Assemble 

You’ve got the all-important bun sorted, but in what order should you stack your ingredients? And at what stage should you add your condiments? After all, adding sauces too soon, or leaving them to the end, could result in a sloppy, stodgy bun – although that can often be part of the fun, too.

Patty & Bun‘s head chef Fred Trussel argues that every decent burger should have between five and seven levels. “First, you should start with the bun, then add the ketchup and the lettuce to catch the juices from the burger,” he suggests. “Next, add your choice of patty, then any cheese, and finally, some sort of pickle and then mayo on top.”

Cheese, Please!

Whether you like yours squeaky, smoky or oozing through the bun, cheese is a must-have. American cheese might be popular, but we love a strongly flavoured Cheddar that melts well, or a tangy blue such as Colston Bassett’s Shropshire Blue . And cheese also features strongly in many veggie burger options: we adore this peri peri halloumi burger!

Colourful Condiments

Move over ketchup and mustard – these days it’s all about pimping your burger with an assortment of vibrant sauces and dips, including different flavours of BBQ sauce, hot sauce, beetroot mayonnaise, and even wasabi hummus. Vegans are also well catered for with regards plant-based condiments these days – we particularly love Ruby in the Rubble’s aquafaba vegan mayo.

What toppings to put on your burger

To be fair, you could fill your burger with just toppings alone; think fresh lettuce, caramelised onions, mac ‘n’ cheese, onion rings, crispy bacon, dill pickle planks and more. Plus, one can never say ‘no’ to avocado in all its guises: guacamole, deep-fried, sliced – you name it. This smashed avocado burger is delish!

At Annie’s Burger Shack in Nottingham ‘The Big Breakfast’ burger comes topped with bacon strips and a free-range fried egg, while ‘The Delta’ is finished off with onion rings, black olives and jalapeňos – yum!

What to drink with your burger

In terms of perfect drinks partners, we think a chilled, spicy saison beer, or a full-bodied red are just the things to pair with next-level burgers. For veggie options, try serving them with something lighter, such as a fruity rosé.