20 Burger Recipes for Summer - The Cookie Rookie® (2024)

These are the Best Burger Recipes for summer cookouts, weeknight dinner ideas, or any time you need a meal that will make everyone happy. Find beef burgers, turkey burgers, chicken burgers, and unique topping ideas for any occasion. Learn how to make hamburgers on the grill, the stove, in the oven, or with an Air Fryer or Instant Pot, and find out how long to cook them too. There’s nothing better than a burger and fries, so keep these easy recipes handy all season long!

Burger Ideas for Dinner

Everyone should learn how to make burgers! They’re perfect for parties and BBQs, summer grilling, game day, or even simple dinners at home with the family. So I’ve collected the best burger recipes to give you some delicious ideas.

These homemade burgers will absolutely blow you away. Whether you prefer a classic beef burger, chicken burgers, cheeseburgers, turkey burgers, or more unique burger ideas, you’ll find something (or many things) here to add to your menu.

There’s nothing better than a burger and fries, so don’t forget to make some French fries, shoestring fries or sweet potato fries!

How to Cook Burgers

Make a simple, classic beef burger with one of these 4 easy cooking methods. Grill, broil, pan fry, or cook your patties with an Instant Pot. Then just add toppings for the perfect burgers!

• Juicy Grilled Burgers: Cook the perfect grilled beef burgers. This is the way to go as soon as summer rolls around. You’ll be making these at every cookout!
• Stovetop Burgers: Learn how to cook burgers on the stove with this easy recipe. The patties come out so juicy, and you can use this method any time of year!
• Broiled Burgers: Make a classic hamburger in the oven, then add the best toppings.
• Instant Pot Hamburgers: This is such a quick and easy way to cook burgers! Get out the pressure cooker and dinner will be ready in no time.

Unique Burger Recipe Ideas

Take things up a notch with these flavorful, exciting homemade burger recipes. Unique and delicious toppings will make your mouth water!

• Caramelized Onion Swiss Burgers: These beef patties are grilled then topped with sweet caramelized onions and melty swiss cheese.
• Pimento Cheeseburgers: Top things off with creamy pimento cheese and plenty of lettuce.
• Cowboy Burgers: These are grilled and loaded up with cheese, bacon, avocado, onion rings, and spicy mayo.
• Butter Burgers: Wisconsin butter burgers are richly-flavored and topped with cheese and onions.
• Smash Burgers: These are cooked in a skillet for perfectly crispy edges (like your favorite diner burgers), then topped with cheese and served on potato buns.
• BBQ Burgers: Perfectly grilled beef burgers, topped with smoky BBQ sauce.
• Juicy Lucy Burgers: Stuff the beef with cheese and cook these in a skillet for easy burgers any time.

Burger Recipes for the Air Fryer

Skip the grill and make delicious, juicy burgers with the Air Fryer. It’s quick and easy, and there are lots of unique recipes to try.

• Air Fryer Hamburgers: Learn how to cook a simple hamburger in just 15 minutes! The patties come out juicy with a nice bite.
• Air Fryer Juicy Lucy Cheeseburgers: These beef burgers are stuffed with cheese and cooked in less than 15 minutes.
• Air Fryer BBQ Burgers: Make delicious BBQ cheeseburgers in your Air Fryer.
• Air Fryer Turkey Burgers: Cook the perfect turkey burger, quick and easy.

Non-Beef Burger Recipes

Beef isn’t the only way to make a burger! Follow one of these recipes to make turkey, chicken, or salmon burgers instead.

• Best Turkey Burgers: These juicy turkey burgers are made on the stove top, and they’re a super healthy option.
• Chicken Burgers: These grilled chicken burgers with feta and sun-dried tomatoes are a flavorful idea for grilling.
• Salmon Burgers: These healthy burgers are homemade, fresh, and flavorful. If you’re a fan of seafood, you’ll love this light burger idea for summer lunches.
• Juicy Lucy Turkey Burgers: These are grilled and stuffed with cheddar cheese for a juicy, flavorful burger.
• Black Bean Burgers: This vegetarian-friendly burger is filled with black beans, corn, nuts, spices, jalapeños, and lots of other tasty ingredients. They’re both healthy and delicious!

Burger Topping Ideas

Changing up the toppings or burger seasoning on your burger recipes is the best way to create something new and different. Here are some classic burger toppings, plus some more unique and fun ideas.

• Lettuce: use leaves of romaine, baby spinach, shredded lettuce, or another green.
• Tomatoes: Fresh slices of juicy tomatoes pair perfectly with beef, chicken, or turkey.
• Cheese: You can’t go wrong with classic cheddar, but Swiss, pepper jack, or your favorite cheese all work.
• Onions: Red onions add bite, but sweeter onions are tasty too. Or go for caramelized onions!
• Condiments: Top your burgers with ketchup, mayonnaise, dijon, or classic yellow mustard.
• Sauces: But don’t stop there–try them with BBQ sauce, garlic aioli, pesto, buffalo sauce, or the best burger sauce!
• Bacon: Add slices of bacon to a cheeseburger or hamburger for ultimate flavor. Or use bacon crumbles.
• Pickles: Pickles are the perfect topping for burgers. Use bread and butter, dill, or any style you like! Try these refrigerator pickles or ranch fried pickles. Or opt for fresh pickle relish instead.
• Pineapple: Grilled pineapple slices add a sweet and fruity twist to burgers that complements chicken and beef really well.

Burger Temperatures

What temperature should you cook your burger recipes to? I recommend cooking your burgers Medium for the juiciest, most delicious result, but it’s up to your preference. Follow this quick Burger Internal Temperature Chart!

• MEDIUM RARE: 130-135°F
• MEDIUM: 145°F
• MEDIUM WELL: 150-155°F
• WELL DONE: 160-165°F

NOTE: The USDA recommends that hamburgers be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F to ensure all bacteria is killed. So if you choose to cook medium/rare, be sure you’re using the freshest beef or even making your own ground beef.

If you want a printable chart to keep on hand in your kitchen, check out our Internal Meat Temperature Chart.

How long do you cook burgers?

This depends on how you like them cooked and which cooking method you choose. Do you want them medium-rare, medium, well-done? Are you grilling, broiling, or cooking on the stove?

Here’s a quick chart on how long to cook burgers if you’re grilling or making them on the stove:

• MEDIUM RARE (Red in the Middle): 6 minutes total (3 minutes on each side)
• MEDIUM (Pink in the Middle): 7-8 minutes total
• MEDIUM-WELL (Smidge of Pink in the Middle): 9 minutes total
• WELL DONE (No Pink): 10 minutes total

Learning how to cook burgers at home is simple. You can bookmark this guide and come back to it again all summer long. Better yet, you can make most of these all year round. And don’t forget the fries!

These are by far the best burger recipes, all the favorites I go back to over and over again. Let me know which recipes you tried!