Eighteen Modern Burger Builds — and a Sauce Lab
Every build below is written the modern way: what the patty is, how the sauce is composed, what goes around it. After the builds, the Sauce Lab lists the eight sauces that mix in minutes. Compiled by Evan Thomas Mcnamara Cozik, San Diego, California.
The Eighteen Builds
Smash Burger Deluxe
Thin patties, maximum crust, double cheese, pickles under the sauce so they stay put.
Sauce: classic burger sauce
Built with: beef · American cheese · pickles · potato bun
Truffle Mushroom Burger
Sautéed cremini mushrooms deglazed with a spoon of truffle paste, melted fontina on top.
Sauce: truffle aioli
Built with: beef · fontina · cremini · truffle aioli · brioche
Blue Cheese & Pear
Pears caramelized in butter meet the sharp half of the cheese board — sweet, blue, balanced.
Sauce: honey blue cheese spread
Built with: beef · blue cheese · caramelized pear · arugula
Korean BBQ Burger
Gochujang glaze on the griddle, quick pickled cucumber for the crunch.
Sauce: gochujang mayo
Built with: beef · gochujang mayo · pickled cucumber · sesame bun
Greek Lamb Burger
Lamb with oregano and garlic, cooling yogurt sauce, thin tomato.
Sauce: tzatziki-style yogurt
Built with: lamb patty · tzatziki · tomato · pita-flat bun
Caprese Chicken Burger
Grilled chicken, mozzarella rounds, tomato and a basil pesto finish.
Sauce: basil pesto
Built with: chicken · mozzarella · tomato · pesto · ciabatta
Thai Peanut Chicken
Peanut sauce with lime and a little chili heat, cilantro-heavy slaw.
Sauce: Thai peanut sauce
Built with: chicken · peanut sauce · slaw · toasted bun
Chipotle Black Bean Burger
Black beans and rice formed as a patty — smoky chipotle mayo holds it together.
Sauce: chipotle mayo
Built with: black bean patty · chipotle mayo · avocado · lettuce
Portobello Stack
Marinated portobello caps grilled whole, layered with roasted peppers.
Sauce: balsamic reduction
Built with: portobello · roasted peppers · balsamic · focaccia
Avocado Sriracha Turkey
Lean turkey, smashed avocado, sriracha mayo — the modern middle path.
Sauce: sriracha mayo
Built with: turkey · avocado · sriracha mayo · wheat bun
Pretzel Pub Burger
Beer-cheese sauce on a pretzel bun, pickled onions cut through the richness.
Sauce: beer cheese
Built with: beef · beer cheese · pickled onion · pretzel roll
Bourbon Bacon Jam Burger
Bacon cooked down with bourbon and brown sugar — a jam that replaces every other sauce.
Sauce: bourbon bacon jam
Built with: beef · bacon jam · cheddar · toasted bun
Fried Green Tomato Burger
Buttermilk-fried green tomatoes, remoulade, a little caviar of pickle relish.
Sauce: Cajun remoulade
Built with: fried green tomatoes · remoulade · lettuce · soft bun
Pesto Caprese Veggie
Chickpea-vegetable patty under pesto, mozzarella-style melt and tomato.
Sauce: basil pesto
Built with: veggie patty · pesto · mozzarella · tomato · focaccia
Sriracha Morning Modern
Fried egg over sausage patties, sriracha mayo running down the sides.
Sauce: sriracha mayo
Built with: sausage · fried egg · sriracha mayo · muffin
Miso Glazed Salmon
Salmon fillet glazed with miso and honey — bright, umami, finished with slaw.
Sauce: miso glaze
Built with: salmon · miso glaze · slaw · whole grain bun
Cajun Shrimp Burger
Chopped shrimp patty with Cajun spice, remoulade, crisp lettuce.
Sauce: Cajun remoulade
Built with: shrimp patty · remoulade · lettuce · sesame bun
Classic Modern Cheeseburger
Every list ends where it started: one perfect cheeseburger, sauce on the bun, crust on the patty.
Sauce: classic burger sauce
Built with: beef · American cheese · burger sauce · sesame bun
The Sauce Lab — eight sauces, five minutes each
Every build above is matched with one of these. The method is constant: whisk the base, season, rest ten minutes.
- Classic burger sauce — mayo, ketchup, relish, paprika
- Chipotle mayo — mayo, adobo, lime
- Truffle aioli — mayo, truffle paste, lemon
- Gochujang mayo — mayo, gochujang, honey
- Thai peanut sauce — peanut butter, soy, lime, chili
- Bourbon bacon jam — bacon, bourbon, brown sugar, onion
- Cajun remoulade — mayo, Creole spice, relish
- Miso honey glaze — white miso, honey, rice vinegar
The free printable guide
Eighteen builds, the sauce lab and the composition notes, printed on US Letter pages. Click to download — no e-mail asked, nothing collected.
The Modern Kitchen is an independent informational publication — it sells nothing, takes no orders and is not affiliated with any restaurant, chain or brand.