(Mark Boughton/Styling by Teresa Blackburn)

LAUNCH GALLERY

6 photos

Parade turned to culinary experts including Food Network’s Guy Fieri, Top Chef season 14 winner Brooke Williamson, Shake Shack and more for burger inspiration this year, and the results are mouthwatering. Step up your burger game and have an extra-tasty Memorial Day with six delicious twists on the all-American classic from top chefs and burger joints. Launch the gallery for at-home recipes that will wow your taste buds.

The Shake Shack Phenom

Shake Shack had humble beginnings as a hot dog cart in Manhattan’s Madison Square Park. Their first permanent kiosk opened in 2004, and the chain now boasts outlets around the world—with customers lining up for their spin on classic burgers, hot dogs and shakes. Now they’re spilling some of their burger secrets in the new Shake Shack cookbook, including the Momofuku Shrimp Stack and the Peanut Butter Bacon Burger (enter to win a copy here).

Awesome Toppings

Nothing’s off limits when it comes to topping a burger! Here some of the extras creative cooks pile on:

—Fried egg
—Bacon
—Pulled pork (yes, on top of a burger)
—Potato chips
—Onion rings
—Tater tots
—Hash browns
—Pimento cheese
—Chili
—Fritos
—Cheetos (especially Flamin’ Hot)
—Macaroni and cheese (extra points if it’s deep-fried!)
—Grilled pineapple
—Pickled ginger
—Kimchi
—Sauerkraut
—Foie gras

Fun Condiments

Each of our burger creations has its own “secret sauce.” These off-the-shelf condiments also deserve a spot on table:

—On classic burgers: Fruitchup No-Added-Sugar Tomato Ketchup ($8, notketchup.com)
—On turkey burgers: Stonewall Kitchen Apple Cranberry Chutney ($6.50, stonewallkitchen.com)
—On pork burgers: Bourbon Barrel Foods Sweet-Smoky-Tangy Barbecue Sauce ($10, bourbonbarrelfoods.com)

Beyond the Bun

Ideas to contain your patty:

—English muffin
—Toasted sourdough
—Ciabatta
—Tortilla
—Glazed doughnuts
—Iceberg lettuce or collard greens
—Grilled or roasted portobello mushroom caps

Pro Tools

Flip burgers like a professional with these top tools:

—Large, sturdy spatulas, like this 3-Piece Zenware Set ($16, amazon.com), makes it easy to flip and smash burgers on the griddle, as the folks at Shake Shack do.
—Most of our recipes call for cooking burgers in a pan or on a griddle. The Lodge Cast-Iron Reversable Grill/Griddle ($27.50, target.com) works on the stovetop or grill, if you want to take the action outside.
—Invert a colander, like the Cook Pro 10-inch Stainless Steel Mesh Colander ($12, amazon.com) over burgers to help contain grease splatters and smoke.
—Guy Fieri uses a dome, like this Nordic Ware 365 Indoor/Outdoor Cheese Melting Dome ($17, amazon.com).

Burgers by the Numbers

50 billion
Estimated number of burgers Americans consume annually

1921
The year White Castle opened in Wichita, Kansas, serving their now-famous sliders for 5 cents apiece

5
Number of burgers gobbled in one minute by Guinness World Record holder Ricardo Francisco of the Philippines

28,788
Number of Big Macs consumed by McDonald’s aficionado Donald Gorskeof Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, from 1972 through 2016

$5,000
Price of the Fleur Burger 5000 served at Fleur by Hubert Keller in Las Vegas. It features Wagyu beef, foie gras and truffles—served with a bottle of 1995 Chateau Petrus.