Ditch Your Typical Burger Condiments And Use Salad Dressings Instead

When you hear mention of a hamburger, it would stand to reason that an image resembling that of a classic burger recipe comes to mind. This ideal burger would, of course, entail a fairly standard array of condiments including — but not limited to — ketchup, mustard, onions, cheese, and relish. The myriad of drool-worthy burger recipes available for the making gives a variety of options to fit the tastes and preferences of just about anyone. If you're looking for a way to amp up the flavors in your burger, one of the simplest ideas you can try is dropping the excess condiments in favor of topping off your burger with a salad dressing. This has a variety of applications for different styles and compositions of a hamburger sandwich.

With so many unique types of salad dressings that you can buy at a store or craft in your home kitchen, the possibilities are nearly endless for use on a burger. Whether you choose a light vinaigrette, a hearty cream-based dressing, or any number of different iterations of "secret sauce," you'll find that many elements that make up a salad dressing are often present in burger condiments already. Having them all mixed together to make up a Thousand Island dressing, for example, simply streamlines the assembly of your burger.

Using salad dressing as a burger condiment is the perfect way to pair everything you love about salads with that of a burger. Think of your favorite salad and start there to determine the most complementary salad dressing to fit your burger recipe. Take, for example, a classic Caesar salad recipe. This typically has notes of garlic and anchovy featured in a cheese-forward dressing. This would be excellent on top of a garlic chicken burger, enhancing and tying together the flavors already present. A spicy ginger-lime salad dressing or a green goddess recipe would be perfect to top a black bean or other vegetarian burger patty.

You can also engineer your pairing in reverse by starting with your favorite burger recipes and picking a salad dressing condiment based on that. For example, try a riff on a tartar sauce-style salad dressing to use with a salmon burger. If wild game is more your style, cook an elk burger to perfection and then finish it off with a light and fruity vinaigrette. For a standard beef burger, make your own blue cheese dressing recipe for the most delightfully potent cheeseburger you can imagine. Whatever you choose between your burger and salad dressing, the right pairing is just waiting for you to indulge and enjoy.