Top Burgers With Flavored Mayonnaise

Ketchup is delicious, but it has limits.

Those who like to walk on the condiment wild side should spread mayonnaise on their burgers.

Chefs around the country have been showing us the full potential of this rich emulsion: Indeed, mayonnaise is an ideal canvas to mix in anything you might desire, from Sriracha to cilantro.

At Street in Los Angeles, burgers are topped with a yuzu kosho-spiked mayonnaise, which adds  a wallop of tart flavor that shows off the beef's richness. And at Foster Burger in Portland, Oregon, mayonnaise goes from white to black with the addition of squid ink.

Inspired by these delicious flavor combinations, we created a few of our own. First, we developed the ultimate mayonnaise recipe, perfect for french-fry dipping, sandwich spreading and, of course, burger topping. Then we created The Mayo Matrix, a streamlined mix-and-match chart that yields nine possible flavored mayonnaises. You can see the matrix here or even print it (PDF) for inspiration during your next grilling extravaganza.

It tastes good to live dangerously.