The concept couldn’t be simpler: a grilled patty, a soft bun and a stack of fresh flavours to counteract the juicy fat. The humble hamburger has spread across almost every corner of the planet since its inception, becoming a canvas for culinary creativity everywhere. From Brazil’s towering X-Tudo to America’s niche regional styles, we’ve uncovered the world’s most fascinating and mouthwatering burger styles.
Blending an unlikely mix of meats, Belgium invented the Bicky burger – a fast food staple now popular in both Belgium and the Netherlands. Its deep-fried patties, made from pork, chicken and horse meat, are layered with classic toppings like pickles and fried onions, alongside more surprising additions such as cabbage and cauliflower. The result is a bold and unconventional twist on the classic burger.
The arepa burger is a delicious fusion of Latin American tradition and global comfort food. Popular in Venezuela and Colombia, it replaces the classic burger bun with a grilled arepa, a round cornmeal cake with a crisp exterior and soft, fluffy interior. Inside, you’ll find a juicy beef, chicken or pork patty, often accompanied by cheese, avocado or black beans. This hand-held delight blends textures and flavours, combining the savoury richness of the meat with the slightly sweet, earthy corn.
Though burgers are ubiquitous across the US, certain regions stand out with unusual and historic twists on the classic. One such speciality comes from Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, home to Pete’s Hamburger Stand, the birthplace of the state’s iconic poached burger. For more than a century, Pete’s has been serving patties simmered in beef stock and rendered fat, a technique that locks in deep, savoury flavour and sets them apart from the standard grilled or griddled burger. What began as a local tradition has grown into a statewide staple.
The Ramly burger is Malaysia’s iconic street food burger, created in the 1980s by Ramly Mokni as an affordable, halal-friendly fast food. Its signature twist is a thin omelette wrapped around the patty (usually chicken or beef) locking in flavour and moisture. Then come the condiments: margarine, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise and Maggi seasoning, creating a rich, messy burst of taste. Found at roadside stalls and bustling night markets, the Ramly burger has become a late-night favourite and an enduring symbol of Malaysian food culture.
The Luther burger, a decadent burger-doughnut hybrid from the US, is as indulgent as it sounds. Legend says a cook at Mulligan’s bar in Decatur, Georgia ran out of buns and used glazed doughnuts instead – though the true origin remains a mystery. Named for the legendary soul singer Luther Vandross, the burger swaps bread for sugar-slicked doughnuts, stacking a juicy patty with crispy bacon and melted cheese. Utterly excessive and undeniably delicious, it’s a uniquely American creation that balances sweet and salty flavours in every OTT bite.
In the Dominican Republic, the chimichurri burger (locally known as a chimi) is a beloved street food that offers a flavourful twist on the classic burger. Typically made from ground pork or beef, the patty is grilled and served on soft pan de agua (water bread). It's topped with shredded cabbage, sliced tomatoes and onions, and generously drizzled with salsa golf, a creamy sauce combining ketchup and mayonnaise. This hearty sandwich is a favourite among locals and visitors alike, often enjoyed as a late-night snack from food trucks and street vendors across the island.
In the ice-slicked tundra of Europe’s far north, the ingredients that flourish in the continental south are a little harder to get a hold of. The Sami, the Indigenous population of northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia, had to get creative with the flavours they could find nearby. The Sami traditionally worked as nomadic reindeer herders, so, naturally, they invented the reindeer burger. The hearty patties are typically topped with lingonberry jam for a sweet and savoury flavour sensation.
Emerging from 'America’s dairyland', the state of Wisconsin, the butter burger is a rich, indulgent creation that first gained popularity in the 1930s. While recipes vary from place to place, every version celebrates the same key ingredient: butter. Some blend it directly into the beef, others lavish it on the bun, and many crown the finished burger with a melting pat of it just before serving. However it’s prepared, the result is a juicy, finger-dripping indulgence that remains a Wisconsin icon.
Hamburgers are a familiar sight on Japanese menus, but they rarely appear in the form most diners expect. Instead of being tucked into buns, minced beef patties are often treated like steaks – served with wine-based sauces or paired with rice and vegetables. For those who can’t quite imagine a burger without bread, there’s also the rice burger: a distinctly East Asian twist that swaps the bun for pressed rice patties.
There are almost too many exceptional sandwiches to choose from in Chile: almost every street snack here comes wrapped in bread. However, the absolute best among them is the churrasco, the South American country’s response to the typical burger style. Closer to a steak sandwich, a churrasco features perfectly grilled slices of beef, a layer of creamy avocado, and a dollop of tangy, spicy chimichurri.
At the heart of the Juicy Lucy (also known as the Jucy Lucy) lies its signature surprise: a molten core of canary-yellow American cheese oozing from inside the patty itself. This indulgent burger, born in Minnesota, features thick beef patties encasing the gooey filling, often paired with bacon and classic toppings like onions and lettuce. Two Minneapolis bars still lay claim to inventing the original some 70 years ago – a friendly rivalry that continues to fire up local pride.
The Kiwi burger takes its name from the people of New Zealand, who developed their own take on the classic dish using favourite local flavours. A thick beef patty is stacked with earthy beetroot (a major crop in the country) and crowned with a fried egg, its golden yolk spilling into the bun. It closely resembles the Australian burger, which also features canned beetroot but often adds a sweet slice of pineapple for contrast.
There’s no shortage of national delicacies in Turkey, the originator of some of the world’s best-loved street snacks. However, it’s worth trying out the Turkish take on the classic burger, too. The islak burger, or literally the 'wet burger', is soaked in a tomato sauce laced with garlic and spices before being left to steam in a glass case until served. Gloriously messy and utterly delicious, it’s essentially an oversized slider absolutely drenched in fresh Turkish flavours.
With more than 80% of India’s adults avoiding beef – and nearly 40% identifying as vegetarian – Mumbai’s street vendors created a burger that fits local tastes: the vada pav. This iconic sandwich features a spiced potato fritter tucked into a soft bread roll, then layered with an explosion of flavours. Green, tamarind and garlic chutneys bring tang and heat, while crunchy bits of fried batter and fresh green chillies add extra texture and bite.
There’s no dignified way to eat a bøfsandwich. Drowning in rich gravy and piled high with pickles, it’s an unabashedly messy dish. The Danish take on the classic burger format starts out with the basics: the beef patty, the ketchup and the bread. From there, it gets a little stranger. They pile on the pickles – dill pickles, pickled beets and piccalilli – before overdosing on three types of onions: raw, caramelised and crispy. Glazed with several sauces and then doused in dark gravy, every bite is a flavour bomb.
Rou jia mo, meaning ‘meat in a bun’, is a beloved street food from China’s Shaanxi province, often called the world’s oldest hamburger. Believed to date back over two millennia, it pairs crispy, chewy flatbread (mo) with tender, slow-braised pork seasoned with soy sauce, ginger, onions and warm spices. The rich, aromatic filling contrasts beautifully with the bread’s texture. Popular nationwide, rou jia mo is also pretty versatile – many regions swap pork for beef or lamb.
Order a burger 'with the lot' in Australia, and prepare for a feast. A pub and café favourite across the country, the classic Aussie burger features a juicy beef patty piled high with beetroot, pineapple, a fried egg and crispy bacon. Cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and pickles often join the mix, making it a towering, flavour-packed meal. The beetroot adds an earthy sweetness, while the pineapple brings a bright, tangy contrast
From the sun-soaked streets of Old Havana to the bars of South Miami, Cubans have been serving their own twist on the hamburger since at least the 1930s (some believe the Frita Cubana was invented in 1920s Havana). The patty is often a blend of beef and chorizo, seasoned with smoky paprika, garlic and onions. Instead of a standard bun, it’s tucked into crusty Cuban bread that absorbs the juices. Toppings usually include crispy fried potato sticks for crunch and a drizzle of tangy hot sauce, creating a hearty, zesty burger with unmistakable Cuban flair.
Stacked sky high and teetering with a dozen different toppings (not including the bun), Brazil’s enormous version of the classic burger can be hard to get your teeth around. Its ingredients aren’t fixed, though there are a few typical additions that make their way onto burgers across the country. Fried eggs, deli meats, shoestring fries and steamed corn kernels are all commonly piled high on X-Tudo burgers.
Across Mexico, hamburguesas Mexicanas are grilled streetside, their charcoal flames sending up clouds of pepper-scented smoke. Patties are layered with gooey Oaxaca cheese and topped with bold ingredients: sliced hot dogs, fried turkey tails, tangy pineapple or huitlacoche, a traditional fermented corn.
The Oklahoma onion burger might seem simple – just beef and a generous mound of onions – but its magic lies in the preparation. Onions are shaved paper-thin with a deli slicer, then gently caramelised to drape over a perfectly charred patty. This Depression-era classic is still savoured daily along the famed onion burger trail in El Reno, Oklahoma. Its distinctive style has inspired chefs far beyond the US, with variations appearing in burger joints across the world eager to recreate its sweet, savoury allure.