Go Beyond Beef

When purchasing preground turkey, we recommend 93 percent lean ground turkey, which contains light and dark meat, instead of 99 percent lean ground turkey breast, which produces dry, chalky burgers. For the juiciest results, we recommend grinding your own turkey blend.

Most bison meat is grass-fed and 90 percent lean; its gamy, iron-y flavor makes for a delicious burger. Bison meat is slightly leaner than standard 85 percent lean beef, but it makes a great alternative.

Ground pork can take on intense flavorings as a burger. Depending on how lean your ground pork is, it may retain some of its pink color after it cooks, making it difficult to judge doneness. Take the temperature of the burger to make sure it's fully cooked.

Lamb can be either grass-fed or grain-fed; grass-fed is more intense and less sweet than grain-fed. This flavor-packed meat can be bought preground at the supermarket so be sure to try it as a deliciously earthy, convenient burger option.

For a rich and meaty fish burger the pronounced flavor of wild salmon can't be beat, but farm-raised salmon is available year-round. Grinding it in the food processor is super easy. We also like the distinctive flavor of tuna; to achieve the best texture we hand-chop tuna steak.

Chopped shrimp makes a surprisingly flavorful burger. But beware that supermarket raw shrimp is not always fresh; when shopping, look for frozen shrimp that's labeled “individually quick-frozen,” or IQF. We prefer untreated shrimp—those without added sodium or preservatives like sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP).

The quality of store-bought veggie burgers varies greatly so we have focused on developing several nonmeat burgers. Our test cooks have created recipes for the best versions of burgers made from the usual beans and lentils as well as inventive burgers made from quinoa, millet, tempeh, and cauliflower.