Grill the Best Backyard Burger
Follow these tips and recipes at your backyard cookout this summer to grill the best burger of any variety.
Now these are some tasty burgers! From protein-packed patties to superb sauces, we break down the basics so you can grill up some burger brilliance.
Schnucks Butchers Tips
Press Those Patties
For the tastiest burger, opt for a grind that isn’t too lean (for beef, we recommend 80/20). Keep meat chilled until you’re ready to form patties; when doing so, be gentle—no squishing between your fingers! Overworking will lead to a brittle burger.
Season the Deal
Season right before grilling. If you’re keeping things simple with salt and pepper, use about 1⁄8 teaspoon each per ¼ pound. patty. If opting for a dry rub, ½–1 teaspoon per burger is a good place to start. Finally, if you plan on basting with sauce, do so within the last 1–2 minutes of grilling to thicken it up without burning.
Grill Like the Grates
Preheat grill to medium (350 degrees). Carefully and quickly grease grates using tongs and a folded paper towel coated in cooking oil. Add burgers and cook 9–13 minutes (depending on your protein/preferred doneness), flipping once about halfway through. As satisfying as the sizzle sounds, do NOT press down on your patties; all this does is dry out your burger.
Top It Like It's Hot
Don’t forget to give the rest of your ingredients a little love! During the last minute or two of cooking, baste patties with sauce (if doing so) and add cheese; place buns on grill (cut side down) and close the lid. When assembling your masterpiece, remember that leafy greens and larger ingredients can help keep juices from soaking through the bottom bun. Likewise, smaller toppings should be placed on top of cheese or under sauce to hold them in place.
A New Classic
This upgraded American burger features a cheddar-and bacon-stuffed patty, swaps the onion for fried shallots, ditches dill for sweet-and-sour pickles and tops everything off with a Red, Hot & Blue Sauce that incorporates Schnucks spicy ketchup, Schnucks sweet pickle relish and blue cheese crumbles.
Red, Hot & Blue Burger
Bun: Brioche
Protein: Schnucks Loaded Bacon Cheddar Burger
Dry Rub/Basting Sauce: Schnucks Ultimate Burger Seasoning
Cheese: Schnucks Sliced Cheddar Cheese
Toppings: Fried Shallots (recipe follows), Bread & Butter Pickles, Butter Lettuce, Sliced Tomato
Sauce: Red, Hot & Blue Sauce (recipe follows)
Fried Shallots: In a small saucepan, heat ½ cup olive oil over medium. Working in batches, add 1 cup thinly sliced shallots and fry 3–4 minutes or until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Red, Hot & Blue Sauce: In a small bowl combine 1 cup Schnucks nonfat Greek yogurt, 1 cup crumbled blue cheese, ¾ cup Schnucks spicy ketchup, and ⅓ cup Schnucks sweet pickle relish.
Sweet on Salmon
A little sweet, a little heat and a whole lot of freshness—this Caribbean Salmon Burger balances bold Jamaican jerk seasoning with a sweet tropical salsa and a citrusy aioli that gets a little added kick from fresh ginger and garlic.
Caribbean Salmon Burger
Bun: Sweet Hawaiian
Protein: Schnucks Spinach Feta Sockeye Salmon Burger
Dry Rub/Basting Sauce: Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
Cheese: Schnucks Feta Cheese Crumbles
Toppings: Pineapple-Mango Salsa (recipe follows), Shredded Romaine Lettuce
Sauce: Citrus-Ginger Aioli (recipe follows)
Pineapple-Mango Salsa: In a medium bowl combine 1 cup chopped pineapple, 1 cup chopped mango, ½ cup chopped red onion, 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, 1–2 tablespoons minced chili pepper of choice and 1 tablespoon lime juice. Season with salt, if desired.
Citrus-Ginger Aioli: In a small bowl combine 1 cup Schnucks mayonnaise, ½ tablespoon orange zest, 1 tablespoon lime zest, 1 tablespoon orange juice, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger, 1 teaspoon minced garlic and 1 teaspoon honey.
You'll Be Saying Yum (Yum)!
Enjoy the flavors of a Japanese steakhouse from the comfort of your home with this bun-busting burger—topped with a super simple stir-fried teriyaki slaw, succulent grilled shrimp and Schnucks’ very own Yum Yum Sauce!
Hibachi Beef & Shrimp Burger
Bun: Kaiser Roll
Protein: Beef
Dry Rub/Basting Sauce: Sesame Garlic Sauce
Toppings: Grilled Shrimp, Baby Arugula, Stir-Fried Broccoli Slaw with Mushrooms (recipe follows)
Sauce: Schnucks Yum Yum Sauce
Stir-Fried Broccoli Slaw with Mushrooms: Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add one 5 oz. package Schnucks sliced shiitake mushrooms and sauté 3–4 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in one 12-oz. bag broccoli slaw and sauté 2 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons Full Circle teriyaki sauce and sauté 2 minutes more or until vegetables have softened. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Winner Winner!
Bring Texas barbecue to your backyard with this sweet and smoky chicken burger. Seasoned with Schnucks Texas Style Rub, layered with tasty flavors and textures and finished with Schnucks Chicken Dippin’ Sauce—a perfect blend of sweet mustard and tangy BBQ—this sammie is a sure-fire summer sensation.
Texas BBQ Chicken Burger
Bun: Pretzel Bun
Protein: Ground Chicken
Dry Rub/Basting Sauce: Schnucks Texas Style Rub
Cheese: Sliced Smoked Cheddar Cheese
Toppings: Crispy Bacon, Coleslaw, Dill Pickles, Schnucks Wavy Potato Chips
Sauce: Schnucks Chicken Dippin’ Sauce
Open Sesame
This burger fuses Korean and Vietnamese flavors by pairing tangy, crispy pickled veggies with a savory grilled pork patty that’s been basted with our umami-packed Schnucks Braggin' Rights Asian BBQ Sauce. A creamy, spicy sriracha aioli ties everything together.
Asian-Fusion BBQ Burger
Bun: Sesame Seed
Protein: Ground Pork
Dry Rub/Basting Sauce: Schnucks Braggin’ Rights Asian BBQ Sauce
Cheese: Schnucks Sliced Gouda Cheese
Toppings: Grilled Scallions (recipe follows), Quick-Pickled Veggies (recipe follows)
Sauce: Sriracha Mayo (recipe follows)
Grilled Scallions: Preheat grill to medium-high. Remove and discard roots from 1 bunch scallions; brush with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Arrange scallions in a single layer over direct heat and grill 3–4 minutes, turning once, or until grill marks appear. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Quick-Pickled Veggies: In a small bowl whisk together ½ cup rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar and 2 teaspoons salt until sugar and salt are dissolved. Add 1 cup very thinly sliced red onion, carrot and/or cucumber and let stand, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Drain before serving.
Sriracha Mayo: Combine 1 part sriracha and 4 parts Schnucks mayonnaise.
Over the Hill
A tribute to our hometown’s Italian heritage, our fresh-ground salsiccia is seasoned with our very own Porketta seasoning, then sandwiched between ciabatta among layers of mozzarella, grilled tomatoes, balsamic-dressed arugula and a Basil Pesto Mayo. Buon appetito!
Salsiccia Pesto Burger
Bun: Ciabatta
Protein: Schnucks Salsiccia Sausage
Dry Rub/Basting Sauce: Schnucks Porketta Seasoning
Cheese: Schnucks Sliced Mozzarella Cheese
Toppings: Grilled Tomatoes (recipe follows), Sautéed Onion, Baby Arugula tossed with Culinaria Balsamic Vinaigrette
Sauce: Basil Pesto Mayo (recipe follows)
Grilled Tomatoes: Preheat the grill to medium-high. Halve 2 tomatoes crosswise and remove seeds. Brush with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Arrange, cut side down, over direct heat and grill 3–4 minutes, turning once, or until grill marks appear. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Basil Pesto Mayo: Combine 1 part basil pesto and 4 parts Schnucks mayonnaise.
The Spice is Right
Set your taste buds on fire (in the best way) with this kicked-up creation. Our Loaded Jalapeño Jack Burger is seasoned with our own Ancho Chipotle Rub then topped with sliced pepper jack and our Hatch Pepper Sauce. Don’t worry—fresh guacamole and a ranch-based Street Corn Salad help to tame this beast.
Spicy Elote Burger
Bun: Bolillo Roll
Protein: Schnucks Loaded Jalapeño Jack Burger
Dry Rub/Basting Sauce: Schnucks Ancho Chipotle Rub
Cheese: Schnucks Sliced Pepper Jack Cheese
Toppings: Guacamole, Street Corn Salad (recipe follows)
Sauce: Schnucks Hatch Pepper Sauce
Street Corn Salad: In a small bowl combine 2 cups grilled corn kernels, ¼ cup Chipotle Ranch Dressing, ¼ cup crumbled cotija or feta cheese, ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon minced jalapeño and 2 teaspoon chili powder. Stir in corn mixture and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Spicy Cola Burger
Bun: Sesame Bun
Protein: Schnucks Fresh Ground Beef
Cheese: Schnucks Pepper Jack Cheese
Toppings: Baby arugula, kimchi and cole slaw mix, sliced green onion and roasted-garlic mayo
Sauce: Pepsi Zero BBQ Sauce
Classic, With A Twist
Bun: Brioche or sesame bun
Protein: Schnucks Fresh Ground Beef
Cheese: Schnucks Cheddar Cheese
Toppings: Marinated sun-dried tomatoes, caramelized yellow onion, baby green leaf lettuce mix, sweet pickle relish
Sauce: Mustard and mayo
Plant-Based Patties
Skipping the meat? Swap your burger for one of these savory substitutes.
Vegan Meat
Made to mimic the texture and flavor of meat—products from brands like Impossible and Beyond are the closest you’ll get to the real thing.
Black Bean Burgers
A fiesta of flavor, these patties tend to be seasoned with bold southwest spices—perfect for our Spicy Elote Burger!
Veggie Burgers
These hearty burgers are made from a variety of plants such as grains, soybeans, veggies and more, with unique flavors available from every veggie burger brand.
Portobello Mushrooms
While not technically a patty, grilled portobello caps are juicy, meaty and delicious— especially when basted with savory sauces like barbecue, balsamic or teriyaki.