5 Burgers You Should Be Eating Now (And How to Make Them at Home)

Gourmet burgers have grabbed the attention of restaurants nationwide, and now burger trends are following suit. These days, chefs and cooks are thinking beyond crazy toppings or beef blends for their burgers, and are reimagining the burger and how to enjoy it entirely.

This summer, the Ramen Burger debuted at Smorgasburg in Brooklyn, N.Y., and threatened to take the "it food" label from the ever-popular Cronut, and that's just the beginning of what we've seen in the burger world. Institutional burger spots like In-N-Out are creating new, secret ways to order their burgers, and fast-food chains like Wendy's are reimagining the bun.

RELATED: The 40 Best Burgers in America

There are a lot of new burger trends to take notice of, so we've rounded up some of our favorites and will show you how to make them at home. While items like fast-food burgers may seem pretty simple to recreate (see our How to Make 10 Iconic McDonalds Menu Items at Home feature), there are actually a lot of steps involved in their making, and that goes for all of these trendy burger creations we have here today. The details that go into making these burgers are what make them memorable, like the ketchup on the Umami Burger, and the sauce and caramelized onions that go with In-N-Out's Animal-Style Burger. The balancing of all of the flavors in each burger is important, as is the harmony of the toppings and the bun that holds them all together.

These burgers have stolen the spotlight in the culinary world, and now they can in your own kitchen, too. Here's how to make some of the most telltale secrets of the buzziest burgers at home, from the Ramen Burger's noodle-binding trick to how to make Wendy's Pretzel Burger bun.

Ramen Burger Bun Recipe

When "Go Ramen" food blogger Keizo Shimamoto debuted his Ramen Burger creation at Smorgasburg this summer, people took notice. His invention features two ramen noodle buns as the main attraction, with a shoyu-seasoned burger patty topped with arugula and green onions. Although it's often assumed that Shimamoto merely used ramen noodles straight out of the packet, the recipe is a little more complicated - and the chef has yet to reveal his secret formula. Knowing that making the ramen "bun" involves cooking the noodles, we took a stab at recreating this burger at home, mixing them with an egg, and then pan-frying them.

Click here to see the Ramen Burger Bun Recipe

The 'Luther' Donut Burger Recipe

The "Luther" Donut Burger is one of the unhealthiest burgers to date, averaging at around 1,000 calories per burger. Although the origins of the donut burger are mostly speculative - its name is often attributed to R&B singer Luther Vandross - many restaurants have incorporated the trend into their menus. They're classically made with two donuts (or one cut lengthwise) instead of buns, and comprised of a hamburger patty, cheese, and bacon. To make your own version at home, simply choose your favorite brand of donuts and build your personalized burger between them.

Click here to see the The 'Luther' Donut Burger Recipe

In-N-Out's 'Double Double Animal Style' Burger Recipe

The In-N-Out "Double Double" burger - served off-the-menu "Animal Style" - is a West Coast burger legend. To put the craze into perspective, people have gone as far as to freeze-dry the In-N-Out classics and ship them cross-country. Whether it's due to the secret sauce (that some believe is really just Thousand Island dressing), the caramelized onions, or the fact that the burger patties are never frozen, it's clear that this is an iconic burger that's worth making at home.

INGREDIENTS

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons ketchup
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish

For the caramelized onions:

3 onions, finely diced
Oil, as needed

For the burger:

1/4 pound 100 percent ground chuck, formed into 2 burger patties
1 tablespoon mustard
2 slices American cheese
1 hamburger bun
2 leaves iceberg lettuce
2 slices tomato
4 dill pickle slices

DIRECTIONS

For the sauce:

Mix the ketchup, mayonnaise, and sweet pickle relish together until the dressing reaches the desired pink color.

For the caramelized onions:

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the onions on low, stirring frequently, until caramelized. When caramelized, deglaze the pan with 2 tablespoons of water, and then repeat the caramelization process until the onions have the consistency of jam.

For the burger:

In a skillet over medium-high heat, sear both the meat patties on 1 side, then spread mustard on the other. Flip the patties so that the mustard side cooks on the grill.

Put the 2 slices of cheese on the patties long enough for them to melt. Lightly toast both sides of the bun on the grill while you wait for the cheese to melt.

Take the burger buns and patties off the grill, and build your burger. Spread the caramelized onions between the cheesy patties, add the lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles, and then spread the Thousand Island sauce on the lower bun.

Recipe Details:

Servings: 1
Total time: 35 minutes
Cuisine: American

Umami Burger Ketchup Recipe

Adam Fleischman invented the Umami burger in 2009 after figuring out that one of the main tastes that diners love in burgers and pizza is umami, the fifth taste popular in Japanese cuisine. In order to play up that flavor in the Umami Burger, toppings like an aged Parmesan crisp, oven-roasted tomatoes, shiitake mushrooms (naturally high in umami), and caramelized onions accentuate the taste, while a Portuguese bun holds it all together while adding texture.

The burger patty is seasoned with Fleischman's Umami "Master" Sauce, which includes seaweed, tamari, and miso, and his Umami "Dust," a secret mixture that includes konbu and dried mushrooms, as well as some salt and pepper. To bring it altogether, Umami ketchup kicks up the flavor with added fish sauce and mushrooms. The combination of all of the ingredients creates a hint of Japanese cuisine that's thrown into a classical American burger.

Click here to see the Umami Burger Ketchup Recipe

The Pretzel Burger Bun Recipe

Wendy's unveiled its Pretzel Bacon Cheeseburger this summer in the hopes of creating a frenzy - and they succeeded. Their new burger is a reincarnation of their "Hot 'N Juicy" cheeseburger with a honey mustard sauce, Cheddar cheese, and applewood-smoked bacon, nestled in the middle of a warm artisanal pretzel bun.

Other fast-food restaurants have launched pretzel bun sandwiches of their own, including Dunkin' Donuts' Pretzel Roll Roast Beef Sandwich, Sonic's Pretzel Dogs, and Ruby Tuesday's full menu of Pretzel Burgers. The variations are endless, so we've given you a start with a pretzel bun recipe.

Click here to see the The Pretzel Burger Bun Recipe

-Victoria Barton, The Daily Meal