Anthony Bourdain's Rule Of Thumb For A Perfect Cheeseburger

Yahoo

05-03-2025

There are few dishes quite as tried and true as a good old-fashioned cheeseburger. While the fast food cheeseburger once sold for just five cents by White Castle has evolved over the years, the key to good burgers generally, according to Anthony Bourdain, was simple. It's all about keeping in mind the inherent genius (and deliciousness) of the basic recipe -- and how easy it is to eat.
The beloved celebrity chef explained as much in a discussion with Insider Tech back in 2016 when he described the perfect burger, noting the most important things to remember when crafting the world-renowned dish. The key to his ideal burger? "In a perfect world, you should be able to eat a burger with one hand and get a representative chunk of all the elements," said the chef (via YouTube).
Bourdain was a big fan of burgers, describing them as "the ultimate bar food" in "A Cook's Tour" (via YouTube). But he had a clear philosophy when it came to modifying a traditional cheeseburger. "You have to ask yourself, 'Is this thing I'm doing to this perfectly good, classic dish, is it making it better?'" he asked. "You might deconstruct it in a way that impresses people, delights them, or astounds them, but does it make it better?" Perhaps it's not surprising, then, that Bourdain loved one particular fast food chain -- In-N-Out -- for its simple yet tasty fare.
Needless to say, Anthony Bourdain had a great appreciation for minimalist burgers, which he believed were all about a good-quality beef patty, meltable cheese, and a soft potato (not brioche) bun. There shouldn't be too many unique toppings that distract from the beauty of the burger itself -- and stop you from being able to eat it with one hand. This concept is a popular one among food fans, with us here at The Takeout also favoring classical toppings like onions, pickles, and ketchup when ranking the best and worst burger toppings known to mankind.
Bourdain further explained his stance on the makeup of a perfect cheeseburger and the toppings that are on it. "I like a blue cheese burger, but as with all things you cook, there are trade-offs," he said (via YouTube). "I like lettuce on a burger, maybe even a tomato is nice, but it makes it structurally more difficult to eat." It helps, of course, to add burger toppings in the right order -- though some are certainly more risky than others when it comes to a burger's structural integrity.
It's not that the chef wanted a small, compact burger -- Kobe beef sliders were a bougie burger trend Bourdain couldn't stand -- but simplicity was a highly important aspect of the classic dish for him. "One of the greatest sins in burgerdom, I think, is making a burger that's just difficult to eat," he said.