Celebrity Chef Burger Recipes, Ranked Worst To Best

Is there anything like sinking your teeth into a juicy, dripping burger topped with flavorful condiments sandwiched in a toasty bun? We didn't think so. Perhaps this is why burgers are one of the world's favorite foods. With hearty patties being the perfect vessel for all sorts of cheesy, melty, tasty topping combinations, the possibilities for burger variants are endless. This celebrated versatility does not only apply to the beefy creations we find in our favorite restaurants — cooking burgers at home also provides cooks ample opportunity for creativity in the kitchen. Many of the most notable at-home burger recipes to make your taste buds sing come from the celebrity chefs we know and love.

From Guy Fieri to Gordan Ramsay to Paula Deen, well-known chefs featured on networks like the Cooking Channel or the Food Network have brought an array of seriously stellar homemade burger concoctions to the public. However, according to the reviewers who've made them, not all of these recipes are created equal. Before you select one for your next barbecue get-together and craft your grocery list, check out our list of celebrity chef burger recipes ranked from worst to best.

Gordon Ramsay is an undisputed talent. Between racking up a number of Michelin stars, opening up dozens of successful restaurants all around the world, and starring in television shows like "Kitchen Nightmares" and "Hell's Kitchen," it may seem hard to believe that the all-star chef has had time to develop and share his very own burger recipes with the public. But he has — and from the Gordon's Burger in 10 Minutes to Gordon's 10 Millionth Youtube Subscriber Burger, Ramsay's recipes have gotten quite a bit of attention from home cooks everywhere.

Perhaps the most well-known of these is the chef's Perfect Burger, a recipe Ramsay shared on "Good Morning America" back in 2017. Unfortunately, according to many who've made it, this "perfect" burger is anything but. "Nope... It's meatloaf," said a user on Reddit, who went on to refer to the concoction — which uses egg as a binder — as "ground beef with soggy egg juice." Interestingly, this is not the first time Gordon's burgers have been compared to meatloaf via the online platform. "Every burger recipe from Gordon Ramsay that I've tried has come out tasting like meatloaf," reads the title of a separate thread under r/Cooking. If a thicker, chalkier burger is your thing, then Gordon's perfect burger might be for you — otherwise, there may be some better options out there.

Alton Brown, long-time host of Food Network's "Good Eats," is well-known for his additional appearances on television shows such as "Iron Chef," his food-related writing, and — apparently — his burger recipes. His from-scratch patty recipe, called the Burger of the Gods, is frequently reviewed and rated on the Food Network's website. Unfortunately, not all of the feedback regarding the cook's chuck and sirloin mash-up is positive.

"This isn't really a recipe," complains one user who goes on to criticize the overall lack of juices found in the finished product. "Sadly, this was terrible," concurred another reviewer. "The meat was chunky and sinewy." While some reviews praise the overall simplicity of the recipe, there were enough complaints regarding issues such as dryness, missing fat in the meat, and a lack of overall flavor to cause us to raise our eyebrows on this one. If you're interested in experimenting with grinding your own burger patties at home, Alton's Burger of the Gods might be a good fit ... but you may also want to consider widening your search a bit before deciding. 

Kathleen Daelemans is a celebrated healthy chef — after losing a significant amount of weight herself, she encourages viewers to strive for more nutritious eating on her Food Network television show "Cooking Thin." Since many of her recipes focus on creating lighter alternatives for beloved, calorie-heavier dishes, it's no wonder Chef Kathleen developed a chicken burger recipe — chicken is decidedly lower in fat than beef.

While the ground poultry dish is rated decently highly overall, many reviewers on the Food Network website admit to having to add changes to Daelemans' originally outlined ingredients and steps. This is reportedly to make the patties more flavorful and less soggy. "It's extremely bland and oniony as is," said one user, who admitted to adding Italian breadcrumbs on their second attempt. "It really needs seasoning and flour." Handfuls of reviewers also recommended omitting the milk the recipe calls for, referring to the excessive wetness of the burger patties if the liquid ingredient is included. Overall, Kathleen's dish seems like a healthy, decent-tasting option for health-conscious burger lovers — just maybe be prepared to add a few changes yourself if you decide to go for it.

Paula Deen's fun-loving attitude and delicious Southern-style food have drawn a large fan base over the years, and one recipe in particular — her campfire hamburger packets — has garnered a lot of attention and reviews based on its uniqueness alone. A play on a deconstructed cheeseburger, the recipe involves meat shaped into patties, placed in foil packets with additional ingredients, and (you guessed it) cooked over an open fire or grill.

While this more unusual hamburger take wins some points for ease, it loses some for its lack of traditionalism ... and sogginess, according to reviewers. "The taste of these burgers was okay, but I didn't care for the texture," said one user on Paula's official website. "They seemed a little bit soggy and mushy to me. Perhaps because they were cooked in a pouch and the moisture/drippings could not escape?" The home cook has a point — when trapped in foil, the fat leaching from the meat during cooking will not be able to drip as it would if roasted on a grill, for example. You'll have to determine whether or not this bothers you personally, or not — and if not, Paula's recipe could make for a tasty, savory alternative to the usual s'mores the next time you and your family convene around a campfire.

Marcela Valladolid grew up in Tijuana, Mexico, and discovered at a very young age that she had the desire to work in food. After attending both the Los Angeles Culinary Institute and the Ritz Escoffier Cooking School in Paris, France, she returned to her Mexican roots via the Food Network through her show, "Mexican Made Easy." Breaking down traditional Mexican cooking and flavors through television, recipe development, and cookbook authoring, Marcela has been a trailblazer in the Hispanic culinary community.

Her original burger recipe, called the Burger Al Pastor, utilizes the flavors of cilantro, pineapple, and pork to create a sizzling, unique take on a classic dish. Food Network reviewers report that the recipe is indeed impactful flavorwise, and many users rave about how well the dish pairs with sides such as refried beans or tequila cocktails. However, there appears to be a single weakness in these burger masterpieces: their tendency to fall apart. Many reviewers question whether additional binders (and perhaps less moisture) are the change required to the original set of instructions to fix the issue. Overall, this is a good bet for a burger dish — just maybe consider, as one user suggested, some crushed-up tortilla chips for a bit of help with the overall stick. Yum. 

Chef and television star Anne Burrell is perhaps most widely known for her participation as a host on Food Network's "Worst Cooks in America," but she is also noted for her various original recipes. One of these is a healthier take on a traditional hamburger which calls for ground turkey, garlic, onions, soy sauce, ginger, and water chestnuts, among other flavor-filled additives.

Chef Anne's recipe totes a shining five stars from reviewers — proof of its popularity. "These are awesome!" raves one of these fans on Food Network's website. "So moist and full of flavor — better than a burger." However, we have to deduct some points based on one major flaw in the recipe: too much moisture. There is a cup of added water outlined in the original set of guidelines, and this is consistently reported by users as being too much. "Very good! Skip the added water however [...] The burgers left a tablespoon of juice on each of our plates. It got all over my fresh mango chunks," says one reviewer, illustrating the commonly reported issue. There are plenty of things to love here; just keep in mind that if you do opt for Chef Burrell's turkey burger recipe, maybe give the reviewers' suggestions a shot and omit the water completely.

We've all witnessed Guy Fieri chowing down on a great number of delicious dishes — yes, including burgers — on his show "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" on the Food Network. Well, it appears that the restaurateur and expert food-taster has taken all of these unique bites and harnessed them for culinary good in the development of his original cheeseburger. Called the Real Deal Burger, the recipe calls for ground beef, brioche buns, three different kinds of cheese, and various yummy condiments to create a towering, melty, mouthwatering dish.

Overall, reviewers via platforms such as the Food Network and Reddit praise Guy's dish. With its aesthetic appeal and ample flavor (thanks to an absolutely mouthwatering "donkey sauce" which serves as the finishing topper), the recipe is an undisputed stand-out. The downside? Home cooks point out that it is a very time-consuming burger to make and that without the addition of that magical finishing sauce, the dish might not actually be anything overly special. As it stands, we figure you'll fare well with this one when you're slathering it with your very own batch of delicious donkey sauce.

Ree Drummond, otherwise known as the Pioneer Woman, is a blogger turned Food Network television star. Her books, home decoration tips, and (of course) her collection of hearty recipes are coveted by loyal fans far and wide. And when it comes to the realm of burgers, Ree has one recipe in particular that is well worth a shout-out.

The Pioneer Woman's black bean burger is a flavorful, veggie-forward take on one of America's most popular foods. An alternative for vegetarians or for those watching their calorie or fat intake, Ree's burger variant sports fantastic reviews across platforms. "The best veggie burger I've ever had ... homemade, store-bought, or in a restaurant! Yum!" reads one of these on the Pioneer Woman's official site. Consumers praise the patty mixture's all-around ease, nutrition stats, flavor, and slightly spicy kick. There isn't much to knock here, other than the fact that the recipe — as compared with some of the other homemade burgers on our list — is slightly lesser-known, and therefore, reviewed by a smaller number of people. Overall, though, we'd be willing to bet you won't find yourself disappointed with this delicious pick. Who knows? Maybe you can add to the review tally after trying it yourself.

Ina Garten, host of the Food Network's popular television program "Barefoot Contessa," has shared countless original soups, salads, sandwiches, sweets, and side dishes with the world. Among this long list of delicacies is her Real Hamburger — a set of instructions for home cooks on how to form some seriously stellar from-scratch burgers. Calling for ground chuck, sirloin, egg yolks, and steak sauce, among other ingredients, this particular recipe stands out in a good way from other burgers.

Reviewers seem to love this unique burger. "This recipe produced the best burgers I have ever had," said a user on the Food Network's official website. " If you want a phenomenal burger, try Ina's recipe!" However, Chef Garten's recipe is not completely without its critics — some of whom claim that the end result is not so special as to justify the more lengthy ingredients list and time required for prep. Because of this, we must knock it down a few pegs — however, keep in mind that the overwhelming majority have nothing but great things to say regarding the Barefoot Contessa's culinary creation. We support your decision if you decide to give this one a go. 

Who would ever think to put a handful of salted potato chips on a cheeseburger? Bobby Flay, of course! The chef famous for his numerous restaurants and starring appearances on reality TV shows (most notably "Beat Bobby Flay") has a number of delectable burger recipes to his name, but one which harbors particularly gleaming reviews is known as the Crunch Burger. Calling for an array of toppings like beefsteak tomato slices, American cheese, a killer horseradish sauce, and yes — potato chips — Chef Flay commands the attention of burger lovers everywhere with his crunchier take on a standard cheeseburger.

It's rare to find a recipe with virtually zero poor reviews, but Bobby's Crunch Burger nearly hits the mark. Consumers consistently refer to this meaty masterpiece using words such as delicious, amazing, or perfect, with the only negative mentions being the thickness of the burger patties themselves. However, even though some consumers suggest that the patties should be formed thinner than Bobby Flay's original instructions dictate, the recipe is still nearly universally recommended by those who've crafted it. It appears we have found an extra-crunchy winner in this one.

British Chef Jamie Oliver is perhaps best known for his television show, "The Naked Chef," but his multiple cookbooks, extensive knowledge of restaurants and the culinary industry, and bank of online recipes have led to his becoming a household celebrity chef name. One of the recipes for which he is best known is called the Insanity Burger — and it is universally praised across platforms such as Reddit and Youtube alike.

"I made Jamie Oliver's Insanity Burger and it was craaaazy good," reads the title of one of these raving Reddit threads, above a mouthwatering photo of a double-decker, cheesy burger with bacon, pickles, and red onions. "I've copied this recipe twice now, and both times has proven to be the best BBQ burgers I've ever made," said another consumer on a Youtube video featuring Jamie himself preparing the beef-forward dish. "It rocks!!" The praise goes on and on — leading us to believe that Jamie Oliver's Insanity Burger isn't one you're going to want to miss the next time you're craving an epic new dish to try.

George Motz, TV star, writer, and filmmaker, is a burger expert by all accounts. Not only was he the host of the Travel Channel's "Burger Land," but he also directed his own documentary, titled "Hamburger America," which focused on — you guessed it — burgers and their prominence in America's culinary scene. Over the years, the beef-and-cheese genius has harnessed his collective knowledge and developed a number of his own burger creations ... and according to consumers, they are to die for.

Whether it be the smashburger or the fried onion burger, any original recipe by George is a slam dunk. "The burger god celebrity is George Motz," declared a user on Reddit — and the statement is met with near universal agreement across platforms. "Met the GOAT George Motz and ate so many burgers" reads the title of another thread, in which the poster describes a burger-making class they were a part of called Grillside with George Motz. "You're living the dream sir," reads a comment by a responding user — no doubt referencing all the flashy new burger-making skills the original poster likely obtained during the course with the celebrity. If you're looking for your next winning home burger, perhaps consider listening to the masses and giving the Goerge Motz recipe archives a search. After all, you may as well dirty your grill and spatula with something that's worth it.

To develop our ranking of the best celebrity burger recipes, a thorough assessment of consumer reviews and home-cook opinions via the Food Network recipe database, Reddit, and YouTube was conducted. Our own cooking experiences were also taken into account where applicable, and all of this contributed to what we believe to be an accurate ranking scale to help you make the best decision possible for your next cooking experience.