I tried Guy Fieri and Gordon Ramsay’s quick burger recipes, and the best one was easier to make

All you have to do is get the veggies ready. Fieri told me it’s important to shred the lettuce, slice your tomato, and “cut those white onions so thin that they only have one side.” 

Per Fieri’s recommendation, I also buttered the buns and popped them into the oven so they could get nice and toasty. 

Fieri said it was essential that I cook my burgers “on the hottest griddle or cast iron pan you can get.” 

“You smash it down hard, we’re talking a half-inch thick,” he added.

The Mayor of Flavortown also told me it was important to let my patty crisp up to “get all that delicious caramelization going.” I waited until the sides of my patty got crunchy before I flipped it over.

First, I sprayed some water around my burger. Then, per Fieri’s instructions, I had to place “some sort of dome or metal bowl” over my patty. 

“That steam will melt your cheese before you overcook your burger,” he told me. 

I didn’t have a metal bowl on hand, so I used an old Marie Callender’s pie tin I found in my parents’ kitchen. 

I placed my patty on the bottom bun, then added the tomato, onion slices, and pickles. I placed the shredded lettuce on the top bun and voilà — I was done! 

To make Ramsay’s cheeseburgers at home, you’ll need: 

• Ground beef
• Brioche buns 
• Bacon 
• Cheddar cheese 
• Egg yolks 
• Frozen red chili 
• Tomato 
• Onion 
• Little Gem lettuce 
• Mayonnaise 
• Sriracha 

I let my patties cook for four minutes over medium-high heat, seasoning them with some more salt and pepper.  

Then I added my bacon and onion slices, increased the heat to high, and let everything cook together.  

I sliced one tomato and washed some Gem Lettuce leaves for the bottom of my burgers. I also toasted my buns in the oven for about two minutes. 

Ramsay also recommends covering the patties with something to help the cheese melt. But, unlike the Mayor of Flavortown, he doesn’t spray the burger with water first. 

Instead, Ramsay’s recipe instructed me to first add some butter to the griddle and place the cheese slices on top of my burgers. Then he recommends covering the patties with a lid or upturned saucepan. I used a metal bowl, which perfectly covered two of my patties. 

First I spread some of Ramsay’s sriracha mayonnaise on my bottom buns. Then I added the Gem Lettuce, tomato, and onion slices, plus my cheeseburger and bacon. 

After I threw a few more onion slices on top and spread more sauce on my top buns, my burger was ready to go. 

Fieri pulls off his incredible flavor with far less work and prep than Ramsay’s recipe. While you’ve got to keep track of quite a few different steps to make Ramsay’s burger happen in 10 minutes, Fieri’s recipe is far simpler — and still delivers fantastic results. 

Plus, I couldn’t believe Fieri’s burger tasted so good without any sauce or condiments. I’ve found his burger to outshine those I’ve had from places like Five Guys, and it’s comparable to the gourmet burgers I’ve tried all over New York — for a fraction of the cost. 

But at the end of the day, you really can’t go wrong with Ramsay or Fieri. Either way, you’re going to have one very delicious burger.