When it comes to burgers, there’s truly something for everyone. The purists can go all-beef, topped with melty cheese and tucked into a toasted bun; those who want a twist can reach for a flavorful patty made from pork, turkey or even veggies, piled high with all the best fixings. No matter what you choose or how you top it, it’s sure to be delicious. And, making the perfect burger is easy as long as you’ve got the basics down—and a few good recipes you can rely on.

That’s where we come in. We’ve rounded up all the variations you need for cookouts, easy grilling and more, starting with our go-to burger. We season only the outside of each patty right before grilling to help a build a nice crust.

Our trick for forming the patties is a real time saver, especially if you are cooking for a crowd. You can also form them the day before; place in an airtight container with parchment paper in between to help with party-day prep.

Bobby’s Perfect Burger

Bobby’s Perfect Burger

This is Bobby’s standard, go-to burger how-to. Perfectly melted cheese and toasted burger buns are of the utmost importance.

Fajita Burger with Guacamole

Nothing beats a sizzling hot platter of fajitas–well, except maybe this burger! We took the fun of this Tex-Mex platter and turned it into a decadent burger that is loaded with peppers, onions and plenty of pepper jack cheese for some kick. Worcestershire sauce brings salty umami to both the guacamole and the burger patties.

Feta-Stuffed Juicy Lucy Turkey Burgers

Ground turkey burgers get a bad rap for being a little bit boring. But when dressed up with flavors of the Mediterranean like olives, capers, garlic and dill, and then stuffed with salty and tangy feta cheese, they become anything but. To maximize the flavor we made a quick tzatziki sauce and slathered it over toasted sesame buns, then topped the burgers with fresh tomato slices and crunchy lettuce.

The Best Bacon Cheeseburgers

While we love a grilled burger, this one is our go-to for all seasons. Instead of making a typical patty, we smash the meat in a super-hot cast-iron pan to get crispy, ruffled edges. Once you smash your burgers this way, you’ll never go back! We top them with all the fixings, including our perfectly balanced special sauce. It’s what we consider an iconic burger.

Blackstone Classic Smash Burgers

The appeal of a smash burger is the way the craggy edges crisp and how quickly it cooks. For our double-patty version made on a Blackstone ® flat-top style grill, we tried several different techniques. While we loved pressing the patties into onions on the griddle, it left less surface area for the meat to caramelize. Our fix was to split the difference by pressing one patty into golden onions and cook one patty plain for maximum browning and crispiness. The result is the best of both worlds: a burger loaded with flavor and texture. We would not want it any other way.