Is there any food that’s more satisfying than a really good burger? A juicy, grilled beef patty with some lettuce and tomatoes between two halves of a bun can make the world seem a little better when you bite into it.
But there’s one other thing you’ll need. What is it? The sauce, of course! There are quite a few roads you can go down with sauce for burgers, but this list has gathered 10 of the best spicy burger sauce recipes for you to put the finishing touches on your freshly-made masterpiece.
This delicious sauce is a mixture of several other sauces, and it can be whipped up in just a minute or two for anything barbecued or grilled.
The main ingredients are mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, barbecue sauce, and Worcestershire sauce, which makes it a little bit spicy from the mustard and a little bit sweet from the barbecue sauce. If you keep it in an airtight container it’ll last a couple of months.
You could try making a large batch at the beginning of the summer if you know you’ll be doing a lot of barbecuing. It goes well with things other than beef, too, so feel free to try it on veggie burgers and dip your fries in it!
This sweet, spicy sauce needs only five ingredients that you might have lying around your kitchen anyway – honey, chili flakes, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, and garlic.
Adding water is optional, depending on how thick you’d like it to be. Once it’s made, it’s a delightful tasting sauce that’s very versatile.
It’s actually not made specifically to go on burgers – it definitely does a great job there, no doubt about it, but you can also use it as a dipping sauce, on fish, or whatever else you feel like needs a little bit of sweet spice.
This is not your standard burger sauce but something a little bit more experimental. Perhaps you’re thinking “Bacon jam? Really?”, but trust us, it’s amazing. The bacon is candied and has a great sweet and smoky flavor, but that’s not all.
There’s a pleasing, earthy background from the coffee (yes, coffee) and then a gentle heat to round it all off, courtesy of some red pepper flakes. Of course, you can make that heat a little (or a lot) less gentle if you feel like it.
Bacon jam is incredible on burgers – bacon is often added to burgers anyway, after all – but you can experiment with putting it on other things too. It takes a bit more work than some of the sauces on this list, but it’s nothing crazy and is well worth the extra time.
This recipe is a lot more straightforward than the last one. It has just four ingredients – mayonnaise, sour cream, chipotle chilies (from a can with adobo), and lime juice. Simply purée these together in a blender and you’re done.
Since mayonnaise is already a great addition to a burger, this is a sure winner. The chipotle adds delicious smoky notes to it and the lime juice adds lively freshness. Add this to a great beef burger with red onions and jalapeños and you’re in for a great time.
Chili peppers aren’t the only way to bring the heat to a sauce. Horseradish is related to both mustard and wasabi (speaking of which, see the next entry on this list) and it has a real kick to it.
This recipe actually includes some mustard and some hot sauce as well, so you’re covered on all fronts. It’s a simple casing of mixing the ingredients together and spreading them on your burger, but we recommend testing it first!
If you haven’t used horseradish before, you might be surprised at the strong taste, so don’t overdo it.
If you’re not sure what wasabi is, it’s a Japanese seasoning related to mustard and horseradish. It usually comes in the form of a green paste and is often eaten with sushi and other foods.
For this recipe, all you’ll need to do is mix wasabi powder into some boiling water and then stir in the mayonnaise. As you’ll see, this recipe is actually a whole East Asian-inspired burger recipe, not just the sauce.
You can make this recipe if you like, but otherwise, just take the sauce part and use it wherever you see fit.
The basic version of this sauce features only paprika for heat, but it suggests adding cayenne pepper powder if you like things spicier – a very good idea in our opinion!
Another unusual but inspired addition is the sweet pickle water, which you really shouldn’t skip. While it takes burgers to a new level, you could also try it on a whole range of things, from fried chicken to fries.
Hot by name, hot by nature – this recipe calls for ten hot red peppers, along with several other herbs and spices. You’re going to char those peppers for a lovely smoky edge and the chutney you’ll end up with is smoky sweet tart, and spicy in exactly the right ways.
It’s certainly great on burgers but it also pairs up well with strong cheddar cheese or even a pan-fried steak.
This one is a fairly simple mixture of sriracha hot sauce with mayonnaise, with a bit of lime juice, salt, and pepper to round it off.
It’s the ideal accompaniment to a burger or a nice chicken sandwich. You can also use it as a great dip for things like potato chips, mozzarella sticks, and chicken wings.
Spicy and tangy, this sauce also includes a little mustard mayonnaise, and dill pickle relish for a complex, combined flavor.
The recipe only includes a pinch of cayenne powder, but you can feel free to go beyond for more heat. Slather in on your burgers and wait for the compliments to roll in.
Final Thoughts
Now you’ve finished this list, you probably can’t wait to get into the kitchen and start cooking up some burgers.
Choosing which sauce you want to try first might be a little problematic, but that, in the words of Marlo Stanfield from The Wire, is “one of those good problems”.
