10 Canned Toppings That Belong On Your Next Burger

When it comes to burger toppings, there is the holy trinity — ketchup, mustard, and mayo — and an assortment of standard crunchy toppings that, if we're being honest, aren't really that tasty. Someone just put them on a burger on a whim long ago, and no one questioned it. Gone are the days of sticking to these "safe" toppings, as there is a whole world of different sauces, spreads, veggies, and more worth adding to your burger, and it can be found in an unlikely place: the canned food aisle.

Canned foods have seen a renaissance in recent years as people have started to realize how versatile, long-lasting, and useful they are. While you have to doctor some toppings up to make them worthy of your burger, others can just be removed from the can, rinsed, and stacked atop your patty. If you're looking to elevate your beef, chicken, turkey, or veggie burger, you may want to take a peruse through your pantry and cupboards and see what you can find. Here are some of the canned ingredients we think are most worth trying on your burger. 

Canned jalapeños are one of our favorite ingredients to keep in the pantry because they can expedite the cooking process so much. You don't have to worry about buying whole peppers, removing the seeds and the ribs inside, and slicing them into pieces — all without touching your eyes or the inside of your nose. All you need to do is get your hands on a can of pre-sliced jalapeños, and you're golden. 

Jalapeños make an excellent topping for your burger because they offer a subtle spicy bite and earthy, vegetal flavor. They're also an excellent selection if you want to add a piquant profile to your sandwich, but don't want the heat to dominate every bite. The simplest way to use canned jalapeños is to add them directly to the top of your patty. They may be a little soggy coming out of the can, so you'll want to pat them dry with a paper towel to prevent your bun from getting too wet. You can also chop up the peppers and add them to the patty before cooking it, or swirl the chopped peppers into your favorite burger sauce. Pair them with mayo for a spicy aioli, or try adding them to ketchup to mask their heat with a sweet, umami, and tomato-forward flavor. 

Jalapeños play well with others, and there are very few burger toppings you can't partner them with. Since they tend to deliver in the spice department, you may want to counter them with creamy, neutral, or sweet toppings like caramelized onions, mayonnaise, or relatively bland lettuce.

Gone are the days of washing (and rewashing when you realize that you left a little bit of dirt underneath the cap), chopping, and cooking mushrooms for your burger. Canned mushrooms, like many of the other canned goods on this list, simplify the process tremendously. All you need to do is pop the can, drain the water, rinse the pieces, and integrate them into your sandwich. 

While some of the other toppings on this list are relatively easy to add to your sandwich (since you don't need to dress them up), mushrooms tend to have a tinny flavor and flabby texture that you might want to consider when deciding how to use them. When we add them to our veggie burgers for a touch of umami flavor, we like to toss them in a pan with a little butter (vegan or not), and savory seasonings like thyme and rosemary. The mushrooms will start to change color and soak up the seasonings like a sponge, which will make them all the more delicious than eating them straight from the can. This dressed-up canned staple would be excellent under a layer of gooey Swiss cheese, alongside caramelized onions, or paired with a tasty roasted garlic aioli. 

You can also add some mushrooms to the patty itself to increase its umami and stretch your protein a bit further. It'll make your patty half-vegetarian and save you some cash on your protein of choice, be it beef, turkey, or chicken. 

Sauerkraut is an admittedly divisive condiment. Some people love its funky, fermented taste, while others wouldn't touch it with a 10-foot pole. If you are in the sauerkraut lovers' camp, you may want to try adding a canned version of it to your next burger. Besides adding a tangy flavor, the texture and taste of the sauerkraut can easily slice through a rich burger patty, balancing the bite and keeping it interesting with its acidity. 

It's not uncommon to add sauerkraut to hot dogs and brats, so you'll want to think about toppings in the same family for your burger. It pairs well with salty meats like bacon or a pork-based patty cut with sausage. Once you pull the strings from the can, make sure to give them a good pat with a towel to remove that excess water. If you prefer less of a temperature contrast, you can also plop your sauerkraut into a pan with a little salt and pepper to bring it up to temperature before sliding it onto your patty. Try it with a pretzel bun for a tasty German twist.  

Growing up, we watched the lunch staff in our elementary cafeteria open massive drums of canned nacho cheese sauce only to use it for everything: nachos, mac and cheese, taco day, and more. There's not much that this gooey, molten yellow sauce can't do. When added to your burger, the molten cheese sauce will infuse every bite with an unmistakably rich flavor. You may also be able to find nacho cheese sauce with added jalapeños and green chile, or spices like cumin and paprika, to add an extra bite to your sandwich. These sauces would be perfect for a Tex-Mex-inspired burger, with taco seasoning-flavored beef, jalapeños, red onions, and a scoop of guacamole on top. 

Even if you don't like much spice, you can find a cheese sauce that's perfect for you. Add a little drizzle of the warmed sauce straight from the can, or add your own seasonings to it before ladling it over your patty. The flavor is neutral enough that it can be used for beef, veggie, or poultry-based patties; just be wary that a little bit of it goes a long way. 

You may be familiar with chili dogs, but what about chili burgers? We love adding spicy chili to our burgers (beans please, but we respect if you prefer to go Texas-style) because it adds not only heft but also a warming mouthfeel perfect for a blustery winter day. Chili comes in many different forms, including with plant-based "meat," beef, turkey, or chicken, and if you take a stroll down the aisle of your local grocery store, chances are that you'll find one that appeals to you. Then, once you remove it from the can, you can doctor it up with additional spices (and hot sauce, if you prefer things spicy-spicy), warm it up, and slather it on your burger. Chili, especially canned versions, tends to be very well-salted, so you'll want to give your brand of choice a taste and season your patty and toppings accordingly. 

Chili, especially one made with a ton of beans and meat, can add heft to your burger, so you'll want to stick to adding just a little bit to your patty during the construction phase. You can help add lightness to your bite by focusing your other toppings on crunchy, bright vegetable additions, like lettuce. That said, we won't denounce the idea of adding crispy onion rings, melted cheese, and bacon to a chili-topped burger, either. 

Many of the canned ingredients on this list are dense, heavy, and can take your burger from "maybe I'll have a second one" to "you'll need to roll me off the couch after three bites." Sun-dried tomatoes are one canned ingredient that can add lightness, brightness, and character to your burger, which is perfect or if you're going for a poultry- or lamb-based patty. While sun-dried tomatoes certainly have a fruity profile, the flavor is far sweeter and more complex than standard tomatoes. 

Sun-dried tomatoes are often canned or jarred in oil, which gives them a very silky texture. You can spread them evenly across your cheese or patty to serve them, or get creative and integrate them into other spreads and toppings. If you're making your own mayo for your burgers, you may want to add some of the oil from the can to infuse it with a subtly sweet and umami flavor. You can also blend the sun-dried tomatoes into a homemade pesto, balanced with ingredients like basil and arugula, for a herbaceous and bright flair. Pair sun-dried tomatoes with other mild-flavored, Mediterranean-inspired toppings like mozzarella, balsamic, and fresh herbs. 

Pineapple on pizza? What's next, pineapple on a burger? Well, if the shoe fits ... 

It's a delectably sweet and refreshing fruit, but cutting pineapple can be a pain. Canned pineapple is a far easier solution that delivers a similar flavor to the fresh stuff. Instead of having to slice through a whole fruit and stabbing yourself with the crown, simply grab a can opener, drain the juice, and enjoy. While you can add the pineapple straight from the can to your burger, the much better way to serve it is by cooking the fruit on the grill for a few minutes. Remove the excess juice with a towel, coat your rings in a light layer of oil, and pop them on the BBQ. After a couple of minutes on each side, you'll have a much sweeter and more structurally sound addition to your burger. 

It might seem a bit odd to consider pineapple with other burger toppings, but it isn't all that strange once you start to think about the recipes where pineapple is usually included. It's often paired with bacon (or ham) and jalapeño on pizza, so why not try these two common burger toppings with your grilled pineapple addition? You could also season your burger with a teriyaki- or barbecue-inspired sauce, pineapple, and crunchy slaw. 

Some like it hot, and for those people, there are canned green chiles. This class of pepper includes several varieties under its umbrella, including Anaheim (California) chiles, Hatch chiles, and poblanos. Each variety has a slightly different flavor, so you'll want to do your research and select a can with your desired profile. In general, canned green chiles are Anaheims, though you can occasionally find Hatch chiles if you look hard enough. 

Semantics aside, green chiles are an excellent addition to your burger because they're crunchy and earthy without being especially hot. They tend not to run as hot as jalapeños, meaning you can load them up on your patty without thinking twice about it. If you can get your hands on smoked or fire-roasted green chiles, we'd highly recommend them. The process infused more flavors into the chiles, which will be imparted on your burger and any other toppings that come into contact with it. Green chiles, as a whole, are best served with Tex-Mex-inspired toppings, like pepper Jack cheese and salsa. Like other veggies, just make sure to drain all the water before using them to avoid making your bun soggy. 

Sloppy Joes are a cafeteria favorite. And now, you don't have to choose between a minced meat sandwich coated in this iconic canned ingredient and a burger. A sloppy joe sandwich is just ground meat coated in the sauce, so it's easy to see how you can just slather a little sauce on the top of your patty to give it a sweeter and more umami-forward profile. 

Sloppy Joe sauce is made with ingredients like tomato, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce, making it a very rich topping for your patty. It can also replace ketchup, since the two share a similar sweetness. Try adding the sauce to your burgers at the end of cooking when you add the cheese, to allow the sauce to stick to the patty and caramelize over the heat. You can also slather it on before serving if you don't want to risk burning your sauce in the skillet. 

Sloppy Joe sauce is a friend to many other popular burger toppings, including the classic red onion, lettuce, and tomato trio. You can also temper the richness of the sauce by adding some pickles to the top of your sandwich, or opting for a tangy topping like slaw or sauerkraut. Alternatively, you can take the indulgent route by adding on a handful of potato chips for crunch or crispy onion rings for an extra decadent bite. 

Sure, canned meats are a popular choice for breakfast, but that's far from the only place where shelf-stable staples like Spam and bacon can shine (yes, you can can bacon). Canned meats are inexpensive and packed with flavor; you just have to be creative about how you use them. For example, although Spam is already cooked, you don't want to just flop it onto your sandwich. Instead, thinly slice off a piece and add it to a fry pan (sans oil) to crisp it up. The meaty flavor won't totally overwhelm your patty. Instead, it will offer a delectably salty and savory bite. You can also find other flavors of Spam besides the classic one, including gochujang, which would be excellent on a Korean-inspired burger topped with kimchi, and maple-flavored, which could add a unique edge to a patty shoved between two glazed donuts. 

Canned bacon, while not as wildly popular or as easy to find as Spam, is also a worthy topping for your burger simply because of how easy it is to use. While you have to stand over bacon as it cooks, canned bacon comes pre-cooked; just unroll it, separate it from the packaging paper, warm it up, and place it on your sandwich. You can use it anywhere you'd use regular bacon, including on Angus beef burgers, turkey burgers, or any other patty you can think of.