How to Choose the Best Lettuce for Burgers
Some ingredients are so familiar in a particular dish that it may be difficult to imagine it without them. Whether on homemade burgers or one of the steakburgers on the Freddy’s menu, lettuce, like a slice of fresh tomato or melted cheese, is often one of those ingredients. However, several factors may influence your choice of the best lettuce for burgers. From your preferences regarding texture to the other components that you plan to include, the prompts included below can help you decide the best lettuce for your burgers!
4 Questions to Help You Choose The Best Lettuce for Burgers and Beyond
As you are contemplating the next burger you’ll enjoy for dinner at a restaurant near you or at home, lettuce is likely not the first thing that comes to mind. However, the choice of lettuce often impacts both burger assembly and the overall enjoyment of that burger. Here are some questions to help you determine the best lettuce for your burgers:
1. What kind of texture do you want the lettuce to provide?
As further detailed in the guide to lettuce varieties at Taste of Home, some types of lettuce are crunchy and ridged, while others are softer and more pliable. For example, romaine lettuce is a sturdy choice. With the ribs that run along the interior of these leaves, a crunchy burger bite often results from using this lettuce. However, butterhead lettuce varieties are smoother and more delicate in texture. If you are looking for a tender lettuce (or are trying to sneak in some greens!), then this option may be the best lettuce for your burger. Using shredded lettuce is another option that contributes to the overall textural experience, but keeping shredded lettuce crisp or even on the burger sometimes poses a challenge.
2. For flavor, what is the best lettuce for burgers?
In exploring various lettuces and other greens, Epicurious highlights a slight bitterness to romaine in contrast to the generally neutral iceberg lettuce. Darker green or red leaf lettuce can offer some subtle earthy notes. Aside from lettuce, other leafy greens are often used to add flavor to burgers, sandwiches, salads or other preparations. From peppery arugula to somewhat sweet baby spinach to the more bitter radicchio, these choices offer a subtle difference compared to lettuce that may further enhance the overall flavor of a dish.
3. What other components will complete your burger?
The choice of lettuce and its intended experience in relation to other ingredients and toppings. Situating the lettuce layer just below the top bun and condiments puts the freshness of this ingredient at the forefront and may help keep it crisp or retain its delicacy. On the other hand, putting lettuce beneath the other ingredients helps prevent a soggy bottom resulting from the juiciness of the burger or other toppings like tomatoes, as described at USA Today. Therefore, the best lettuce for burgers may be influenced by other burger components as well as the desired experience of the lettuce.
4. What is the best lettuce for burgers if you are planning to use it as a wrap?
In recent years, using lettuce as a wrap for burgers and other sandwiches has become almost as common as including it as a topping. For example, at Freddy’s, swapping a lettuce wrap for a toasted bun is one of the many available customization options for our steakburgers. Choosing the best lettuce for wraps also takes a little care and is influenced by factors like the contents, the size of the contents and more. For its size, shape and stability, iceberg lettuce is a popular choice for use with burgers. Often, leaves of similar size are used as the top and bottom “buns.” In this preparation from the Food Network, the rounded sides of a head of this type of lettuce are cut in more of a traditional bun shape and placed on either side of the burger. As a softer option that still has the ability to cup your burger, using Boston lettuce is another possibility!
Whether the best lettuce for burgers is the lettuce you grew in your own garden or determined based on taste-testing different greens, you may discover a new favorite or use by trying different lettuce varieties with your burgers. At Freddy’s, our guests can choose to add or omit lettuce from their steakburgers, use it as a wrap or combine it with other toppings such as portobello mushrooms or grilled jalapeños. Find a Freddy’s near you and enjoy steakburgers and other sandwiches made to order today!