The Best Lettuce for Burgers

Lettuce is one of the most famous burger toppings that can have a significant impact on the taste and texture of your burger.

While some people hardly care about the lettuce in a burger, it is hard to ignore the additional texture, flavor, and color it adds.

Related: Hamburger vs Burger

What is the Best Lettuce for Burgers?

But for lettuce leaves to serve their purpose in a burger, you need to know the varieties that exist.

With that being said, let’s dig in and uncover the best lettuce leaves for burgers that are available.

Iceberg

Iceberg, also known as crisphead lettuce, is probably the most common and cheapest lettuce used for burgers. It is a choice for many because of its mild, neutral taste and crunchiness.

This lettuce also creates a temperature contrast for your burger as it holds up well in the fridge. In terms of nutrition, crisphead lettuce has the lowest value.

But, it is rich in alpha-carotene, antioxidants that help fight radicals that invade our bodies. It is also a good source of potassium, calcium, Vitamin A, C, and K, and folate.

Since iceberg lettuce contains a lot of water, you need to dry it before adding it to your burger to prevent the bugger from being soggy.

With that being said, it’s this author’s opinion that iceberg lettuce is the best lettuce for burgers.

Romaine

Romaine lettuce is a popular topping for burgers because of its high nutritional value. It is a perfect source for fiber and vitamin A and C.

As much as it has many health benefits, using it on burgers can be challenging. Romaine leaves do not have high heat tolerance making them floppy, which may result in a soft, soggy burger.

If you still want to use this lettuce, use its hearts instead. It is crunchy and tender. The stem part of the leaf adds a sweet flavor to your burger.

If you must use the leaves, add the top of the burger above tomatoes and onions to protect it from wilting.

Butterhead

Two types of butterhead lettuce exist; Boston and Bibb. Both are excellent lettuce for burgers because of their buttery texture, enhancing the flavor of other ingredients in your burger.

Since the leaves form a ”cup” type form, it works well on burgers because it holds up well. Butterhead is a bit expensive, but it has a long refrigerator shelf-life.

Radicchio

When you are looking for a whole different look and taste to your burger, try raddichio. The leaves are firm, not crunchy texture, and have a bitter, spicy flavor bringing out a different taste in your burger.

It has a short shelf life, so consider using it immediately after buying. Raddicho lettuce has many nutritional values, such as the source of vitamins B and C.

Why Add Lettuce to Your Burger?

Lettuce adds delicious flavor to your burger. But it brings more to your snack, and here is why you should put it to your hamburger:

• Adds crunch

Lettuce adds some crispiness to your burger when you grill it. There are different lettuce types in the market, and it changes a burger from a soft bite to a crunchy one.

Choose the right kind that will add crunchiness. A good example is iceberg lettuce. It has a mild taste and is sturdy enough to keep your burn from getting soggy.

• Enhanced taste

Lettuce is available in a wide variety. Each type has its unique flavor; some are spicy, and others slightly bitter.

For example, butter lettuce comes with a sweet flavor but doesn’t impact the flavor of your burger negatively.

It can be used as a topping or as lettuce wraps for burgers. If you want a spicy kick in your burger, radicchio is the best choice.

• Heat tolerance

If you want to grill a burger with lettuce as an ingredient, choose one with heat tolerance. One of the best types of lettuce that tolerate high heat is romaine.

Now you know the best type of lettuce for burgers. Choose what suits your taste and prepare your favorite burger.

Remember if you don’t have lettuce, there are some great alternatives to lettuce for burgers. Sometimes you can benefit from being creative.

How to Cut Lettuce For Burgers

Start by removing the first couple of outside layers of lettuce. Next, we are going to remove the core of the lettuce.

This is done by first punding the lettuce down on the chopping board and then pulling out the core. Next, we will proceed by cutting the lettuce in half.

From here it’s going to depend on preference to whether you like shredded lettuce or fuller leaves.

I prefer to use fuller portions as they can help protect the burger bun from going soggy due to sauces and condiments.