We all enjoy traditional food experiences, but a juicy hamburger stands out as a true classic. Over multiple generations, this oversized sandwich has evolved into delicious variations of the original.
From turkey to teriyaki to veggie burgers, we love them all. Regardless of our personal favorites, they have one must-have ingredient in common: fresh, crisp lettuce.
Our choices for the crunchy mainstay have expanded too, but which lettuce is best on which burgers?
Get ready to rally your appetite around rating the best lettuce for making great hamburgers even better.
Best Lettuce for Wrapping Burgers
It takes just the right lettuce leaf to cup around a patty fresh off the grill. These five selections belong at the top of our list because they're a perfect fit for lettuce-wrapped burgers.
1. Baby Iceberg Lettuce
The sturdy cup-shaped leaves of baby iceberg lettuce really hold up to the job of holding on to a burger. Baby iceberg's mildly sweet flavor folds around burgers with a uniquely tender crunch.
What You'll Love – Refrigerated baby iceberg heads stay fresh and ready to wrap burgers for a week to 10 days.
2. Romaine Lettuce
Also called cos lettuce, romaine complements burgers with a bright nutty flavor offset by slightly bitter undertones. The outer leaves are perfect for bundling hamburgers, while romaine hearts offer smaller leaves for wrapping sliders.
What You'll Love – The subtle taste of romaine lettuce goes with all types of burgers, from traditional to barbecue.
3. Green Leaf Lettuce
Tender green leaf lettuce bundles up grilled patties with a mild flavor and soft crunch. Its wavy-edged leaves wrap especially well around classic burger ingredients, such as fresh tomatoes and American cheese.
What You'll Love – The ruffled leaf edges add an enticing look that upgrades plate presentation.
4. Butterhead Lettuce
You may know it better as Boston or Bibb lettuce, but you may not know how easily it can fold around your favorite hamburger. The velvet-like leaves deliver a delicately sweet taste that pairs well with the peppery flavors of red onion.
What You'll Love – This lettuce is an irresistible wrap for healthy low-carb or gluten-free burger recipes.
5. Red Leaf Lettuce
Similar to green leaf lettuce in texture, red leaf serves up mildly sweet, earthy flavors. The large, ruffled leaves are just the right size for wrapping big burgers loaded with all the trimmings.
What You'll Love – The burgundy-colored edges on red lettuce leaves add enticing visual appeal to wrapped burgers.
Best Lettuce for Building Burgers
It's fun to reimagine favorite recipes when you add variety and versatility to the mix. These lettuce selections give you both, inspiring better burgers from crunchy toppings to bottom bun anchors.
6. Oakleaf Lettuce
This lettuce gets its name from the shape of its soft leaves. A sweet, nutty flavor makes oakleaf especially good as an addition to turkey and veggie burgers.
What You'll Love – Oakleaf also works well as a burger wrap or shredded garnish for tacos.
7. Watercress
It's easy to see why watercress is often called curly cress. The spiraled leaves are smaller than you'd expect on a lettuce, but their peppery undertones deliver big flavors to hamburgers.
What You'll Love –The unique taste of watercress complements savory burgers topped with bacon or blue cheese.
8. Mesclun
Think outside the salad plate and inside the hamburger bun with this mix of young lettuce greens. Mesclun's chewy texture and slightly bitter overtones are a perfect match with healthy plant-based burgers.
What You'll Love – Mesclun's leafy combination of colors and shapes easily dresses up burgers for special occasions.
9. Summer Crisp
Sweet and nutty best describe this leafy vegetable, also known as Batavia lettuce. Deeply rooted in French agriculture, summer crisp is a flavorful European variety of our popular iceberg lettuce.
What You'll Love – Batavia's natural sweetness pairs well with turkey or chicken burgers.
10. Mizuna
Often called California pepper grass, mizuna's dark glossy leaves are highly valued for their bitter, peppery taste. Technically a member of the Brassica family, the leafy green is great on teriyaki burgers.
What You'll Love – Mizuna is a delicious way to add important antioxidants to your best hamburgers.
11. Napa Cabbage
This is one more example of how fresh cabbage can fill in for lettuce on a burger. Count on the mildly sweet, satisfying crunch of napa cabbage to transform plain burgers into memorable meals.
What You'll Love – The rich colors of purple napa cabbage make a well-dressed hamburger even more photogenic.
What to Consider When Choosing Lettuce for Burgers
With such a wide selection, how can you be sure you're choosing the right lettuce for your burgers? We suggest considering these factors as you mix and match favorite hamburgers and premium lettuce.
Availability – Most types of lettuce are available year-round. However, if you're thinking about using a highly seasonal variety, such as lamb's lettuce, be ready to schedule menu planning around availability.
Freshness – Always inspect a head of lettuce before adding it to your grocery cart. Bring home the best by purchasing fresh, sustainable produce supplied by established growers like Hitchcock Farms.
Texture – Different toppings add different textures to burgers, so match lettuce crunchiness to your recipe expectations. For example, sturdier leaves yield better results as shredded garnishes and chiffonades.
Grill Tolerance – Avoid wilted lettuce on your burgers by choosing crisp varieties that can handle the heat. If you want to dress hamburgers right off the grill with a delicate lettuce, be sure to place leaves at the top of the burger stack.
How to Prepare Lettuce for Burgers
Easy prep is just one more reason to love lettuce on your hamburgers. Still, you want to be sure the crispy veggie is ready to play well with other ingredients in the dish.
These simple guidelines can help you prepare lettuce like a seasoned restaurant chef.
Trim What You Need – Remove just enough leaves for the meal, and refrigerate the head for later.
Give It a Good Bath – Swish lettuce leaves in cold water, drain in a colander, and pat dry.
Tear Leaves to Fit – Hand-tear leaves so that they're sized to fit the burger bun.
Don't Tear Leaves for Wraps – Whole lettuce leaves work best for wrapping burgers.
Shred for Extra Crunch – Use a box grater to quickly turn sturdy, crisp leaves into crunchy shreds.
Chiffonade Colorful Toppings – Rolled and thinly sliced, brightly hued lettuce creates eye-catching toppings.
Growing and Supplying the Very Best
One of our favorite things about lettuce can be wrapped up in one word - variety. The leafy greens serve up limitless mix and match recipe ideas, and most are available year-round.
We're glad to be a part of all that kitchen creativity, knowing that our premium produce inspires home chefs and foodservice professionals across the country.
From our fields to your table, you can always depend on Hitchcock Farms to grow and supply the very best.
FAQs
Where should I put lettuce on a burger?
Sturdy lettuce leaves are best placed on the bottom bun. This keeps burger juices and condiments from making the bun soggy. Softer lettuce leaves keep their crunchy texture better when they're placed on top of the burger.
Is there a technique for anchoring lettuce leaves on a burger?
A long, well-placed toothpick is the easiest way to keep everything in place on a hamburger. You can also anchor lettuce leaves to the bottom of the bun or top of the patty with a generous dollop of sauce or condiment.
How much lettuce should I put on a burger?
It's a matter of personal taste, but a well-dressed hamburger usually sports two or three lettuce leaves. If you're building a burger with shredded lettuce or a lettuce chiffonade, use just enough to elevate the top bun without throwing it off-balance.
