The short answer
A well-built burger, from the bottom up:
- Toasted bottom bun
- Sauce (mayo or a burger sauce)
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- Patty
- Cheese, melted right onto the patty
- Onion
- Pickles
- Ketchup and mustard
- Toasted top bun
Why this order works
Almost every stacking rule comes from three goals:
- Keep the bottom bun dry. A hot patty drips juice and fat. If it lands straight on bare bread, the bottom bun turns soggy and tears.
- Stop things from sliding. Tomato slices and wet sauces are slippery. Put them where something grippy holds them in place.
- Melt the cheese. Cheese only melts on something hot, so it belongs on the patty, not on a cold vegetable.
Layer by layer
1. Toasted bottom bun
Toast the cut side of both buns in a pan or on the grill for a minute, until golden. The toasted surface soaks up far less juice than soft bread, and it tastes better. Brioche and potato buns are popular because they are soft but still hold together.
2. Sauce on the bottom bun
A thin layer of mayo or burger sauce on the toasted bun works like a raincoat: fat-based sauces push water away from the bread. It also gives the lettuce something to stick to.
3. Lettuce
Lettuce is the main shield between the juicy parts and the bun. Use crisp leaves (iceberg, romaine or butter lettuce), dry them well, and fold them to roughly the size of the bun so they don't hang out.
4. Tomato
On the lettuce, the tomato's juice stays off the bread. Slice it about a quarter inch (6 mm) thick and add a pinch of salt. Putting tomato under the patty also keeps it from sliding off the melted cheese.
5 and 6. Patty with cheese
Add the cheese during the last minute of cooking, while the patty is still in the pan or on the grill. A lid or an upturned bowl over it melts the cheese in about 30 seconds. Melted cheese drapes over the edges and acts like glue for whatever goes on top.
7 and 8. Onion and pickles
These go on the cheese, where they stick. Thin raw onion rings give crunch; grilled onions are softer and sweeter. Pat pickles dry so they don't make the top bun wet.
9. Ketchup and mustard
Squeeze them over the pickles and onion, or onto the underside of the top bun. Either way they stay away from the bottom bun.
10. Toasted top bun
Press down gently so the layers settle together, and serve right away.
Other orders people use
There isn't one official order, and good burger places do it differently:
- Vegetables on top: patty right on the bottom bun, then cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion. It looks great, but the bottom bun gets wet faster, so toast it well and eat it quickly.
- Vegetables under the patty: the order in this guide. Many burger chains build this way because it travels well.
- Double burgers: patty, cheese, patty, cheese. The cheese between the patties holds the stack together, then add toppings as usual.
- Bacon and fried egg: put them straight on the cheese, close to the meat. They are heavy, so they belong near the middle.
- Very tall burgers: push a wooden skewer down the middle to keep everything lined up.
Patty tips for a better burger
- Ground beef with about 20% fat (80/20) stays juicy.
- Shape patties a little wider than the bun: they shrink as they cook.
- Press a shallow dent in the middle with your thumb so the patty cooks flat instead of puffing up.
- Salt the outside just before cooking, and flip only once or twice.
- For safety, cook ground beef to 160°F (71°C) inside, which is what the USDA recommends. A cheap meat thermometer takes the guessing out of it.
Practice stacking in Grillionaire
Want to practice the order without making a mess in the kitchen? Grillionaire is our free burger cooking game: customers hand you a ticket, and you grill the patty, flip it when it's golden, and stack every layer in the right order before serving. In the game, the cheese always goes right on the patty, bacon and egg come next, then the vegetables and the sauces. It plays in your browser on phone or computer, and it's great for kids learning how a burger is put together.
If you're playing, the Grillionaire guide explains how the game scores each burger.