The Burger Bun Swap You Won't Regret Trying

There is plenty of debate around what makes the ideal hamburger bun. Instead of adding our voice to the noise, we're here to offer you some different advice: Shake up your burger game by swapping out the standard bun for a bread that many people overlook. Using pita bread is an option that will improve your burger game while also encouraging you to explore some more creative and plant-based burger options. That's because pita bread is a pocket that can hold onto any patty, topping, and sauce combination in a way that standard burger buns can not. With it, you can add a huge number of elements to a burger in the secure knowledge that nothing will slip or fall off. The bread also goes great with a number of slightly alternative toppings. (It's for this reason that pita bread is also great for making grilled cheese sandwiches.)

Aside from providing a means to keep a handle on your toppings, using pita bread as a bun is also a good way for you to try healthier burger options at home, particularly plant-based burgers. It is a known fact that plant-based burgers don't hold up well. They crumble as they cook or they fall completely apart at the first bite. However, this is not an issue when you are using pita bread as a burger bun. Thanks to pita's pocket shape, the patty can crumble all it likes as you eat it; it still won't go anywhere. Even if it falls apart in the pan, you can simply scoop it up and stuff it into the pita.

Pita's shape and durability allows you to explore extravagant burgers that would be too difficult to handle were a regular bun used. For example, the Salisbury steak burger – which is a derivative of the Salisbury steak, a dish that deserves a comeback — would be perfect to try with pita bread. Made with ground beef that's topped with caramelized onions, mushrooms, mashed potatoes, and gravy, this burger would be a nightmare to eat normally. However, by using pita bread, you ensure that every part of the burger remains in the "bun" throughout the entire eating process.

The only problem that you may encounter is that all of the sauce inherent to burgers like the Salisbury steak burger soaks into the bottom of the pita, causing it to tear. To prevent this from occurring, reinforce your pita by cutting a ½ inch section from the top of the pita. Flip that section over and place it in the bottom of the larger piece of pita. This reinforced floor will provide the extra support needed to contain your experimental burger's wet ingredients and any sauce.