Some people put a few jalapeños on a burger and call it spicy.
Other people keep a bottle of hot sauce nearby for emotional support.
Wherever you land, we’ve got a burger for you.
These four spicy burger recipes start easy and work their way up, from the creamy comfort of a Jalapeño Popper BUBBA burger to a Hot Honey BUBBA burger that comes with fair warning.
Every one starts with a BUBBA burger cooked straight from frozen, then piles on the peppers, sauces, cheese, crunch and cooling toppings from there.
Choose your heat level. Build your BUBBA. See how brave you really are.
|
Heat Level |
Burger |
Brings the Heat |
Keeps the Peace |
|
Mild |
Jalapeño Popper |
Pickled jalapeño |
Cream cheese |
|
Medium |
Chunky Guac & Fried Jalapeño |
Fresh & fried jalapeños |
Guacamole |
|
Hot |
Bulgogi |
Gochugaru, chili paste, & sriracha |
Cucumber & honey |
|
Extra Hot |
Hot Honey |
Hot honey + optional habanero or ghost pepper sauce |
Bacon & pepper jack |
Level 1: Jalapeño Popper BUBBA burger
A little kick to get things started.
If jalapeño poppers tend to disappear from the appetizer plate before you’ve officially decided to have one, start here.
The Jalapeño Popper BUBBA burger takes the best parts of the bar-food classic and gives them a bigger job to do. Whipped cream cheese cools things down. Pepper jack adds a little edge. Bacon brings the crunch. Pickled jalapeños cut through all that richness with just enough bite.
Build it with:
Original BUBBA burger
Brioche buns
Whipped cream cheese
Pepper jack cheese
Thick-cut bacon
Pickled jalapeño slices
This is an easy entry point for anyone who likes their burger with a little bite, but still wants to taste everything else happening between the buns.
Turn it down: Go easy on the jalapeños.
Turn it up: Add fresh jalapeño slices for a sharper, fresher bite.
Level 2: Angus BUBBA with Chunky Guac & Fried Jalapeños
Cool, creamy and kicking up the heat.
Ready for another pepper?
This build starts with an Angus BUBBA burger and turns things up with fried jalapeños, balanced by cool, creamy guacamole. It’s crunchy, creamy, beefy and spicy in all the right places.
Build it with:
Angus BUBBA burger
Burger buns
Lettuce
Avocados
Red onion
Cilantro
Lime Juice
Salt & pepper
Jalapeños
Corn starch
Frying oil
The guac helps mellow the heat while those fried jalapeños make sure every bite still brings some fire. Consider this your comfortable middle ground before things get a little more dangerous.
Turn it down: Remove more of the jalapeño membrane before cooking.
Turn it up: Finely chop fresh jalapeño into the guacamole and leave more of the white inner membrane intact.
Level 3: Bulgogi BUBBA burger
Big flavor. Serious heat.
Level 3 ventures beyond the classic spicy burger. Time for a spicy burger with a little more attitude.
The Bulgogi BUBBA Burger layers Korean-inspired flavor over an Original or Sweet Onion BUBBA burger
Of course this burger has heat. But what makes this burger work is everything around it: sweetness from pear and honey, savoriness from soy sauce and sesame oil, brightness from rice vinegar and cooling crunch from cucumber.
Build it with:
4 Original or Sweet Onion BUBBA burgers
4 Brioche buns
4 Slices mozzarella cheese
1/2 Cup mayonnaise
1/4 Cup sriracha or chili sauce
For the Cucumbers:
1 Large English cucumber
1 Tbsp. Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
1 Pinch of salt
3 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. honey
3 Tsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
For the Sauce:
1 Pear, core removed (Asian pear is best but any will work)
1/4 Cup sliced scallions
2 Garlic cloves, peeled
2 Inches ginger, sliced or grated
Korean chili paste
Turn it down: Start with less sriracha and chili paste. Taste before adding more.
Turn it up: You know what to do.
Level 4: Hot Honey BUBBA burger
Sweet at first. Then the heat comes back to haunt you.
Congratulations. Or condolences. You’ve reached Level 4.
The Hot Honey BUBBA Burger tops an Original BUBBA burger with melty pepper jack cheese, crispy bacon, pickled jalapeños and a drizzle of hot honey.
This combination is just about everything you want in a burger: beefy, cheesy, smoky, tangy, sweet and spicy. Hot honey brings the sweetness up front before the jalapeños and pepper jack deliver the kick.
Build it with:
Original or Angus BUBBA burgers
Brioche burger buns
Pepper Jack cheese
Bacon
Fresh jalapeños, sliced
Chipotle mayo
Hot honey
Turn it down: Let the hot honey, jalapeño and chipotle do the work without adding the extra hot sauce.
Turn it up: Stir a few drops of habanero or ghost pepper hot sauce into the chipotle mayo. Start with a few drops. Ghost pepper is not a condiment you measure with optimism.
Which Peppers Work Best on a Spicy Burger?
Different peppers bring different flavors along with the heat, and choosing the right one can make the difference between a burger that’s genuinely delicious and one you eat simply to prove something to your friends.
Jalapeño: Fresh, bright and approachable. Pickled jalapeños also bring acidity, which makes them especially good with rich toppings like bacon, cheese and cream cheese.
Chipotle: A smoked, dried jalapeño with deeper, earthier flavor. It plays especially well with beef, mayo and sweet ingredients like honey.
Gochugaru and gochujang: Korean chili flakes and chili paste that add much more than spice. Expect sweetness, savoriness and layers of chile flavor, which is why they work so well in the Bulgogi BUBBA burger.
Habanero: Considerably hotter than jalapeño, but with fruity, citrusy flavor underneath the heat. Pair it with something creamy or sweet.
Ghost pepper: This is where subtlety leaves the building. A few drops of ghost pepper hot sauce can be plenty.
One important thing to remember: peppers vary. So do hot sauces.
Start small. Taste. Add more.
You can always make a burger hotter. The reverse operation has not yet been perfected.
What Are the Best Toppings for a Spicy Burger?
The best spicy burger toppings don’t compete with the heat. They compliment it.
Creamy ingredients like avocado, cream cheese, mayo and cheese soften the edges. Sweet ingredients like honey create contrast. Pickled vegetables and citrus add acidity that keeps a rich burger feeling bright. Bacon and fried jalapeños bring the crunch.
Think balance, not punishment.
Jalapeño + cream cheese for creamy heat
Chipotle + honey for smoky-sweet heat
Fresh jalapeño + avocado for heat with freshness
Gochujang + cucumber for deep chile flavor with cooling crunch
Habanero + something creamy or sweet when you’re ready to push it
The goal isn’t to build the hottest burger possible. It’s to build one so good you immediately want another bite.
Build Your Own Spicy BUBBA burger
Consider these four builds your starting point.
Mix and match the cheeses. Swap the sauces. Add another pepper. Throw some bacon on there. Drizzle on the hot honey. Dial the heat up or bring it back down until you find the combination that makes your taste buds happy.
And don’t forget to share your creations with us on social media by tagging @bubbaburger on Instagram!
