Build A Better Burger With 16 Ingredients Or Less

Simplicity may be the key to earning $50,000 this year. For the 16th anniversary of Sutter Home Build a Better Burger Contest and Cook-Off, the search for America’s best burger, judges are looking for entries to include a maximum of 16 ingredients.

“In the past, there has been no limit on the number of ingredients,” says head judge James McNair. “We’re simplifying the contest by paring down the number of items used.”

McNair suggests that contestants reinvent their favorite burger with new and different toppings or show off their ethnic background by incorporating traditional ingredients from their country of origin.

From shiitake mushroom ketchup, Cuban pickle salsa and banana duck chutney to tzatziki with feta, Creole honey mustard and chermoula mayonnaise, winning burgers have included a range of exotic flavors from around the world.

So, the question remains, can you build a better burger with 16 ingredients or less? McNair says yes. In the past 15 years, four grand prize winners used 16 ingredients or less to create their unique burgers. Last year’s $50,000 winner, Barry Rosenstein of Elmhurst, Ill.,...