All You Need Is Pickle Juice To Amp The Flavor Of Your Burger Buns

Salty and briny, pickle juice is a wondrous liquid that's rich flavor is easily ignored by the pickle that sits within. Research has even explored the numerous health benefits associated with consuming pickle juice, including its sunburn-healing properties, hangover-curing claims, and the way it can balance blood sugars. The bottom line — there needs to be a lot more studies before these claims can be verified. However, one area that is undoubtedly undeniable is how pickle juice can enhance the taste of your burger buns.

Burger buns are often overlooked, particularly when the patty takes center stage. While experimenting with mixing different meats into your patties might feel like a worthy distraction, drizzling a few drops of pickle juice over your buns is a simple way to boost the flavor of the whole plate. Let's revolutionize the use of pickle brine beyond picklebacks; this hack is the best place to start.

There's a solid list of things to do with leftover pickle juice, and this hack only lengthens it. The trick is to sprinkle a couple of teaspoons of pickle juice over the burger bun. Then, it's best to lightly toast or grill the buns, as this will crisp up the slightly soggy bread. The salty flavor of the brine infuses with the bun and passes on this tangy vinegar flavor. It's utterly delicious and will amp up the pickle-ness of your burger, giving it a salty, umami bang.

It's best to consider the pickle juice you intend to use and its effect on your burger as a whole. For instance, pickle brines rich in garlic and dill flavors will impart these notes onto your buns. So it's handy to pair your burger with similar (or complementary) flavor profiles. The best thing about pickle juice? It'll beautifully pair with meat, vegetable, or fish burgers. If you fancy trying out this trick, there are some pickles brands you should buy and some you should avoid. Bubbies bread and butter pickles have spectacular juice!

If you're seriously coo-coo about pickles and pickle juice, you could always make pickle hamburger buns. Yes — these do exist, and they are delicious. Pickle juice (maybe with some chopped dill pickles) gets mixed into the dough to create a wonderfully salty and slightly sweet bun that's great for burgers and sandwiches. Talk about an impressive way to wow guests at a barbeque. 

If you'd prefer to tone down the pickle flavor instead of ramping it up, there are plenty of other ways to liven up your burger buns. You could try "basting" your buns in melted butter — but don't stop there. You can experiment and infuse the butter with garlic, fresh herbs, chili, or other spices — like pickle juice (okay, done with pickles now — promise). Just ensure you do not over-baste the buns, as they'll go soggy quickly. If buns aren't your jam, you can forgo them completely and use portobello mushrooms to sandwich your burger ingredients. There are plenty of ways to elevate your burger buns, starting with a few drops of pickle juice, a gateway to a superior burger experience.