The Game-Changing Seasoning Your Burgers Aren't Complete Without

There's no wrong time to sink your teeth into a juicy burger. While fast food joints like McDonald's are convenient, nothing beats the satisfaction of grilling your own at home. Want to take your homemade burgers to the next level? A sprinkle of celery salt is all you need.

This is, of course, a no-go for folks who hate celery. But for people who either don't mind or even love these crunchy veggies, the herby notes of celery salt can really help brighten the savory and meaty taste of rich burger patties. Plus, it's basically a two-in-one seasoning that's perfect for times when you don't want to fuss over multiple ingredients while prepping your meal. Forget about having to toss choice herbs or spices with the ground beef and meticulously season with salt afterward. You can just add a dash of celery salt and your patties will be ready for the grill's flame.

For those unfamiliar with celery salt, it's exactly what its name suggests: regular salt that's been mixed with celery seeds. Depending on where you get your kitchen supplies, you may also find versions that use other parts of the veggie, like the stalks and leaves instead of the seeds. No matter which one you choose, though, the resulting blend of seasonings should taste salty, with a distinct grassy flavor and a touch of intriguing bitterness.

So, how do you go about blending it with your patties? The good news is that it's extremely simple. For every 1 ½ pounds of ground beef you have in a mixing bowl, add half a teaspoon of celery salt to it. Toss the two together until they're nice and incorporated. If you want to spike your patties with any extra seasoning, like black pepper, feel free to follow up the celery salt with it.

Once the ground beef is nice and seasoned, flatten it into patties (don't worry if they're not perfectly round – embrace your patties' imperfections). Then, you can start grilling. If you're a big fan of the salt, you can add a teeny bit of extra celery salt on top of the cooked patties to lend them some extra flavor before serving.

Part of the inspiration for this tip comes from Chicago-style burgers. Ever wondered why the burgers you've had there are brighter-tasting than the ones you've had anywhere else? The secret's in their celery-salted patties. So, if you already replicated half the recipe at home, why not go the rest of the way and give yourself a true Chicago burger? All you need are a few extra toppings placed on top of your patties.

Once you've set the patty onto the bun, slather it with some classic yellow mustard and some crunchy, zesty pickle chips (which are simply thin-sliced pickles). If you like your burger hot, throw some peppers in there, as well — Chicagoans swear by hot sports peppers. They can be hard to find, however, so you can substitute with green chile.

Then, for the pièce de résistance, you need some neon relish. Just take normal pickle relish and add a few drops of blue dye to it for the full experience. If you don't have the dye, it's fine to just tuck pickle relish into your burger. And that's that! Dig in — you're in for a true treat.