Upgrade Summer Burgers With These 14 Aldi Must-Haves

Summertime is, arguably, the best time to enjoy homemade burgers. After all, you'll likely be doing plenty of grilling outside, or even hosting a fun and interactive dinner party with a DIY burger bar — in other words, setting up a table with a large selection of delicious toppings for your guests to build their perfect stack. Whatever your plan is this summer, you're going to need some supplies, and Aldi has some fantastic products that will upgrade all of your summertime burgers.

To help you sort through Aldi's options, we've compiled this list of some of the best upgrades available at the grocery chain. The list includes flavored, tasty condiments, unexpected toppings, and specialty buns. By the time you've made it through this list, you'll have plenty of ideas on how to build the best, tastiest hamburger to enjoy this summer. And if you weren't already on board with the idea of a burger bar, you will be once you realize all of the fun toppings and condiments that Aldi has to offer. Plus, thanks to Aldi's prices, everything is affordable, so you can get creative and experiment with unique ideas without breaking the bank.That said, prices may vary depending on location.

One of the easiest ways to upgrade a burger is to choose a fancier type of bun, such as these Specially Selected brioche buns at Aldi. The subtle sweetness of the brioche is perfect for balancing out the ultra-savory ingredients, as well as any heavy toppings. And if you pair this with a spicy condiment, you have the perfect combination of savory, sweet, and spicy.

Buy the six-count pack of Specially Selected brioche buns from Aldi for $3.99.

You may also want to use a specialty patty as an easy, delicious way to elevate your burgers. For example, these beef patties from Cattleman's Ranch are stuffed with bacon bits and cheese, which, as we know, are two of the most common toppings out there. And of course, you can always add more bacon or more cheese to your burger if you so please.

Buy a six-count pack of frozen Cattleman's Ranch bacon cheddar beef burger patties from Aldi for $11.85.

If you love the idea of adding some spice, grab a jar of the Tuscan Garden deli-sliced jalapeño peppers. Using a helping of jalapeños as a topping is one of the easiest (and tastiest) ways to ensure that your burger has plenty of spice — and you can add as many as you want, making it as spicy as you want. And these are already sliced, so there's no work required on your part, which is always a plus.

Buy a 16-ounce jar of Tuscan Garden deli-sliced jalapeños from Aldi for $2.65.

Mayonnaise is a great condiment, but it may feel a bit boring at times. Luckily, there's an easy fix for this: swap it out for spicy mayo. There's plenty of yummy flavor and an irresistible kick of heat. This Burman's mayo gets its spice from a combination of jalapeños and cayenne. It also works well as a dipping sauce for any fries or onion rings that you may be enjoying on the side, so you'll definitely get your money's worth.

Buy a 12-ounce bottle of Burman's spicy mayonnaise from Aldi for $3.29.

How about trying out a chili burger? If you're intrigued, pick up a can or two of the Brookdale no-beans chili, which is made with a combination of beef and pork (as well as tomato paste and various spices). To elevate it even further, you can take inspiration from our TD Garden Fritos chili cheese dog (but the burger version) and add Frito chips for a crunch, as well as chopped white onions, jalapeños, and, of course, cheese.

Buy a 15-ounce can of Brookdale chili with no beans from Aldi for $2.55.

If you're an onion ring fan, then you'll want to buy at least two bags of these whole onion rings from Season's Choice — one to use as a side dish and one to use as the topping. They're a perfect garnish because they add a satisfying, tasty crunch as well as delicious onion flavor. After all, regular grilled onions are popular on burgers, so why shouldn't fried onion rings be too?

Buy a 16-ounce bag of Season's Choice whole onion rings from Aldi for $3.65.

Cheese is a popular burger topping, so why shouldn't queso also be considered? Queso — such as the salsa con queso from Casa Mamita at Aldi — is perfect for a topping because it brings in extra flavor and a little bit of heat, as well as plenty of cheesiness. This queso is a medium heat level, so it's perfect for bringing in some spiciness without overpowering the meal (but you can always bring extra heat with a helping of jalapeños).

Buy a 15-ounce jar of Casa Mamita salsa con queso from Aldi for $2.45.

Coleslaw may be a go-to side dish for barbecues, but it also works as a fantastic topping for burgers. It brings in a fresh element, making it lighter than it may be with typical, heavier toppings. This classic coleslaw from Little Salad Bar consists of green cabbage and carrots — although it doesn't come with a dressing (but you can use our creamy coleslaw dressing) — so it's simple and delicious without being overwhelming.

Buy a 14-ounce bag of Little Salad Bar classic coleslaw from Aldi for $1.99.

Classic yellow mustard is a popular condiment choice, but if you want to switch it up a bit, try reaching for stone ground mustard instead. And, if you're unfamiliar, you can read about the various types in our guide to 11 different mustard variations you should get to know. But most importantly, it goes just as well on a burger as yellow mustard does, so you won't be disappointed.

Buy a 12-ounce bottle of Burman's stone ground mustard from Aldi for $1.65.

When it comes to condiments, some people prefer ranch over, say, ketchup or mayo. If you agree with this sentiment and you also love avocado as a topping, then you need to buy a bottle of this Tuscan Garden avocado ranch dressing to use on your next burger. It's creamy, with the flavors of both ranch and avocados, and may just become your new favorite condiment.

Buy a 20-ounce bottle of the Tuscan Garden avocado ranch dressing from Aldi for $3.09.

Bacon instantly takes burgers to the next delicious level, so you're going to want to keep a package of this Appleton Farms premium sliced bacon around when the craving strikes. Or, if you do set up a toppings bar for a party you're hosting, you would be remiss not to include bacon as an option. 

Buy a package of the Appleton Farms premium sliced bacon from Aldi for $4.35.

Barbecue sauce may be most often associated with pulled pork sandwiches, but it also tastes absolutely delicious on a burger. Plus, if you're having a cookout, you're likely going to want to have a few bottles of barbecue sauce around anyway, so you may as well use it as an upgrade. And this Burman's sauce is super affordable, so you can stock up on it to last all through grilling season.

Buy an 18-ounce bottle of Burman's original BBQ sauce from Aldi for $1.89.

Sweet relish is a popular topping for burgers, and it's also a key ingredient in the sauce for an In-N-Out burger (which, if you want to try making at home, we have a copycat recipe for its "Double Double Animal Style" burger). If you're someone who loves sweet relish as a topping, then you need to buy a bottle of this squeezable sweet relish. With this squeeze bottle, it couldn't be more convenient to add as much of the topping as you please.

Buy a 10-ounce bottle of Great Gherkins squeezable sweet relish from Aldi for $1.89.

As we said earlier, using a specialty bun is an easy and fun way to switch up a classic burger. If you don't like the brioche bun idea, then try these pretzel burger buns from L'oven Fresh. If you love soft pretzels, then using one as a bun is basically a no-brainer. Or, include these pretzel buns alongside the brioche ones so that your guests have more than one bread option to choose from. 

Buy a four-count pack of L'Oven Fresh pretzel burger buns from Aldi for $3.29.