2026 Derby Burger Challenge
Kentucky Beef Council and Kentucky Derby Festival have crowned the winning recipe, the 2026 Derby Burger Challenge champion.
The 2026 Derby Burger Champion is The Jerk from Greg Yopp of La Grange, KY. The following ingredients and directions will help you prepare this delicious burger!
- Dan-O's Sweet Caribbean Seasoning
- 4 slices Pepper Jack Cheese, habanero jack for more heat
- Jerk Paste
- Mayonnaise
- 1 Red Onion, thinly sliced
- 1 Mango, thinly sliced
- 1 Avocado, thinly sliced
- Plantain Chips
- 4 White Buns
Directions:
1. Divide the ground beef into equal patties.2. Season both sides with Dan-O's Sweet Caribbean seasoning.
3. Grill patties over medium-high heat until fully cooked (USDA recommends 160F for Ground Beef).
4. During the last minute of cooking, top each patty with pepper jack cheese and allow it to melt.
5. Toast bun on grill.
6. In a small bowl, blend equal parts mayonnaise and jerk seasoning until smooth.
7. Assemble. Spread jerk mayo on the bottom bun, add the grilled patty with melted cheese, top with thinly sliced red onion, mango, and avocado. Add a handful of plantain chips, then place the top bun.
8. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Challenge Details
The judges had more than 50 entries, and selected the top 8 burgers to be in the running for the 2026 Derby Burger Challenge! Online, public voting took place, then the final four were announced and competed via live cookoff.
Preliminary Judging Guidelines
- Creativity
- Appearance
- Ease of Preparation
Winning Prize
The 2026 winner won prizes from Kentucky Beef Council, Kentucky Derby Festival and Kroger:
- A grilling prize pack from Kentucky Beef Council including a grill
- One 2026 Kentucky Derby Festival Poster
- Local Brewery Tour for two
- $100 Kroger gift card
- Featured inside Louisville Kroger stores, including the recipe ingredients and recipe card
- Your recipe will be promoted on Kentucky Beef Council and Kentucky Derby Festival websites and social media
Top 3 Finalists will receive a Kentucky Beef Council prize pack and one 2026 Kentucky Derby Festival Poster
Test Kitchen Tips
Cooking times are for fresh or thoroughly thawed ground beef. Ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F. Color is not a reliable indicator of ground beef doneness.
