Posted on by

The 2025 Derby Burger Champion Contest is open for entries

The 2025 Derby Burger Champion Contest is open for entries

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Kentucky Derby Festival is calling on all burger bosses to submit their recipes for the 2025 Derby Burger Champion competition.

What you need to know

  • Submissions are open for the 2025 Derby Burger Champion competition

  • Entrants are encouraged to use a creative burger name, description and photo in their submission

  • All burgers must be 100% beef and contain Dan-O’s seasonings and vegetables and/or herbs from 80 Acres Farms in the recipe

  • Deadline for entries is January 31st


Just in time for tailgate season, the submission period for the contest opened on October 22nd and runs through January 31st. Grill masters and burger enthusiasts can submit their recipes online to see how they perform.

This is the 13th year for the Beef Showdown, sponsored by 80 Acres Farms, Dan-O’s Seasoning, Kentucky Beef Council and Kroger.

“Real beef burgers represent a unique way to appreciate every bite, with an endless array of options to enhance nutritional value and flavor,” said Carey Brown, chief operating officer of the Kentucky Beef Council. “With delicious toppings like fruits, vegetables and whole grains to choose from, we always look forward to the unique recipes submitted from across the state.”

The competition is open to all chefs – from home kitchens to restaurants. Entrants are encouraged to use a creative burger name, description and photo in their submission. All burgers must be 100% beef and contain Dan-O’s seasonings and vegetables and/or herbs from 80 Acres Farms in the recipe. Recipes are judged on taste, appearance, creativity and ease of preparation.

Fans have the opportunity to help select the finalists. Eight preliminary finalists will be announced from all submissions in February, followed by online voting. Voting will help narrow down the final four Derby Burger contestants, who will then move on to a cooking competition in March.

The winning burger will be featured at Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville during the Derby Festival and in Kroger stores. The official rules for the contest are available online.

The winning burger chef will receive an official 2025 Kentucky Derby Festival poster, two VIP tickets to the Thunder Over Louisville VIP Rooftop Party, two VIP tickets to Republic Bank BourbonVille, a $100 Kroger gift card, a courtesy barbecue prize package from the Kentucky Beef Council, which includes a grill, a prize pack from Dan’-O’s Seasoning and an 80 Acres Farms Swag Pack.