I tested Gordon Ramsay's perfect American burger recipe against his friends' 'Euro-burger,' and the winner's toasted bun pushed it over the edge

• Gordon Ramsay took on two of his friends in an on-screen burger competition.
• I made and judged the two recipes myself to see which was better.
• While both were delicious, Ramsay's toasted bun made a huge difference in the finished sandwich.

Gordon Ramsay may just be the king of burgers. The celebrity chef owns several upscale burger bars and even hasa $106 burger on the menu at his eatery inside London's Harrods department store.

Ramsay's love of burgers also factored into "Gordon Ramsay's American Road Trip," a TV special that aired on FOX in January. For the show, Ramsay took two of his fellow foodie friends, Gino D'Acampo and Fred Sirieix, to try a $777 burger at Las Vegas' Burger Brasserie.

Later in the episode, that theme continued when the three friends had a "burger-off," where Ramsay made his classic American, and D'Acampo and Sirieix teamed up to make a Euro burger.

Ramsay's mother acted as the judge and picked her son's creation as the winner, saying it was the toasted bun that put that burger over the edge. And after making them both myself, I couldn't agree more.

The burgers had a few common ingredients, but some were incorporated differently

Both burger recipes called for onions caramelized in balsamic vinegar, bacon, sliced tomato, and a mayo-based sauce.

The onions were a highlight of both burgers and provided much-needed sweet acidity.

Though bacon was a common thread, it was used differently in each sandwich. Ramsay's recipe featured a single piece that sat between the top bun and the cheese-covered patty, while the European team's burger called for pieces of the bacon to be broken up and buried inside the patty itself.

The smokiness of the bacon was more noticeable on Ramsay's burger. I was able to taste the flavor more prominently, thanks to the bacon remaining in one large piece, whereas the pieces I cooked into the Euro patty had a more muted taste - though those small bits did surprisingly retain their crunch, which made for an exciting texture in the Euro-burger.

Both sauces started with some mayonnaise and what Ramsay called "French mustard" - for this, I used Dijon. The celebrity chef's recipe added Tabasco sauce and another mustard with whole seeds - for this, I used stone-ground. The Euro-burger sauce was just mayo and Dijon.

Ramsay's sauce was significantly more flavorful than its European-inspired counterpart. Its sharpness complemented the flavors of cheddar cheese and smoky bacon beautifully.;

The greens varied and the cheeses were extremely different, but both were wonderful

Ramsay's American-style recipe called for sharp cheddar cheese, while the Euro burger highlighted the flavors of both Gorgonzola and brie.

While the cheddar lent more of a classic burger flair, the Gorgonzola and brie added an explosion of saltiness and creaminess that I've never gotten from a burger before. Both melted beautifully.

The classic American recipe called for an intact leaf of bib lettuce while the European recipe called for a bed of arugula. Turns out, arugula makes for a much better, more sturdy base. The bib lettuce slid around once it got wet from the moist patty juices and the burger completely fell apart. The arugula, though, stayed put and held the sandwich together.

If I had to pick a winner, I think Ramsay's classic American burger is it

Ramsay's recipe was the only one of the two that called for a toasted bun. Even though the bib lettuce made for a slippery sandwich, the toasted bun helped hold the top half of the sandwich together. It also added flavor and texture.

The Euro-burger had a soft bun that crumbled under the weight of all the toppings stuffing into this sandwich. It was also heavily drizzled with olive oil, which rather than adding flavor just made it even soggier.

I also thought Ramsay's application of bacon allowed the meat to shine more. If you're a lover of bacon's smokiness, I recommend leaving it as a topping instead of cooking it into the patty.

While both burgers were extremely tasty, this showdown really came down to the thing that holds it all together: the bun. And I learned that a toasted bun really can make all the difference.

You can watch the burger-off here.

Warning: The below video contains explicit language.