We Tried Chrissy Teigen's Cooking Hack & It Didn't Turn Out The Way We Expected

Here are three things that we love (in no particular order): burgers, hacks, and Chrissy Teigen. So when the model turned food queen and Cravings cookbook author hit us with a burger hack last week, we nearly lost it over the converging trifecta. Tuning into Teigen's Snapchat cooking escapades is nothing new for us, but her buttery, coconut, burger buns? Those took us by sweet surprise. So after beholding the below golden glory, we knew we had to try the combo for ourselves, ASAP.

With no specific recipe list or written instructions to follow, I gleaned from Teigen's Snapchat that the three obvious ingredients needed were as follows: burger buns, butter, and unsweetened shredded coconut. So I scooped them up and got down to it — taking a bit of creative license with the rest of my menu planning: I paired the sweet buns with some savory salmon burger patties, where she went the teriyaki chicken burger route. Assembly was easy enough; I buttered the buns, sprinkled the shredded coconut on top, and then popped them into the oven to toast. As I waited it out, I could already envision the buttery, crispy, and coconut-encrusted glory that would ensue. I could nearly taste the way they would pair in sweet and savory harmony with the simple salmon patties. It would be utter umami brilliance a la Snap-chef Teigen. At least that's what I thought...until I pulled the buns out and the before and after shots looked, exactly the same:

My buns appeared dry, with a complete lack of any golden-melty glory. And even though the initial visual comparison was a let down, I hopefully pushed on to taste them. Once sandwiched between the salmon patties (cooked in coconut oil for some bonus complimentary flavor), I chomped in expecting fireworks. Instead, I was met with simply salmon. Again, I attempted a little benefit of the doubt (perhaps the salmon was just too overpowering?), and so I bit into one solo. But still I wasn't met with any coconut-buttery sweetness, only the usual bread-y flavor.

What exactly had gone wrong here? First, ingredient ratios; coconut, while it may get toastier and crispy, does not actually melt like shredded cheese — so the gooeyness of Teigen's buns must have been achieved through a heftier smear of butter than in my overly dry attempt. Second, unsweetened flakes; sweetened shredded coconut may have had a more intense flavor impact when combined in a burger situation. With too many flavor and texture layers at play in this dish, the shredded coconut was completely lost. But, just because we failed at recreating Teigen's glorious bun hack sans written recipe instructions (here's hoping her next cookbook includes a more official tutorial), doesn't mean we'll be giving up altogether — because when in doubt or kitchen crisis, more butter always makes everything better.