Whether you’re planning a weekend get together, a Halloween bash, a say goodbye to summer event or just want to shake up the burgers you and your family eat — why not serve stuffed burgers? If you watch any food show you will find at least one of the chefs is extolling the virtues of a stuffed burger. And why not!? Burgers on the grill are delicious BUT when you stuff a patty with any of a number of your favorite fillings you have taken it up a notch.
Wow your guests with stuffed burgers by either making them in advance and grilling them up OR letting your guests choose what they want in their burger and make it as unique as they are! Be advised, though if you serve stuffed burgers one time, your guests will most likely expect them every time — be prepared!
Many backyard chefs enjoy showing off their mad skills, and that may make them very competitive. If that’s the case host a stuffed burger cook-off. You can have a blind taste test with your guests or you can have the grill masters take “orders” from the other attendees on what they want inside their burger and all the chefs can get to grillin’!
A hamburger is a delicious vessel for a variety of stuffings and cheeses — you won’t be disappointed. For those guests who don’t want beef — you can just as easily and just as tastily stuff a turkey burger or even a vegetarian burger.
on’t forget those on your guest list who may not want beef, and may prefer chicken or turkey stuffed burgers — they can have those as well!
Everyone loves to gather in the backyard to enjoy hamburgers cooked on the grill. Let’s take a look at a great way to prepare hamburgers your guests are sure to love!
Wow Your Guests With Stuffed Burgers
What do you need to make a killer stuffed burger? High quality beef for the patty and the stuffings of your choice. Here are a few options to consider for a “hamburger stuffing bar.”
- Onions — red, white, scallions, carmelized
- Mushrooms, don’t stick with just button mushrooms when there are so many other choices
- Green, red and yellow peppers
- Jalapenos or other hot peppers of your choosing
- Cheeses….ooohhhh the cheeses! Cheddar, feta ,limburger, American, Swiss, blue or gouda
- Heirloom tomatoes
- Bacon
- Fresh herbs
- Relishes and chutneys
- Cranberries (delicious minced in a turkey burger
- Soft cooked egg
- Veggies like pickles, lettuce
- Ranch or blue cheese dressings
- Anything you’d put on a burger you can put IN a burger AND even things you weren’t sure would go on or in a burger can be stuffed in one!
Try this stuffed burger recipe or variations
Feta (or other cheese)-Stuffed Hamburgers
NOTE: (Swap out feta for other cheeses)
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese or cheese of your choice
Prep – 5 m | Cook – 15 m
- Preheat grill for medium heat, and lightly oil the grate.
- Knead together the ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, salt and pepper
- Form the mixture into eight equal-sized balls; flatten to make thin patties. Place about 1/4 cup of feta (or other) cheese onto each of four of the patties.
- Top each of the patties with cheese with one of the patties without; press the edges together to seal the cheese into the center.
- Cook on the preheated grill until the burgers are cooked to your desired degree of doneness, 7 to 8 minutes per side for well done.
- An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).
Set up your burger-stuffing preparaton bar
Get the ingredients together on a table where your guests can gather, grab two of the prepared beef meatballs then move down the line to press their burgers down, fill with the ingredients of their choice, top with the second pressed-patty then turn it over to the grill master to cook. NOTE: Insert different colored toothpicks to differentiate whose burger is whose on the grill.
Grill them to the desired doneness then serve with your favorite condiments and other side dishes. Set up a buffet style table and let your guests make their way down topping their burgers with the condiments of their choice and filling up their plates with side dishes.
No matter what you want to stuff your burger with, start with the two patties, put the stuffing in, pinch the edges together, grill and enjoy!
Some side dishes that pair well with stuffed burgers include:
- Chips and dip
- Crudites and dip
- Various pickled veggies — cauliflower, pickes, onions
- Macaroni and potato salad
- Three bean salad
- Corn on the cob
- Tomato and cucumber salad
- Various beverages