Stuffed Burgers

Lesson

Now we come to our favorite trick with hamburgers: stuffing them with surprise ingredients that draw rave reviews from guests.

Many folks have tried adding chopped veggies, onions, mushrooms or cheese to the hamburger meat mix itself only to find the added material causes the burger patty to fall apart on the grill. The meat just doesn’t stay together with extra ingredients in its midst.

The trick is to use the same veggies, onions, mushrooms, cheese and a ton of other ingredients stuffed between two hamburger patties. This works like a charm. Here are a few guidelines to making world-class stuffed hamburgers.

How it works

First, you need to make two thin patties (from 1/4- to 1/2 -inch thick) instead of one thick one. Then you can add your surprise ingredients and no one will know what’s in store for them until they bite into your burgers.

It’s best to keep the stuffing ingredients simple and avoid things with a lot of moisture. The added moisture could cause the burgers to separate and fall apart as well.

Now that you have the two patties, take one patty and place it on a cutting board or plate, then place the stuffing on top of it, then place the second patty on top, pressing the edges together to get a good bond, containing the stuffing. If the meat doesn’t seem to cooperate, try using a pastry brush dipped in water to wet the outside edges of the bottom patty, then press together. The water should help it stick together.

It’s best not to make your patties too thick. In fact, stay under a 1-inch overall patty for best results.

Cook the same way you’d cook an un-stuffed burger, especially remembering to not pat down the burger with your spatula. Not only will you lose precious juices from the meat, but you stand the risk of unsealing the compressed patties.

If you are using cheese in the stuffing, cover the burgers with foil and let them “rest” about 10 minutes before you serve them–double the time for a regular burger. The reason: Melted cheese in the middle of the burger can be scorching hot and will burn anyone who bites into it.

Things to stuff your burgers with

Avocado
Bacon or thinly sliced ham
Basil leaves and mozzarella cheese
Caramelized onions
Cheese, grated, crumbled or thinly sliced
Chopped grape tomatoes with basil
Diced rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes
Fresh pesto
Frozen, grated butter
Grilled green chilies
Grilled hot peppers
Grilled onions and bell pepper slices
Hoisin sauce
Onion rings and BBQ sauce
Pepperoni
Salsa
Sliced mushrooms
Sliced pineapple
Thinly-sliced tomatoes with chopped bacon

Look for our stuffed burger recipes here!

According to the USDA, and most State and Local Health Departments:
All foods that you cook, prepare, and serve outdoors must follow two rules: You must keep hot food at least at 140°F at all times. Conversely, you must keep all cold food at 40°F or colder at all times. Food must not be left at room temperature for more than 30 minutes, maximum. Any food left between 41°F and 140°F for more than 4 hours is not safe to eat. More information on food safety can be found here.