Juicy burgers stuffed with melted blue cheese, cooked in a skillet or grilled and served with a delectable mushroom and caramelized onion mixture on a warm bun! These are the ultimate blue cheeseburgers. Super tasty and easy to plan, as most components can be made ahead.
An incredibly flavorful burger
This is mostly a baking blog, but certain savory recipes are meant to be shared and this is one of them, as was this chorizo sandwich (the best street food ever, but who's keeping score) a few years ago.
If you're a fan of blue cheese like myself, these might just be the perfect burgers.
- Flavor: the sum of its parts makes this hamburger incredibly tasty. There's salty, creamy, floury, and juicy. A memorable experience in every bite.
- Texture: the juicy meat with creamy cheese, the meaty mushrooms and the soft bun, all add their own qualities.
- Gourmet twist: this is no regular burger but a way to elevate the everyday lettuce and tomato cheeseburger. Blue cheese and mushrooms complement each other very well.
Ingredients
- Ground beef: choose a cut with no more than 15% fat. Ground chuck, sirloin, brisket, or a mix are good options.
- Ground pork: this can be optional if you already have a beef mix you use and love for burgers. But it adds moisture and so much flavor!
- Blue cheese: there are different types, from English Stilton cheese to Oregon blue cheese, and they can all work. You might already have a favorite blue cheese. Taste it first and adjust the amount used if it is too pungent.
- Melting cheese: I use mozzarella, the one used for pizza. But provolone, swiss cheese, fontina, or gouda work well. They each add a unique flavor.
- Garlic cloves.
- Salt: I like using kosher salt, but regular table salt works just fine.
- Black pepper.
- Mushrooms: portobello and/or button mushrooms work very well.
- Onion: yellow or red onion.
- Vegetable oil: olive oil (my choice), sunflower or canola.
- Burger buns: use your favorite. It can be store-bought or homemade. I like homemade brioche buns for this recipe.
Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
How to make cheese-stuffed burgers
- Meat mixture: we use beef and pork for extra flavor and juiciness.
- Large batch: you can combine the ground meats in the stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
- Cheeses: use mozzarella for its melting properties and salty blue cheese for its sharpness and unique flavor. Both are necessary.
Binding the patties: you can mix the meat for a few minutes so it binds together well and the cheese doesn't leak while cooking. Or, if you like a crumblier burger, don't overmix the meat mixture. The burger will not be as compact but will not compromise the flavor.
Forming the burgers: make flat, thin patties, add both kinds of cheese to half of them without overcrowding, then cover with the other halves. Press the sides to seal.
Mushroom onion garnish: before cooking the burgers, sautee them in oil until brown and soft.
Cook the stuffed patties on medium heat until browned and starting to release the juices.
How to cook a burger on the stove
- Medium heat: you want enough heat to sear them nicely but not so much that your burgers brown too quickly before fully cooking inside. Don't use high heat.
- No need to grease the pan first: they will start releasing fat and juices and loosen as they brown. Move them slightly with a spatula but don't force it. If they stick, they need more time before flipping them.
- Don't overcrowd them.
- How long do they take to cook? It depends on the thickness of the burgers. Anywhere from 5-8 minutes per side might be an accurate guess.
Cast iron skillet burgers
- These dark, heavy skillets are great for cooking meat as they maintain the heat and sear it really well.
- On the stove: treat them as you would any skillet, allowing them more time to heat up initially. Don't use high heat. Maintain medium or medium-low heat as the pan can get too hot.
- On the grill: you can put the skillet directly on the fire or the grill. This works well for stuffed burgers as the cheese can sometimes ooze while being cooked. If the patties are cooked directly on the grill, it will drip into the fire, which is messy.
What to serve with blue cheese hamburgers
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Meat: use beef and pork for a better flavored and juicier burger.
- Melting cheese: you can substitute the mozzarella for another cheese that melts well.
- Buns: you can warm them in the oven while cooking the meat. Crisp, warm bread adds a lot to the final burger.
- Toppings: blue cheese goes incredibly well with mushrooms and caramelized onions, but you can use the more traditional tomato slices.
- Garlic powder or flakes: use them if you don't have fresh cloves.
- Sauces for the meat mixture: for added flavor, you can add a teaspoon or two of steak sauce (like A1 or Worcestershire sauce) to the meat. You can use hot sauce if you like buffalo blue cheese burgers.
Related recipes you might like:
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Blue Cheeseburgers (with Mushrooms)
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Ingredients
For the hamburger patties:
- 7 oz 200g ground pork
- 14 oz 400g ground beef, with no more than 15% fat
- 4 garlic cloves
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 4 oz 115g blue cheese, crumbled
- 2 oz 60g mozzarella cheese, sliced
- 4 burger slider buns
Mushrooms and onions:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
- ½ cup sliced onion
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (180°C).
- Roast garlic cloves wrapped in foil with a drizzle of olive oil, until tender, about 30 minutes. You will have soft, caramelized garlic 'meat'.
- Lower the heat and have it ready to heat the buns when you cook the burgers.
For the hamburger patties:
- Mix ground pork and beef in a large bowl with the mashed soft garlic cloves.
- Add salt (the amount depends on how salty the blue cheese is) and black pepper to taste.
- Mix very well with your hands for a few minutes; this part is important so the proteins in the meats break down and bind the whole thing together. You can also knead it with a stand mixer, something I recommend if you’re making burgers for a crowd.
- Divide the meat mixture into 4 equal parts. Take each part, divide it in two, and flatten each one into a disk.
- Add some blue cheese and a smaller amount of mozzarella. Don't mound it much, and don't reach the edges.
- Top with the remaining flat patty and carefully cover the cheese, making sure the sides are sealed. Flatten it without letting the cheese spill.
- Repeat with the remaining ground meat mixture and cheese.
- Place the buns in the warm oven if you want to so they're crisp when the burgers are ready.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the patties to the skillet, and cook them for about 5-8 minutes on each side until golden brown. You might need to check inside to see if they're fully cooked. Don't cut them completely, so you don't lose the juices. Or use a meat thermometer and check the internal temperature; it should be about 160°F for well-done burgers.
- Cut the hamburger buns in half and transfer each patty to a bottom bun (spread with mayo or another condiment of choice), top with some of the mushroom-onion mixture, and close with the top bun.
- Serve immediately.
Mushrooms and onion:
- You should have this mixture ready before you start to cook the burgers.
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Cook the sliced mushroom and onion slices until browned. They should be soft but not mushy.
- Salt and pepper towards the end.
- If making ahead, keep refrigerated in an airtight container.
Notes
Originally published in 2013, the text and images were updated to best serve you. The recipe has been slightly tweaked and improved.
laurasmess says
I'm so sorry to hear that you're still dealing with the aftermath of the flood. It's been ridiculously rainy here so in a small way, I can relate to the time it takes for paper to dry out (I'm pulling sodden mail out of the box on a daily basis, and all of my invoices have partially dried then ripped. I can in no way relate to the gravity of what you're experiencing though. You amaze me, as your strength and resilience shine through in everything you write. My husband would love these burgers. He adores meat and blue cheese... particularly if mushrooms are added too! Hugs to you lovely xx
Elisabeth Foodandthrift says
I love your blue cheese burgers...totally drooling over those 'life-like photos'!
Cocoa and Lavender says
We used to call burgers like these "surprise burgers" when I was growing up. Mom would put all our favorite toppings in the middle and sometimes you got your favorites, and sometimes you got your brother's. I think it was her way of not having us be picky about foods. To this day, all four of us boys eat everything! I love the blue cheese in these and the use of salsa on top. I have never cooked a burger in a skillet - I have a nice cast iron one, too - I should try it! ~ David
Karen @ Lemon Grove Cake Diaries says
You have inspired me to start decluttering my house....but I just need to have one of those burgers first 🙂
Abbe@This is How I Cook says
Paula, I love to throw things away. Once I get started I can't stop. The hard part is getting started! My husband will keep everything but I always have a cleaner mind when I'm finished. Having a burger like this waiting for me would make me work faster and probably throw away more!