With stuffed burgers, it’s definitely what’s on the inside that counts! We’ve rounded up some of our favorite burgers that deliver a little something special with every bite, from goat cheese and crumbled bacon, to fiery peppers and savory herbs. Plus, we’ll share tips for assembling stuffed burgers, as well as ingredient dos and don’ts for creating your own stuffed burger combos.
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Stuffed Burgers
Green chiles, American cheese, and mushrooms were a winning combination for jkcooks: “Wow. Wow, wow, wow.” And as if that weren’t enough, she goes on to say, “My husband and I actually just finished these and he told me he just ate the best burger he’s ever had, and he’s had a lot of burgers!”
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Greek Stuffed Burgers
These tasty burgers are stuffed with feta and Gorgonzola. Recipe submitter Asia Burke says, “I made this recipe for my hubby and friends, and it was a hit. Now they’re the only burgers we eat.” To make this burger kid-friendly Asia suggests stuffing the burgers with two slices of aged Swiss cheese. “They will come out square — the kids really like that.”
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Deluxe Olive-Stuffed Burgers
Recipe submitter Denise D. says if you love the tang of pickles, this is your burger — and you’ll also be getting a taste of her home state! “Olive burgers are a mid-Michigan regional favorite,” she says.
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Bacon and Roquefort Stuffed Burgers
“I didn’t even have to use ketchup or mustard like I normally would,” says M. Grillo. “Just a slice of tomato, red onion and fresh lettuce on a potato roll was terrific. The hint of thyme was very good and something I would never have tried on my own.” She also included a great reminder: If you swap dried thyme for the fresh thyme that’s called for, be sure to only use one-third of the amount. Dried herbs are much stronger than fresh.
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Jean’s Bacon Jalapeno Cream Cheese-Stuffed Burgers
This burger is stuffed with cream cheese, jalapeños, and bacon crumbles — sort of like a burger version of jalapeño popper. Sign us up!
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Mom’s Legendary Stuffed Hamburgers
“What a fun recipe,” says Chelsey Wolnowski. Want to take it to the next level? Use Chelsey’s personal twist: “I jazzed it up just a little more by adding Havarti to the center of the patty as well. Really yummy!”
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Cream Cheese Jalapeno Hamburgers
“These burgers Are GREAT,” says dieselmex. But don’t take shortcuts: “I recommend putting the cream cheese in the middle. I tried it both ways — mixing and stuffing the burgers — and there IS a taste difference. Mixing it together was like eating a meatloaf burger, putting the stuffing in the middle made for a tastier burger.” Noted!
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Goat Cheese Stuffed Lamb Burgers
“These were INCREDIBLE,” says mamma2006. And she had a couple suggestions for things that worked for her: “I mixed the herbs into the meat because I followed other reviewer’s advice and froze the cheese in discs and placed them between two thin patties. No leaking cheese!”
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The Labor Day Burger
This is a taste-good and feel-good kind of recipe: “WOW. This is one of the best burgers we have ever eaten.” says Sherry. “I am so happy to be able to say, ‘Yeah, I made that myself.’ WOW. WOW. WOW.”
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Stuffed Bison Burgers with Caramelized Figs and Shallots
As far as burgers go, these are as elegant as they come. Figs are simmered in pomegranate juice and combined with shallots, honey, and thyme to make a decadent filling for these bison burgers.
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Easy Bacon, Onion and Cheese Stuffed Burgers
“My kids who normally don’t have onions on their burgers REALLY enjoyed these,” says recipe creator AmyThompson. “We served with french fries and root beer floats.”
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Buffalo Wing Stuffed Burgers
This recipe is what happens when classic buffalo chicken wings are translated to a burger. Chicken, wing sauce, and blue cheese makes the stuffing for this burger.
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Texas Stuffed Grilled Burgers
“These burgers are stuffed with ham, cheese, mushrooms, and onions then slow grilled,” says recipe creator RHONDA35. “Grill over hickory or mesquite wood if possible for better flavor!”
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Feta-Stuffed Hamburgers
Reviewer Dannie Skaricki suggests adding green olives for that Greek diner flavor: “I know the combo sounds weird but it’s a must try if you like green olives.”
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Meatball-Stuffed Garlic Bread Sliders
While not technically burgers, sliders are like bite-sized burgers — perfect for serving to a crowd. Each of these sliders is stuffed with a whole meatball.
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Tips for Stuffing Your Burgers
- Make strategically-sized burger patties. To keep stuffing from spilling out while cooking, make one hamburger patty slightly bigger than the other. Place the stuffing on the larger patty, then cover with the smaller one. Roll the edges of the bottom one up a bit, pinching the two patties together around the edge to create a seal. Also, be sure both patties are thick enough that they can handle the stuffing, but not so thick that taking a bite will pose a challenge
- Don’t over-stuff. There is such thing as too much of a good thing when it comes to stuffing. No matter how tasty your ingredients are, the 80/20 rule is a good standard here: 80 percent hamburger meat, 20 percent stuffing. Too much stuffing can slow down the cook time, and you run the risk of it leaking out.
- Fry AND cover. Stuffed burgers tend to be heartier than regular burgers, which will require a longer cook time. If you’re cooking these on a stove top, cover the frying pan with a lid to create a mini oven for the burgers. This will allow the whole burger to cook faster and more evenly. (If you’re grilling the burgers, you’re all set for this strategy! Just lower the lid for a few minutes on each side until cooked through.)
- Freeze the stuffing. Many reviewers of the featured recipes below had a lot of success freezing the stuffing in “pucks.” Simply mix the stuffing ingredients in a bowl, roll into 1-1/2-inch balls, and flatten onto plastic wrap, shaping them into two- to three-inch pucks. Wrap them tightly in plastic, then freeze until ready.
- Ingredient dos and don’ts. In general, only use solid ingredients (i.e. bacon, solid cheeses, peppers, etc.) in the stuffing, and mix liquid-ish ingredients like sauces into the hamburger meat before shaping the patties. (And keep the sauces to a minimum — you want the burger patties to be firm for cooking.)
- Go ahead and make-ahead. Are stuffed burgers a good make-ahead meal? Absolutely! Particularly if you’re going to be grilling the burgers, patties will be firmer when you pull them straight from the fridge, so they will stand up to grills much better.