Stuffing your hamburgers before you set them on the grill is a good way to add extra flavor to a burger. You must pay closer attention to forming the patty to ensure it is sealed well so the stuffing doesn't run out on the grill, and you'll need to modify your grilling technique so the meat and stuffing are cooked through at the same time.
Stuffing
The ingredients you use to stuff your burgers may include any number of vegetables and cheeses. Diced onion, garlic, sun-dried tomato, olives and bell peppers make suitable stuffing ingredients, as do peppers that supply heat, such as diced jalapeno. Any cheese that melts well will do as a burger stuffing: cheddar, provolone, havarti or blue cheese are all good choices. To blend two fast-food favorites by making a pizza burger, stuff the meat with pepperoni, black olives, onion, mozzarella and pizza sauce.
Assembly
To put a stuffed burger together, form a patty that's a little thinner than you would make a typical hamburger patty. Layer your stuffing ingredients on top, but don’t add the stuffing in such a quantity that it stacks up away from the meat; keep it flat along the surface. Form another meat patty and place it on top of the first one. Press it down with your hand and form it into a uniform patty, making sure all of the edges are sealed.
Grilling
To ensure your burger cooks all the way through and the cheese melts properly, start off by searing the meat on both sides on a medium-high grill. Once the burger is seared and has grill marks, move it away from the direct flame or off the coals to another part of the grill. Cover the grill and leave the burgers to cook over indirect heat for about 15 minutes, until they’re cooked through.
Considerations
Use a mix of 80 percent beef to 20 percent fat -- ground chuck -- when making stuffed, grilled burgers for a good consistency and texture that stays juicy but isn’t overly fatty. Substitute lean ground chicken or turkey from time to time to give yourself a break on the saturated fat content of the red meat. Wash your hands and any utensils or cutting boards thoroughly after they come in contact with raw ground meat.
Member Comments