Juicy half-pound burgers are stuffed with tasty homemade pimento cheese and grilled to perfection. These are the best pimento cheese-stuffed burgers you've ever had and are perfect for your summer cookouts!
Us southerners adore an excellent pimento cheese and there are so many ways to serve it other than as a dip alongside crackers. Grilling season is here so it's only right to stuff juicy half-pound burgers with a little homemade pimento cheese!
These burgers can be made with either ground beef or turkey and can be grilled on an outdoor grill or inside on a grill pan. Oh, and you will have extra pimento cheese left over for snacking!
If you want to add a little more flavor and kick to these burgers, serve them topped with our Mississippi Comeback Sauce as a condiment, and don't forget to check out our Barbecue Pulled Chicken Sliders after this recipe!
Jump to:
- Ingredients You Need To Make This Recipe
- How To Make These Burgers
- Variations and Substitutions
- What Is Pimento Cheese?
- What Ground Meat Works Best For These Burgers?
- Tips For The Best Grilled Pimento Cheese-Stuffed Burgers
- What To Serve With These Burges
- Make-Ahead and Storing Instructions
- Recommended Tools For This Recipe
- More Cookout-Ready Recipes You Will Love!
- 📖 Recipe
Ingredients You Need To Make This Recipe
Pimento Cheese
- Freshly grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese. I love the tangy flavor of extra-sharp cheddar in this pimento cheese, but feel free to use milder cheddar if you prefer.
- Cream cheese. Cream cheese provides creaminess to the pimento cheese while giving it some structure so that it's easy to stuff the burgers.
- Jarred pimentos. Pimentos are a sweet, mild pepper and are a key component of pimento cheese.
- Mayonnaise. This recipe calls for less mayonnaise than I typically add to pimento cheese, so it is more sturdy for stuffing the burgers. Ask any southerner, and we will tell you that Duke's Mayonnaise is a must!
- Garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and cracked black pepper. These seasonings are added to the pimento cheese for extra flavor.
- Hot sauce. A small amount of hot sauce, such as Crystal or Frank's RedHot, adds a subtle kick to the pimento cheese.
- Worcestershire sauce. This ingredient adds delicious umami flavor and depth to the pimento cheese. I recommend Lea & Perrins!
Burgers
- 2 pounds of ground beef or ground turkey. I recommend 80/20 ground chuck or 85/15 ground turkey. Leaner ground meats could result in dry grilled burgers.
- Salt, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, ground mustard, and cracked black pepper. These are the spices used to flavor the burgers.
- Worcestershire sauce. This ingredient adds flavor and depth to the burgers.
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs. The breadcrumbs help give the burgers a lighter, more tender texture.
- 1 large egg. The egg acts as a binder and helps the burgers hold their shape while cooking.
How To Make These Burgers
- To a medium mixing bowl, add the grated cheddar, cream cheese, pimentos, mayonnaise, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Use a wooden spoon to mix all of the ingredients together until combined. Refrigerate the pimento cheese while you prepare the burgers.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the ground meat, seasonings, Worcestershire sauce, panko breadcrumbs, and egg. Use your hands to massage the ingredients together until everything is evenly mixed with the meat.
- Divide the ground meat mixture into 8 evenly sized portions and pat them into uniform patties using your hands. Using a two-tablespoon cookie scoop or a measuring spoon, scoop two tablespoons of pimento cheese onto the palm of your hand and flatten it into a small disc that will fit into the center of the burgers.
- Place the pimento cheese disc in the center of a burger patty and place another burger patty on top of the pimento cheese. Gently shape the burgers and seal the edges so that the pimento cheese is fully enclosed.
- Repeat this process for the remainder of the burgers until you have 4 stuffed burgers. Place the burgers on a plate or baking sheet lightly coated in olive oil so they do not stick and refrigerate the burgers while you heat your grill or grill pan.
- Prepare your grill or grill pan by heating it over medium-high heat and lightly coating the cooking surface with olive oil. If cooking the burgers on an outside grill, coat a wad of paper towels in a high smoke point oil, such as canola or peanut oil, and use grilling tongs to grip the paper towels and coat clean grill grates in oil to prevent the burgers from sticking.
- Once the grill or grill pan is hot, place the burgers on the grill and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until grill marks appear and the burgers are cooked through. Serve pimento cheese-stuffed burgers on toasted brioche buns with red onion, lettuce, and tomato!
Variations and Substitutions
These burgers can be made with ground beef, turkey, chicken, or even sausage if you prefer. Just keep in mind that the less fat content your meat has, the less juicy your burgers will be. Also, be sure to cook your meat fully to prevent food-borne illness.
The pimento cheese can also be made with sharp, mild, or white cheddar cheese. You can also adjust the seasonings to suit your tastes. Feel free to add a touch of cayenne pepper for a little more heat!
What Is Pimento Cheese?
If you are not from the south, you may be wondering what exactly pimento cheese is. Pimento cheese is a creamy, tangy, peppery cheese mixture that you will often see served as a dip or spread.
Most southern variations include nothing more than cheddar cheese, pimento peppers, mayonnaise, and a few seasonings. Many variations also include cream cheese like this recipe to make it a bit more sturdy and tangy.
What Ground Meat Works Best For These Burgers?
I recommend ground meat with at least a 15% fat content for the juiciest burgers, although you can use any ground meat you prefer.
Ground beef or chuck that is 80% lean and 20% fat and (80/20) works great for these burgers. 85/15 ground turkey is also an excellent choice and gives you flavorful, juicy burgers.
Tips For The Best Grilled Pimento Cheese-Stuffed Burgers
- Do not overstuff the burgers. Two tablespoons of pimento cheese is just enough for stuffing these burgers. Stuffing the burgers with too much cheese can cause it to leak out of the burgers onto your grill or grill pan.
- Seal the edges of the burgers by pinching the two patties together and patting out the seam. This also helps keep the cheese from spilling out of the burgers while cooking.
- If cooking the burgers on a grill pan on the stovetop, you can transfer the pan to the oven for the last five minutes to ensure the burgers get cooked through without overcooking the exterior. This is not something you need to worry about if cooking on an outdoor grill as closing the lid on the grill traps much more heat to cook the burgers through.
What To Serve With These Burges
Of course, french fries, the go-to side for burgers, is an excellent choice and never go out of style! If you want to shake things up a bit, feel free to serve these burgers with some of these sides:
- Creamy Southern Cheese Grits
- Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Creole Sauce
- Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Make-Ahead and Storing Instructions
These burgers can be assembled a day ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to cook. Just wrap the burgers tightly in plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator.
Leftover grilled pimento cheese-stuffed burgers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Recommended Tools For This Recipe
More Cookout-Ready Recipes You Will Love!
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📖 Recipe
Grilled Pimento Cheese-Stuffed Burgers
Equipment
Ingredients
Pimento Cheese
- 8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese freshly grated
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup jarred pimentos drained
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise I recommend Duke's!
- ½ - 1 teaspoon hot sauce such as Crystal or Frank's RedHot
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce such as Lea & Perrins
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon smoked parika
- Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
Burgers
- 2 pounds ground beef or ground turkey I recommend 80/20 ground beef, or 85/15 ground turkey
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- Cracked black pepper
- 1 large egg
- 4 Brioche buns toasted
- lettuce, tomato, and red onion for topping
Instructions
- To a medium mixing bowl, add the grated cheddar, cream cheese, pimentos, mayonnaise, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Use a wooden spoon to mix all of the ingredients together until combined. Refrigerate the pimento cheese while you prepare the burgers.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the ground meat, panko breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, seasonings, and egg. Use your hands to massage the ingredients together until everything is evenly mixed into the meat.
- Divide the ground meat mixture into 8 evenly sized portions and pat them into uniform patties using your hands. Using a two-tablespoon cookie scoop or a measuring spoon, scoop two tablespoons of pimento cheese onto the palm of your hand and flatten it into a small disc that will fit into the center of the burgers.
- Place the pimento cheese disc in the center of a burger patty and place another burger patty on top of the pimento cheese. Gently shape the burgers and seal the edges so that the pimento cheese is fully enclosed.
- Repeat this process for the remainder of the burgers until you have 4 stuffed burgers. Place the burgers on a plate or baking sheet lightly coated in olive oil so they do not stick and refrigerate the burgers while you heat your grill or grill pan.
- Prepare your grill or grill pan by heating it over medium-high heat and lightly coating the cooking surface with olive oil.
- Once the grill or grill pan is hot, place the burgers on the grill and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until grill marks appear and the burgers are cooked through. Serve pimento cheese-stuffed burgers on toasted brioche buns with red onion, lettuce, and tomato!
Notes
- Do not overstuff the burgers. Two tablespoons of pimento cheese is just enough for stuffing these burgers. Stuffing the burgers with too much cheese can cause it to leak out of the burgers onto your grill or grill pan.
- The burgers can be assembled a day ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to cook. Just wrap the burgers tightly in plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator.
- If cooking the burgers on an outside grill, coat a wad of paper towels in a high smoke point oil, such as canola or peanut oil, and use grilling tongs to grip the paper towels and coat clean grill grates in oil to prevent the burgers from sticking.
- Leftover grilled pimento cheese-stuffed burgers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
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