~ Everyone’s favorite flavors of pizza and hamburgers combined in one juicy, satisfying sandwich! Quick and easy – with make-ahead tips, too! ~
This Recipe Is: • Ready in 30 Minutes or Less • Freezable • Includes Make-Ahead Steps •
So when you ask your family what they want for dinner, we’re gonna bet we can guess a couple things that often top their wish lists: pizza and burgers.
We get it! We totally crave those, too!
If only we could have both at once! If only pizza and burgers could be jam-crammed together into one amazing mouthful … if only … if only …… if only ………….
You can now officially stop your daydreaming, because these burgers are all of your dreamy wishes, rolled into one! One delicious, juicy, satisfying, might-make-you-cry-in-sheer-delight, pizza-y burger!
This recipe was a runaway hit at both our houses. (As in … we might have done maybe just a few more taste tests than were technically necessary … and we might secretly have a couple batches stashed in the freezer to satisfy the frequent requests …)
It’s another of our THK recipes that really and truly makes the kiddos cheer when dinner is announced. Not kidding. It happens.
When we first started kicking around ideas for this burger, the light bulb over Gretchen’s head went off (*ding*) – she remembered her mom’s pizza meatballs! A quick rummage turned up the recipe, lovingly recorded in one of her mom’s keepsake recipe books.
Alrighty then! We ran with that.
After tinkering with a few different cooking methods and spice combinations, we settled on the formulation that made every single taste tester deliriously, deliciously happy. Then we made these burgers several more times just because we wanted to eat them again … and again …
And while we’re in the business of granting wishes and fulfilling dreams, here’s one more little bonus for all you busy, busy cooks: They’re speedy-quick and really easy to make ahead of time, too. (Yay – THK make-ahead tips!) …
- You can prep these burgers earlier in the day or even a day ahead (just like our Italian Grilled Hamburgers). Store the patties, tightly wrapped in the fridge, until you’re ready to cook them.
- Or, make them way in advance and freeze them (uncooked) until you need them. It’s the perfect solution if you like to plan ahead for parties or cookouts!
We just know you’re gonna love these! Pizza … and burgers … together! Dreams really do come true!
Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Burgers
These Pizza Burgers are juicy and delicious, plus so quick and easy to make!
• Ready in 30 Minutes or Less • Freezable • Includes Make-Ahead Steps •
Ingredients
- 1 pound extra lean ground beef
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 20 slices turkey pepperoni (about 1 - 1 1/4 ounces), quartered
- 1/2 cup shredded, reduced-fat four-cheese Italian cheese blend
- 1/2 - 1 cup pizza sauce, warmed
- 4 whole wheat buns
- optional toppings for serving: onions, banana peppers, sliced black or green olives ... or anything else you like on your pizza
Instructions
- Break ground beef apart in a large bowl and sprinkle oregano, salt, basil, and garlic powder over top. Add pepperoni and cheese.
- Mix everything together until throughly combined. The key here is to be gentle and not over-mix. Over-worked burgers can be tough.
- Divide the mixture into four portions and lightly form into burgers. Compact each burger just enough that it stays together, but be very careful not to press too firmly or pack too tightly. Again, this can make the burgers tough.
- Preheat your grill, or a nonstick skillet or grill pan, on medium heat.
- Add the burgers and cook on the first side until nicely browned and mostly cooked through (about 5 minutes on the grill or in a covered skillet, or 8 minutes uncovered).
- Flip the burgers and continue cooking until just cooked through (about 3-5 minutes). Be careful not to overcook, which can cause the burgers to be dry.
- Serve your burgers on buns, topped with pizza sauce and any optional toppings you'd like.
Notes
Make-ahead options: Prep the burger patties earlier in the day or up to a day ahead, then store them, tightly wrapped in the fridge, until you're ready to cook them. To prep further ahead of time, you can freeze the uncooked patties and then thaw prior to cooking.
Burger divots: Some burgers tend to dome up during cooking. Although we haven't had much trouble with these particular burgers doing that, there's a simple method for preventing the problem in any burger recipe: Simply press a slight indentation (just use your thumb) into the middle of each burger before cooking.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 brugers Serving Size: 1 burgerAmount Per Serving: Calories: 470
Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only, and may vary depending on your choice of ingredients or preparation. No guarantees are made regarding allergies or dietary needs. Always consult a physician or dietician for specific advice and questions.
Wow!! These look amazing! What a great idea!! YUM… I hope that you are having a great weekend!! 🙂
Thank you, Cailee! We thought it was a pretty good idea – and they turned out to be amazing burgers! YUM is right!! ~G&S
Wow – pepperoni and cheese inside the burger?! What an amazing idea! I think my husband would go crazy for these! They look great!
Yes, Kate! It’s like two worlds happily collided into one burger … and it’s awesome! Hope your hubby loves these – our families are SO happy when we make these! 😀 ~G&S
Yum!! My guys love burgers and pizza…making you both geniuses for combining the two. I love that you can make ahead and freeze. That’ll definitely make my life easier 😀
We often have the burgers vs. pizza discussions at our homes – so why not make everyone happy?!? We are all about making life easier – and having everyone enjoy the meal! These come together super fast – and yes! – make a second batch and freeze! It totally saves the day having these little beauties all set in the freezer! 🙂 ~G&S
I used to do something similar for my boys (30+ years ago) except that the cheese, tomatoes, onion and pepperoni were layered between two thin hamburger patties that were then sealed together. I called them stuffed pizza burgers!
These look lucious, and thanks for the divot tip! Aunt K
Yum! Your stuffed burgers sound so delicious (but then, all your food is delicious)! I’ll bet your boys loved them! During our testing process, I actually made these burgers as a stuffed version a couple of times, but we decided it was a bit faster and easier for people to just mix everything in – and since we’re all about making delicious food easy, we went with that. You could totally convert these back into stuffed burgers, though, if you want to! Hugs! 😀 ~Shelley
These are such an awesome idea! I would love to add olives to the patty! Delicious!!
Thanks, Julie! And yes, yes, yes on the olives!!!! 😀 Gretchen and I are both all in when it comes to olives, whether you want to mix some chopped olives right into the patties or sprinkle them as a final topping (like I do). Green olives are my absolute favorite pizza topping! Here’s our olive dilemma: both of our husbands DETEST olives. For guys who are really great, adventuresome eaters (totally willing to taste test even our most oddball creations), they draw the line at olives. My husband has tried time and again to like them, especially since I love them so much, and he just can’t do it. So sad! As a result, in our homes, the olives are an optional topping. But hey – if you have olive lovers, then you just mix those right in (and maybe put more on top, too!). Go crazy, girlfriend! ~Shelley