Cheddar Stuffed Burger with Apple Slaw

This is one of those amazing burgers that stuffed with cheddar and then topped with a simple but crazy good apple slaw, and of course crisp bacon. The blend of beef, cheese, and crunch is out of this world.

There is nothing more satisfying than a great burger. I get it, pizzas amazing, and I love a taco. But when it comes down to that craving for serious carnivores, it’s the burger that wins. And the thing about great burgers is that they have to shine with big beefy flavor and amazingly fresh toppings that balance each other out, not overwhelm.

This burger does just that. I stuffed the sharp cheddar inside of my all-beef patty for a perfect salty cheesy pop when you bite into it. And the crisp apple slaw is a blend of tart and sweet flavor with the granny smith, vinegar, and just enough mayo to make it creamy. Then we add a strip of crisp cooked bacon because a burger never suffered from a slice of pork atop it.

This was one of those burgers where you sit back and savor every single bite with gluttonous glee and you don’t even care who’s watching.

Now, who’s ready to slip into their fat pants.

For the burger blend

I stick with my favorite burger blend here. Easy 85% lean ground beef, a dash of Worcestershire, pepper, and a liberal application of pepper.
A lot of people ask me what I do to my burgers to make them so juicy and flavorful. Truth is, not much. I am not about eggs or breadcrumbs or adding anything – unless the meat is too lean and needs a little extra something-something. And it works. Most of my burgers, cheddar stuffed or not, at home are just that blend over coals.

Tips for Stuffed Burgers

When you stuff a burger you are working the meat a little more than you would if you were just quickly making patties and tossing them on the grill. Here are a few tips to making sure they fire off great.

• Divide the meat into little balls before shaping them to make sure they are all even, as you divide the meat into 8 even portions. Start smaller than you think you will need because you are doubling the layers here.
• Work with cold meat. As you work with the meat, your body heat warms up the meat, and the fats as well, which causes them to cook faster or loosen. So, work quickly with chilled meat, and then once you have formed the patties, put them back in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling. This will help keep them all locked in.
• Speaking of locked in, with a cheese-filled burger, you want to make sure your edges are pinched super secure. It takes just a second, but it helps from the cheese melting and spilling out while grilling.
• The meat and cheese will expand when cooking, so don’t forget the golden rule of great grilled burgers, that dimple in the center. This will be hard to do, not wanting to squish that perfect patty you just formed around the cheese, but a gentle dimple with your thumb in the center will help the burger cook more evenly over the grill.
• With a cheese-stuffed burger, skip the desire for rare (and really, unless you are grinding your own meat, we can save that conversation for another day) and go for making sure the burger is cooked through for food safety. If you want to make cheddar stuffed turkey burgers, temping is a MUST for food safety, 165 or bust.

Bonus points if you make the slaw ahead of time too for ease of assembly while cooking. It can be made up to 2 days ahead, but I find the longer you wait to eat it, the soggier it gets and I enjoy it within the first 24 hours most.

Want more juicy gourmet burger recipe ideas? Try some of my favorites

• Southwest Open-Faced Chicken Burgers
• Grilled Cheese Burger
• Sausage Burger with Honey Sriracha Mustard
• 50 of the Best Burger Ideas for Grill Season

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