Blue cheese hamburgers with sweet potato fries make for an indulgent yet nutritious meal. They’re juicy and flavorful, and the fries take it over the top.
Ask your family what they want for dinner. Chances are, they will say burgers. Next time burgers are the consensus, try blue cheese hamburgers and sweet potato fries. The duo makes for a beefy and carb-filled meal with a gourmet vibe. The cheese-filled burgers are several steps above the basic patties seasoned with salt and black pepper. Some of the cheese oozes out as they cook, and biting into the burger only to have that steaming hot cheese greet you is even better.
Why You’ll Love Blue Cheese Hamburgers
Robust flavors – Blue cheese is known for its pungent, salty, tangy taste, which comes through in these burgers.
Juicy patties – The burgers are nothing short of succulent. This results from the type of ground beef used and the other patty additions.
Super hearty – The patties are made with more than beef and cheese. The add-ins make them super filling and contribute to achieving the best texture.
Room to play – There are so many delicious toppings and condiments to put on blue cheese hamburgers, ranging from aioli to fried shallots.
Blue Cheese Burgers Ingredients Notes
To make blue cheese hamburgers, you will need:
- Ground beef: I highly recommend ground beef chuck. You want the meat to be lean but not too lean. When at the store, pick up ground beef that is 80% lean and 20% fat instead of 90% lean for flavorful, juicy patties. If you don’t see ground chuck, ground sirloin is the next best thing.
- Blue cheese: If you’re new to the world of blue cheeses, try it before you buy it because their level of intensity varies, as do their textures. Some are bright, robust, and tangy, while others lean towards astringent and incredibly sharp with funky, earthy notes.
- Eggs: Eggs act as a binder, prevent the patties from drying out, and help “stretch” the beef a bit.
- Breadcrumbs: Breadcrumbs add structure to the patties and, combined with the egg, make them easier to shape, which is essential when making cheese-stuffed patties. Use panko instead of regular breadcrumbs to avoid dense patties.
Refer to the blue cheese burger recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients with precise measurements.
How to Make Blue Cheese Hamburgers
- Prepare the beef mixture: Add beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, garlic, and parsley to a food processor and pulse to bring everything together. Don’t continuously run the processor, as doing so will overwork the meat. About an hour before you prepare the beef mixture, take a little time to cut the sweet potatoes and put them into a bowl of water to soak. This extra step helps achieve super crispy fries.
- Shape and stuff: Loosely form the meat mixture into 6 large patties, make an indentation in each one, add blue cheese, then shape the beef around the cheese before flattening. Beforehand, toss the sweet potatoes with oil and bake for about 30 minutes until golden. You want them ready by the time the burgers are done.
- Cook: The burgers can be cooked on the stovetop in a skillet or thrown on the grill. Whichever you choose, preheat over medium-high to ensure a good crust on the outside of each burger patty.
- Build your burgers: Finish your blue cheese hamburgers with your choice of toppings and condiments with servings of fries on the side.
Variations, Substitutions, and Cooking Tips
Skip the add-ins – Feel free to omit the eggs and breadcrumbs. They certainly add to the burgers but won’t make or break them.
Top with more cheese – Since blue cheese is stuffed in each burger patty, why not add a little extra on top?
Add ranch seasoning – Blue cheese and ranch are a popular combination. Sprinkle the seasoning into the meat mixture for more flavor.
Try different toppings and condiments – Blue cheese hamburgers with caramelized onions are epic. Alternatively, a smear of ranch dressing wouldn’t hurt.
Bring the cheese to room temperature – This helps the cheese melt.
What is Blue Cheese?
Of course, you know what blue cheese is – it’s a type of cheese! But seriously, those unfamiliar with this type of cheese often want to know what kind of milk it is made with and wonder why it has greenish-blue veins. First, blue cheese is made from pasteurized cow’s, sheep’s, or goat’s milk. The type of milk it is made from impacts flavor. For example, cow’s milk blue cheese tends to be milder than cheese made with goat’s milk. As for the veins, they are a result of introducing edible mold into the cheesemaking process. During the early stages, the mold, specifically Penicillium roqueforti, is sprinkled on top of cheese curds; the curds undergo a process called needling in which they are spiked with steel rods to enhance oxygen circulation, which forms the distinctive veins by encouraging mold growth. All of this is done in a controlled, food-safe environment; after aging, the blue cheese is ready to be eaten!
Try this Jalapeño Fritter Burger with Garlic Aioli next!
Blue Cheese Hamburgers with Sweet Potato Fries
Blue cheese hamburgers with sweet potato fries make for an indulgent yet nutritious meal. They’re juicy and flavorful, and the fries take it over the top.
Ingredients
Burger
- 2 lbs lean beef
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 tbs parsley
- 1 oz blue cheese (6tsp), crumbled
Sweet Potato Fries
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced
- 3 tbs olive oil
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- About an hour beforehand, place the sliced sweet potato fries into a large bowl and cover with water (this helps them get extra crispy).
- Once ready, preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a large Ziploc bag (you may need two with this large of a batch) add the fries (drain first) then add cornstarch, salt and olive oil. Shake until evenly coated.
- Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 25-35 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fries) or until golden brown.
- In a food processor, combine all of the burger ingredients except for the blue cheese. Pulse together until well combined (if the mixture is dry and crumbly, add milk 1 tbs. at a time).
- Using a large ice cream scoop (or your hands) form about 6 large patties. In the center of each one, use your thumb to make a little indentation and fill with 1 tsp blue cheese. Cover the hole with the meat mixture.
- Once finished, add the patties to a skillet (or grill) heated over a medium-high heat. They should take about 5 minutes on each side.
- Serve with your choice of burger buns and top with lettuce, mustard and tomato and top with sweet potato fries.
