I love all the flavors of caprese, so making garlic pesto caprese burgers just seemed like the logical next step.
The juicy beef patty has pesto mixed in, and then we grill it and top it with melty Havarti cheese, tomatoes, crispy lettuce and a tasty garlic mayo between a toasty brioche bun.
I’ve never really been a hamburger girl. I’ve always thought they were too dry and grainy. I realize that may not seem too American to hate a hamburger, but I think I may always prefer a panini, turkey club or something of that sort. Well, that’s not true. Lately I’ve been trying hamburgers to see if I could find one I like. This garlic pesto caprese burger, well, I secretly kinda loved it…
Ingredients for Garlic Pesto Caprese Burgers
This is just an overview of the ingredients you will need to make these scrumptious burgers. For all the measurements and instructions for making the recipe, scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post.
For the Burgers
- Ground Beef Chuck: Go to your butcher and ask for a mix of this and ground sirloin. Having a good blend of meat makes a huge difference when it comes to flavor.
- Ground Sirloin: Combined with the beef chuck, it creates such great flavor.
- Pesto: You can make your own or buy some at the store.
- Salt and Pepper: adds flavor
- Brioche Hamburger Buns: You want a really good quality bun that is hearty enough to hold up to a juicy burger but also not so heavy that it takes away from the flavor of the burger.
Burger Toppings
- Green Leaf Lettuce: We love the way green leaf lettuce looks and tastes.
- Campari Tomatoes: These tomatoes have such great flavor, but if you can’t find them, you could go with a vine ripe tomato.
- Havarti Cheese: adds creaminess and just a touch of sweetness that is perfection on this burger
- Balsamic Glaze: You would use just balsamic vinegar if you don’t have a glaze.
For the Garlic Mayo
- Light Mayo: You don’t have to use light mayo, but it really tastes great and I like it to be lighter.
- Dijon Mustard: adds a little tanginess
- Garlic: adds flavor
- Salt and Pepper: adds flavor
Which Cheese is Best for Caprese Burgers
I decided that since we were doing a caprese style burger, then we might as well add Mozzarella, but ultimately it was the Havarti Cheese that really won us over. There’s slightly more flavor than mozzarella, yet it still melts down beautifully. The flavor is subtly sweet with a light note that pairs it perfectly with garlic and pesto.
How to Avoid Burger Shrinking when Cooking
I have discovered a little trick to keep them nice a