Stuffed Blue Cheese Volcano Burgers

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Mouthwatering and savory Stuffed Blue Cheese Burgers will take your burger game to the next level. These volcano burgers are made with flavorful lean ground beef and are just oozing with cheese. No need to wait for grilling season because they cook up perfectly in the broiler or air fryer!

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Table of Contents

• Blue Cheese Volcano Burgers
• Why this Recipe Works
• What is Blue Cheese?
• Recipe Ingredients
• How to Make Blue Cheese Burgers
• Best Burger Toppings
• Tips for Success
• Serving Suggestions
• More Burger Recipes
• Get the Recipe

Blue Cheese Volcano Burgers

Not spicy like hot lava, but exploding with gooey blue cheese, I’ve been calling these “volcano burgers” for years. I have come to learn that Volcano Burgers is actually a burger restaurant in Loa Alamitos, CA. But with oozing center and burst of flavor, I’m not changing the name any time soon!

These burgers are made with lean ground beef and flavored with my homemade Worcestershire Ketchup for a serious burst of umami goodness. Then they are packed full of blue cheese and cooked in the oven or air fryer (I’ll give you tips for grilling, too) until they are molten. Top them with more of the savory ketchup, and it gives an amazing, intense steakhouse flavor in one awesome patty.

Why this Recipe Works

• Loaded with cheese. These blue cheese burgers are seriously bursting with cheese.
• Lean but moist. You can use lean ground beef which makes them less greasy and stay together better with all that cheese. The key to keeping them juicy is adding sauteed shallots or red onion and the ketchup to make them extra flavorful and moist. If you really want to learn all about lean but moist burgers, check out my recipe for Air Fryer Hamburgers which details all the secrets.
• Broiler or air fryer. No need to worry about lighting the grill because these burgers are actually best when cooked in the broiler or air fryer right in your kitchen.

What is Blue Cheese?

Blue cheese is a class of semi-soft cheeses that you can usually find in a wheel, wedge, block, or as crumbles. It can be made from cow, sheep, or goat’s milk, and may be known by varieties such as Camembert, Roquefort, or Stilton.

These cheeses vary in texture from dry and crumbly to moist to creamy. But the most recognizable characteristic of blue cheese is the bluish spots or veins running through it. These are made by culturing them with Penicillium. This culturing process gives the cheese its characteristic sharp flavor and strong odor. According to The Flavor Bible, it pairs well with apple and pears, walnuts, honey, and, as in this recipe, beef.

Is Blue Cheese Gluten Free?

Eating blue cheese on a gluten free diet is a topic that has caused controversy for many years. The mold spores used for culturing the cheese were often grown on wheat or rye bread. That is not a common practice anymore, but extensive testing has shown that even bacteria grown on a gluten-containing medium produce cheese with non-detectable levels of gluten.

That being said, it is always recommended to check the labels of any blue cheese you buy to ensure that is does not say that it contains gluten. Beware if you buy cheese from a market or small producer unless you are very clear on their sources and process for making their cheese. And always speak to your doctor first, as recommendations may change based on your level of sensitivity.

Recipe Ingredients

Here’s some information about what you’ll need to make these blue cheese burgers plus details and tips for making them. Scroll down the recipe card for the exact quantities.

• Olive oil.
• Shallot. A small one, minced, or about 1/4 cup of minced red onion.
• Kosher salt and pepper.
• Ground beef. I like to use 90% lean, but you can use what you prefer.
• Worcestershire ketchup. I like to make my own with tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, salt, dried thyme, ground pepper, and dry mustard because it’s thicker and more flavorful. But you can just use ketchup or tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce.
• Crumbled blue cheese. Use your favorite.
• Buns, lettuce, tomato, and any other toppings. Keep reading for more ideas.

How to Make Blue Cheese Burgers

Only a few simple steps and you can be sinking your teeth into these juicy stuffed burgers in no time.

Preparations. Stir together the ingredients for the Worcestershire Ketchup and set aside. Preheat your broiler. Or preheat your air fryer to 350°F.

Make the meat mixture. Heat a small skillet over a medium flame, and add the olive oil, shallot, salt, and pepper. Saute for several minutes until the shallot is soft and begins to get golden in color. Add it to a large bowl with the ground beef and Worcestershire ketchup. Mix gently until well-combined, but do not over mix.

Stuff the burgers. Divide the meat into four equal balls. Flatten one ball in your hand into a circle about 4 inches in diameter. You want it as thin as possible withouth falling apart. Place blue cheese in the center. Wrap the meat around the cheese and press to seal and shape into a patty. Put the patty onto your broiler pan or into your air fryer basket. Repeat with the remaining burger patties.

Cook your burgers. Cook your burgers to the desired doneness. The times given here will give you a Medium burger that is slightly pink in the middle and has an internal temperature of about 145-155°F. These can be cooked a few minutes longer to the recommend safe temperature of 160-165°F for Well-Done burgers because they still stay gooey and moist. But you can adjust the cooking time down if you want a Rare burger that’s 120-125°F.

• Broil: Place the boiler pan under the broiler, ad broil for 8-10 minutes, without flipping.
• Air Fryer: Cook in the air fryer at 350°F for 8-10 minutes, without flipping.

Serve with your favorite toppings. I like to serve my blue cheese burgers on my favorite Gluten Free Hamburger Buns with lettuce, tomato, and more of that Worcestershire Ketchup.

Best Burger Toppings

• More veggies. Try raw or caramelized onions, pickles, or even the peppery bite of arugula.
• Bacon. Cooked bacon or even bacon jam would add an amazing salty, smoky flavor.
• More cheese. Add extra blue cheese on top, try some melty cheddar or Monterey Jack, or give it a grizzle of Greek Yogurt Blue Cheese Dressing.
• Something creamy. A flavored aioli, Big Mac Sauce, or some Avocado Crema is a rich addition.

Serving Suggestions

You can’t go wrong with basic Air Fryer French Fries or just a package of frozen fries popped in the oven and a simple salad or frozen veggies. But you can also upgrade your sides just as you up-leveled your burger.

• Air Fryer Truffle Fries or Herbes de Provence Sweet Potato Fries add even more gourmet flavor.
• Everyone loves tater tots, but Cauliflower Tots and Potato Zucchini Tots up your veggie game.
• If you have the air fryer going, try Air Fryer Cauliflower or Air Fryer Carrots.
• Summer calls for corn like Air Fryer Corn on the Cob or Sauteed Summer Vegetables.
• Some classic salads are perfect, like Coleslaw or even Bacon Blue Cheese Potato Salad.

More Burger Recipes

• Meatball Parmesan Burgers
• French Onion Stuffed Burgers
• Thai-Style Sliders
• Peruvian Turkey Burgers

5 from 5 votes

Stuffed Blue Cheese Burgers

Mouthwatering and savory Stuffed Blue Cheese Burgers will take your burger game to the next level. These volcano burgers are made with flavorful lean ground beef and are just oozing with cheese. No need to wait for grilling season because they cook up perfectly in the broiler or air fryer!

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 12 minutes mins

Total: 22 minutes mins

Servings: 4 burgers

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Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 small shallot, minced or 1/4 cup minced red onion
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/4 lb lean ground beef
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire Ketchup (see below) or 3 Tablespoons tomato paste or ketchup plus 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauice
• 1 cup crumbled blue cheese (about 4 oz.)
• Buns, lettuce, tomato, additional Worcestershire Ketchup for serving

For the Worcestershire Ketchup:

• 6 oz. tomato paste
• 1/2 cup Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

• If you have combined oven/broiler, preheat oven to 450°F. If your broiler is separate, preheat your broiler. Or preheat your air fryer to 350°F. Prepare the Worcestershire Ketchup as directed below.
• Heat a small pan over medium heat. Add olive oil, shallot, salt and pepper. Cook for several minutes, until shallot is soft and begins to get golden in color. Set aside.
• Place the beef into a large bowl, and add the cooked shallots and Worcestershire Ketchup. Mix gently until well-combined, but do not over mix.
• Divide the meat into four equal balls.
• Flatten on ball in your hand to a patty abour 4 inches in diameter, and place 1/4 cup blue cheese in the center. Wrap the meat around the cheese and press to seal and shape into a patty. Place patty onto your broiler pan or in your air fryer basket.
• Repeat with the remaining three portions of meat and cheese.
• Broil: If you have the boiler/oven combo, switch the oven from 450°F to Broil. Place the boiler pan under the broiler, and broil for 8-10 minutes, without flipping, until cooked as desired.
• Air Fry: Cook in the air fryer at 350°F for 8-10 minutes, without flipping, until cooked as desired.
• Serve on buns, with lettuce, tomato, and additional Worcestershire Ketchup, as desired.

For the Worcestershire Ketchup:

• Add all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.

Notes

If you want to grill your burgers, I would recommend stuff with half of the cheese, and grilling for 4-5 minutes per side adding the remaining cheese on top after flipping.

Nutrition Facts

Stuffed Blue Cheese Burgers

Amount Per Serving (1 burger (not including buns or toppings))

Calories 404 Calories from Fat 225

% Daily Value*

Fat 25g38%

Saturated Fat 12g60%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 10g

Cholesterol 117mg39%

Sodium 1333mg56%

Potassium 771mg22%

Carbohydrates 7g2%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 36g72%

Vitamin A 429IU9%

Vitamin C 5mg6%

Calcium 216mg22%

Iron 4mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Author: Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips

Course: Beef, Main

Cuisine: American

Disclaimers: Please discuss your individual dietary needs (i.e. gluten free) with a physician. Even when not specified, be sure to verify all ingredients are gluten free, if needed, by reading labels on all packaging and/or confirming with the manufacturer this varies by brand and can change at any time. Nutrition information shown is an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate.

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