Grill/Barbecue

Blue Cheese Burger

by:
June 28, 2023
5
8 Ratings
Blue Cheese Burger
Photo by Bobbi Lin
  • Prep time 15 minutes
  • Cook time 5 minutes
  • Serves 1
Author Notes

This stovetop blue cheese burger recipe makes a single portion (which is very satisfying for someone who dines alone as often as I do). But because it's exactly for one, the math to double, quadruple, or octuple the patty is fairly simple. Scale up as many times as you want—no matter what you do, make a lot of the blue cheese mayo. You won't be sorry. —Eric Kim

Test Kitchen Notes

If you're looking for the perfect sauce to put on your burger, look no further than this blue cheese and rosemary mayonnaise recipe. Tart, earthy, a little sweet, a little savory, Eric Kim has found the ultimate balance of flavors that would complement, frankly, any kind of burger you choose to make. As well as the blue cheese, rosemary, and mayo, it features red wine vinegar, garlic powder, and a little sugar, salt, and black pepper. It's so good and versatile, you'll be looking for excuses to dollop it on whatever you're serving. The best part is that the taste of the mayo improves as it sits, giving the rosemary time to infuse, so you can make it ahead and keep it in the fridge whenever you need it.

You could always use just plain ground beef to make your patties, but Eric takes it a step further by incorporating grated onion, Worcestershire, cumin, cinnamon, and of course a bit more rosemary, because why not? That's right, you probably never thought to add a touch of cinnamon to your burger patties, but it beautifully works with the rosemary and is a creative twist that we stand firmly behind. We do suggest keeping the toppings, like tomatoes and onions, etc., to a minimum here—all that's called for is a little bit of bitter arugula to nicely contrast with the hearty meat and savory mayo. Let those extra steps you took to make the patties and mayo shine; you definitely won't regret it. —Food52

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • For the blue cheese & rosemary mayo:
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 1/2 ounces strong blue cheese, such as a Gorgonzola naturale, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 pinch kosher salt
  • 1 pinch granulated sugar
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • For the burgers:
  • 1/4 pound ground beef brisket (or your favorite burger meat)
  • 1 tablespoon white onion, grated
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 pinch kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Grapeseed or other high-heat oil, for brushing
  • 1 small handful arugula
  • 1 brioche bun, sliced in half and toasted
  • French fries or potato chips, for serving
Directions
  1. For the blue cheese & rosemary mayo:
  2. In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise, cheese, vinegar, rosemary, garlic powder, salt, sugar, and pepper. If not using right away, keep in an airtight container in the fridge (the rosemary flavor will become more pronounced as it sits, which I love).
  1. For the burgers:
  2. In a small bowl, gently mix the beef, onion, Worcestershire, rosemary, cinnamon, cumin, salt, and pepper until just combined (I use my fingers). Form into a single patty, about the size of your burger bun, making sure to press a shallow indentation in the center so it stays flat when you sear it.
  3. Brush the patty with some oil and place onto a hot griddle or small frying pan. Cook for 3 minutes on one side, then turn and continue to cook for about 2 minutes more (an instant-read thermometer should register 145°F for medium-rare and 160°F for medium). Let rest for about 5 minutes.
  4. To assemble, arrange a healthy pile of arugula on the bottom bun, then the warm patty (which will wilt the lettuce slightly), followed by the top bun, which should be smeared generously with the blue cheese mayo.
  5. Eat with french fries or potato chips and a cold beer.
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  • les corry
    les corry
  • Jen Krych
    Jen Krych
  • Smaug
    Smaug
  • Eric Kim
    Eric Kim
Eric Kim
Eric Kim was the Table for One columnist at Food52. He is currently working on his first cookbook, KOREAN AMERICAN, to be published by Clarkson Potter in 2022. His favorite writers are William Faulkner, John Steinbeck, and Ernest Hemingway, but his hero is Nigella Lawson. You can find his bylines at The New York Times, where he works now as a writer. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram at @ericjoonho.

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20 Reviews

Nopigsorveal
Nopigsorveal April 18, 2022
Absolutely amazing! I used dry rosemary and it still came out stunning. I'm gonna try it with real rosemary next time and let y'all know. But this was an instant 5 star for me after I took the first bite and I don't usually give five stars out. Gotta try this recipe
 
Smaug
Smaug June 30, 2023
Rosemary actually dries very well, no real loss of flavor.
 
les C.
les C. March 13, 2022
This is to busy for a burger bro, it`s more like a meatloaf!LOL!
 
gISLEY
gISLEY April 15, 2021
I can't wait to try this! Can I use dried rosemary instead of fresh?
 
les C.
les C. March 13, 2022
no you can`t
 
Smaug
Smaug June 30, 2023
Yes you can, there's very little difference.
 
les C.
les C. June 30, 2023
Big difference IMO when picked fresh from our herb garden.
 
Smaug
Smaug June 30, 2023
And virtually none when picked fresh from my herb garden. Like many of the hard herbs of the labiate family the aromatics are in the form of oils; there's very little moisture in rosemary to begin with.
 
les C.
les C. June 30, 2023
Whatever you say bro.
 
Jen K.
Jen K. December 20, 2020
This was fantastic...the spices were spot on and the mayo/blue cheese topping was incredible...will be adding this to my favorites!
 
caroline0ne
caroline0ne November 10, 2019
OMG This was THE burger I have been looking for to be my house favorite. This way of adding the blue cheese was second to none. I can't wait to make it again.
 
Eric K.
Eric K. November 10, 2019
Yay!
 
Heidi R.
Heidi R. May 23, 2020
I get such joy out of YOUR joy at comments on your recipes Eric! Thank you, as it's hard to find joy these days :)
 
adavis
adavis October 3, 2019
I will never eat another burger any other way.
 
Eric K.
Eric K. November 10, 2019
That's so nice; thanks for saying that.
 
Jill
Jill July 12, 2019
I am a really good cook but one thing I have never mastered is the perfect burger. This recipe solved that issue. The rosemary, cinnamon commingled withe the blue cheese and arugula to produce a sublime and delicious hamburger. Moreover, it was damn easy. Will make again. The whole family loved it!
 
Eric K.
Eric K. November 10, 2019
I'm honored! And thrilled you and yours loved it.
 
Wafa H.
Wafa H. July 11, 2019
This was the best burger recipe I have tried thusfar. It was easy to prep and make. Everyone on the table devoured it. I have since added other ingredients to it to just change it up, but the original recipe is the best ever. The taste of the cinnamon and rosemary really complement each other. I have since started adding these ingredients to my meatballs!
 
Jill
Jill July 12, 2019
Right? I felt like I was in an upscale restaurant. I think using grass fed hamburger meat helps too
 
Eric K.
Eric K. July 14, 2019
You've both made me very happy today. Thrilled you love the burger—thank you!