Garlic Butter Burger

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The garlic butter burger is a mashup of garlic bread and butter burgers.

A plated garlic butter burger with lettuce, tomato, and cheese on a sesame seed bun

If you’re a fan of garlic bread and Butter Burgers, try out this delicious recipe which is a mashup of the two. The burgers themselves have garlic butter inside which melts as the burger cooks, soaking through the meat and keeping it super moist. A touch of garlic butter is added on top of each burger too, so it can coat the surface before getting topped with cheese. As a final flourish, the brioche buns are spread with garlic butter then grilled for a crispy garlic bread effect.

The Garlic-Parsley Compound Butter

By cooking the garlic gently in some butter first, it softens that harsh, raw garlic flavour whilst infusing the butter with the caramelised aromas. This is cooled before being stirred into softened butter and parsley, which adds some vibrancy and freshness. 

I like to set some of this aside now so that it remains the perfect consistency for spreading onto the buns. However, if you’re prepping this ahead of time, just keep it in the fridge until an hour before you’re ready to use it. 

The remaining garlic-parsley butter is wrapped up in baking paper or wax paper into a log and frozen until firm (butter hardens up quickly in the freezer so don’t worry about having to wait ages). I do this because the frozen butter is super easy to slice thinly into disks, which can then be wrapped in the burger meat.

How to Shape the Burgers

To encapsulate the garlic butter inside the burger, the best method is to take most of a 4-ounce chunk of ground beef and shape it into a patty with a well in the middle. This way, when the disk of butter is added to the well, the walls of beef help to keep the butter inside. This is then topped with the remaining meat and pressed together to ensure the butter is fully covered.

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Ingredients

  • 4 cloves garlic

  • 1/2 cup salted butter, softened, divided

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

  • 1 pound 80% lean ground beef

  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 4 slices American cheese

  • 4 brioche burger buns

  • 4 slices tomato

  • 1/2 cup shredded lettuce

Directions

  1. Gather your ingredients.

    Ingredients to make grilled butter burgers

    Allrecipes/Izy Hossack

  2. Crush garlic and then cook it in 2 tablespoons butter in a small pan over medium heat for 1 to  2 minutes. This is just to remove the raw flavor of the garlic. 

    A small pan with crushed garlic in melted butter

    Allrecipes/Izy Hossack

  3. Let cool, then mix it into the remaining butter with parsley. 

    A mixing bowl with cooled garlic butter, butter, and chopped parsley

    Allrecipes/Izy Hossack

  4. Set half of garlic butter aside to use for spreading on the buns. Wrap remaining butter in a sheet of wax paper, roll it into a log (about 1 1/4- inch diameter), then place into the freezer to harden completely, about 20 minutes.

    A roll of garlic butter wrapped in parchment paper

    Allrecipes/Izy Hossack

  5. Unwrap frozen butter, and slice into at least 8 thin disks. It’s better to have more than 8 slices if you can to have a few spares. Return 4 slices to the freezer to stay firm.

    Thin slices of garlic butter on a piece of parchment paper

    Allrecipes/Izy Hossack

  6. Preheat an outdoor grill to a medium-high heat, about 400 degrees F (200 degrees C), then shape the burgers. Divide beef into 4 3-ounce pieces and 4 1-ounce pieces. Form the 3-ounce hunks into a patty with a well in the center to help contain the butter. Place a frozen disk of garlic butter on top of each of the 4 patties. 

    A plate with ground beef burger patties with discs of garlic butter set in the center

    Allrecipes/Izy Hossack

  7. Use the 1-ounce pieces of beef to cover the butter disks, pressing beef together firmly to seal butter inside. Season both sides of each patty with a pinch of salt and black pepper, then press your thumb into the middle of each burger to create a little dip on top.

    A plate with four garlic butter-stuffed ground beef burger patties, topped with salt and pepper

    Allrecipes/Izy Hossack

  8. Grill burgers for 3 to 4 minutes on one side then flip over. Top each with a disk of garlic butter and, once melted, top with a slice of American cheese. Let them cook for 3 to 4 minutes on this side, then remove from the grill to a clean tray to rest.

    A grill with four garlic butter burger with two patties topped with melted American cheese

    Allrecipes/Izy Hossack

  9. Meanwhile, spread softened garlic butter you set aside earlier over the cut sides of burger buns. 

    A small tray with sesame seed hamburger buns spread with garlic butter

    Allrecipes/Izy Hossack

  10. Grill buns, cut side down, until lightly toasted, about 30 seconds.

    A charcoal grill with sesame seed hamburger buns toasting cut-side down

    Allrecipes/Izy Hossack

  11. Stack burgers into grilled buns with lettuce and tomato and any other bits you want. Serve burgers warm.

    A small tray with four garlic butter burgers topped with melted cheese, lettuce, and tomato, served on a sesame seed bun

    Allrecipes/Izy Hossack

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

2193 Calories
151g Fat
138g Carbs
72g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Calories 2193
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 151g 194%
Saturated Fat 86g 431%
Cholesterol 516mg 172%
Sodium 3386mg 147%
Total Carbohydrate 138g 50%
Dietary Fiber 7g 25%
Total Sugars 25g
Protein 72g 143%
Vitamin C 28mg 31%
Calcium 1530mg 118%
Iron 13mg 73%
Potassium 1343mg 29%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.