In our household, stuffed burgers are an absolute favorite. Not only are they delicious, but they are so easy to make yet so impressive when you have guests!
Jalapeno and cheddar stuffed burgers are perfect for fans of jalapeno poppers, and they have an excellent spicy kick! Plus, because the burgers are stuffed, they won’t make a mess on your grill.
So, without further ado, grab your burger-making supplies so you can upgrade your burger-making game with stuffed burgers!
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Jalapeno Stuffed Burger Ingredients:
- ground 90/10 or 80/20 hamburger meat (makes 4 burgers)
- shredded cheddar cheese
- cream cheese
- Sliced jalapenos (can be pickled or fresh)
- Onion
- tomato
- Burger buns
- Onion powder
- Salt
- Pepper
How to Make Cheddar Jalapeno Stuffed Burgers
Preheat the Grill
Burgers do best when they are seared, so you’ll want to start the grill early to give it time to climb up to 400°F. I used my Pitboss Navigator 550 for this recipe and used charcoal pellets for fuel.
Gather and Mix Your Ingredients
Gather all the ingredients, slicing the tomato, onion, and jalapenos if they aren’t pre-sliced.
Place the ground beef in a large bowl, adding the salt, pepper, and onion powder. Mix with your hands until well mixed.
Divide the Meat
The hardest part of making stuffed burgers is dividing the hamburger meat. For this recipe, you’ll need to divide the meat into 8 equal size balls.
Smash the Meatballs
Gently smash the meatballs you made to make the bottom and tops of the stuffed burger. Be careful not to press them too thin.
Add Cream Cheese and Toppings
Place a dollop of cream cheese on both the tops and bottom halves of your burgers. This cream cheese will be the glue that holds the burger together.
Now, decide which four of the burgers will be the bottom halves. Add a small amount of cheddar cheese shreds and a few jalapenos to each.
Put Together the Patties
Next, take the top portion and place it cream cheese side down, on top of the bottoms of the burgers. Use your fingers to gently seal the sides, then use a burger press or your palm to ensure the burger is tightly closed.
Place on the Grill
Put your stuffed burgers on the grill gently, as close to the flame as possible. Set a timer for 10 minutes. After that, flip the burgers and let them cook on the other side for 10 minutes.
During the second 10 minutes, place the sliced onions on the grill and give them a nice sear, too.
The Grilling Dad Secret: When you are making stuffed burgers, use grill tongs, not a spatula. Tongs make the stuffed burgers easier to flip and less likely to fall apart!
Check if They Are Done
Another challenge with stuffed burgers is ensuring they are done. You’ll want to use a meat thermometer, but don’t press it in deep—you want to check the temperature of the burger, not the cheese filling. Once your burger reaches your desired doneness (see our burger temperature guide) then, remove them from the grill. We pulled ours off at 145° because we like medium burgers and use high-quality ground beef.
Plate and Serve
Toast the buns on the top rack, then use the tongs to place a burger and grilled onions on each bun. Add a slice of tomato if desired. Serve immediately, but warn the consumer that the contents may be hot!
Stuffed Burger Variations
Stuffed burgers come in all types! Check out some of my other variations below:
Jalapeno Cheddat Stuffed Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup cream cheese
- sliced jalapenos
- 1 onion(sliced)
- 1 tomato
- 4 burger buns
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to 400°F
- Slice the onion, tomato, and jalapeno if they didn’t come pre-sliced
- Mix the meat in a bowl with the salt, pepper, and onion powder
- Divide the meat into 8 equal-sized balls.
- Smash the balls gently to create the tops and bottoms of the burger.
- Place a dollop of cream cheese on all burger pieces.
- Add a small amount of shredded cheddar cheese to the 4 bottom burger portions.
- Add jalapenos to the bottom burger portions.
- Gently place the tops of the burgers on the bottom portions, using your fingers to connect the two pieces.
- Place on the grill near the flame.
- Cook the burger for 10 minutes on each side.
- Place the onion slices and buns on the grill for toasting.
- Remove the burgers from the grill between 145°-160°F (your preference)
- Add a burger, onion, and tomato to a bun and enjoy—but be careful, the contents are hot!
