The Ultimate Pizza Burger: A Decadent Fusion of Your Two Favorite Comfort Foods

Pizza burgers offer an explosion of flavor, combining the best elements of a classic hamburger with the irresistible taste of your favorite pizza. Imagine a tender, succulent, and incredibly cheesy beef patty, expertly seasoned with Italian herbs, nestled within a soft bun and piled high with all the zesty fixings you adore on a pizza. This gloriously juicy and immensely flavorful creation is the perfect answer to satisfying both your pizza and burger cravings in one magnificent bite!

Are you someone who can never quite decide between a classic, juicy burger and a cheesy, tomato-rich slice of pizza? You’re not alone! Many food lovers find themselves torn between these two beloved comfort foods. But what if you didn’t have to choose? What if you could experience the absolute best of both worlds in a single, mouth-watering creation?

Put your hand up if you love pizza. 🍕

Put your hand up if you love burgers. 🍔

This recipe answers that delicious dilemma by melding the two into one truly decadent, drool-worthy food experience. Our unique pizza burger recipe takes everything you adore about both dishes and combines them into an unforgettable meal that will have your taste buds singing. It starts with a perfectly crafted beef patty, infused with the rich flavors of a tender Italian meatball. Then, it’s loaded with a generous amount of ooey-gooey, melty mozzarella cheese, topped with crispy, savory pepperoni, and finished with a vibrant, zesty tomato sauce that ties all the incredible flavors together.

This pizza burger masterpiece boasts a robust, zesty, tomatoey pizza sauce that forms the perfect foundation. The beef patty itself is far from ordinary; it’s loaded with classic meatball ingredients like rich Parmesan cheese, more luscious tomato sauce, and a blend of aromatic pizza spices, all contributing to its extreme tenderness and juiciness. A generous layer of ooey-gooey, perfectly melted mozzarella cheese crowns the patty, creating that irresistible pull-apart texture.

But the indulgence doesn’t stop there. We add a layer of crispy, chewy, pan-fried pepperoni slices, offering a fantastic textural contrast and a burst of savory, spicy flavor that makes you wonder why you ever needed bacon. To elevate your burger to the pinnacle of pizza-ness, we crown it with a sprig of fresh basil for aromatic freshness and a few crunchy onion slices for a delightful bite. Pile all these incredible components between two halves of a soft, toasted brioche bun, and you have a pizza burger magnifico – a culinary triumph that truly delivers the best of both worlds!

Essential Ingredients for Your Perfect Pizza Burger

Crafting the ultimate pizza burger begins with selecting the right ingredients. The magic truly lies in the combination of that incredibly juicy beef patty, the vibrant and zesty homemade pizza sauce, and the spicy, slightly crispy pepperoni. While you can certainly customize with other cheeses or toppings, these core components are what make this burger exceptionally special.

For the buns, don’t compromise on quality. Choose your favorite burger buns – a soft brioche bun, for instance, adds an extra layer of richness and slight sweetness that complements the savory fillings beautifully. If you have dietary preferences or requirements, opting for high-quality gluten-free brioche burger buns can elevate the experience to another delicious notch without sacrificing flavor or texture. A well-toasted bun provides the structural integrity and delightful crisp edge crucial for holding all the delicious components of your pizza burger.

When it comes to the ground beef, aim for lean ground beef to ensure a juicy patty without excessive grease. The blend of Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, oregano, salt, and chili flakes in the patty mix is essential for achieving that tender, pizza-meatball-like texture and rich flavor. Don’t underestimate the impact of a good quality marinara sauce – it forms the base of both your burger patties and the zesty pizza sauce for assembly. For the cheese, thick slices of pizza mozzarella or fresh mozzarella are ideal for achieving that perfect melt. Finally, don’t forget the pepperoni, which should be good quality to ensure it crisps up beautifully, and a drizzle of olive oil for cooking and toasting.

Let’s Craft Your Homemade Pizza Burgers!

Get ready to embark on a delightful culinary journey as we assemble these incredible pizza burgers, step by savory step. The process is straightforward, but the results are anything but simple – prepare for an explosion of flavors!

Preparing the Zesty Pizza Sauce: First, we’ll create a simple yet incredibly flavorful pizza sauce. Start with a good quality marinara sauce. You can use your favorite store-bought brand for convenience, or for an even fresher taste, try making your own Easy Marinara Sauce. To amp up the “zip-factor” and infuse that authentic pizza essence, stir in a generous pinch of dried oregano and a touch of garlic powder. This simple addition transforms plain marinara into a lively pizza sauce that will form the backbone of your burger’s flavor profile. Let it sit for a few minutes while you prepare the other components, allowing the flavors to meld beautifully.

Crafting the Succulent Pizza Burger Patties: Next up are those amazing, juicy pizza burger patties – think of them as perfectly seasoned, large, tender pizza meatballs. In a large bowl, combine your lean ground beef with a large egg (this is our secret weapon for binding and extra moisture!), finely grated Parmesan cheese, fine dry bread crumbs (use gluten-free if needed), pressed or minced garlic, dried oregano, fine sea salt, and a dash of dried chili flakes (or black pepper for a milder kick). Crucially, we also add a quarter cup of our prepared pizza sauce directly into the mix. Using your hands, gently combine all these ingredients until they are just mixed. Be careful not to overmix, as this can make your burgers tough.

Once mixed, divide the beef mixture into four equal portions and form them into nice, big patties, about ¾-inch thick. Here’s a pro-tip for burger perfection: make a slight indent in the center of each patty with your thumb. This simple trick prevents the middles from bulging up during cooking, ensuring your patties cook evenly and remain flat, ideal for stacking. Heat a touch of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the patties until they are beautifully browned on one side, typically 3 to 4 minutes. Flip them over, and immediately lay two thick slices of mozzarella cheese on top of each patty. Continue cooking until the second side is browned, the burgers are cooked through to your desired doneness, and the mozzarella is gloriously melted and gooey. If the cheese needs a little extra help melting, you can cover the skillet with a lid for the last minute or so.

Crisping the Pepperoni: While your pizza burger patties are sizzling, grab another skillet and add a small amount of olive oil. Fry the pepperoni slices in batches until they become lightly browned and their edges begin to crisp up. You want them pliable but with a delightful crispy texture, similar to perfectly cooked bacon. Be careful not to overcook them, as they will continue to crisp slightly after being removed from the heat. Set them aside to keep warm while you finish the other components.

Toasting the Buns: In the same skillet you used for the pepperoni (or a clean one), add a bit more olive oil. Place your hamburger buns, cut-side-down, into the pan and fry them until they are lightly golden and perfectly toasted. This crucial step adds a lovely texture and prevents the bun from becoming soggy under the weight of the delicious toppings. A toasted bun is a sign of a truly well-made burger!

Assembling Your Magnificent Pizza Burgers: Now for the grand finale – layering your pizza burgers! Start by drizzling a little extra olive oil onto the bottom half of each toasted bun. Why more olive oil? Because, you know, olive oil enhances everything! Spread a generous dollop of our zesty pizza sauce onto that warm, glistening bun. Next, add a layer of fresh baby spinach leaves, offering a crisp, fresh contrast. Then, carefully slide on the star of the show: that ooey, gooey, draped-in-melting-cheese burger patty.

Now, artfully arrange those beautifully sautéed pepperoni slices with their crispy edges on top of the cheese-covered patty. This adds an incredible depth of flavor and texture. This is your chance to customize your pizza burger to your own unique taste buds! Consider adding a few thinly sliced red onion rings (fresh for a sharp bite, or sautéed for a milder, sweeter flavor). A few fresh basil leaves are a must for that authentic Italian aroma and flavor. Other fantastic additions could include sliced black olives, sautéed mushrooms, roasted bell peppers, or even a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for an extra kick.

Finally, spread the cut side of the top bun half with another generous spoonful of pizza sauce, and gently place it on top of your magnificent pizza burger stack. It’s burgertime . . . pizza burger time! Serve immediately with plenty of napkins, because these delicious creations are delightfully messy.

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Pizza Burgers

Margaret Bose Johnson

Pizza burgers, loaded with a succulent, cheesy, beef meatball patty and all the pizza fixin’s you can pile on a bun – what a gloriously juicy and flavourful way to satisfy that pizza craving!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Canadian

Servings 4

Ingredients

 

for the pizza sauce:

• ▢ 1¼ cups (300 ml) good quality marinara sauce, purchased or homemade
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

for the burger patties:

• ▢ 1 lb (454 g) lean ground beef
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ ½ cup (50 g) finely grated Parmesan cheese
• ▢ ¼ cup (25 g) fine dry bread crumbs, gluten-free, if necessary
• ▢ 1 clove garlic, pressed or finely minced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon dried chili flakes/red pepper flakes (or ½ teaspoon black pepper)
• ▢ ¼ cup pizza sauce (see recipe above)
• ▢ 8 thick slices pizza mozzarella cheese or fresh mozzarella cheese
• ▢ olive oil

to assemble the burgers:

• ▢ 16 slices pepperoni (150 g)
• ▢ 4 hamburger buns, gluten-free if necessary
• ▢ 1 cup pizza sauce (see recipe above)
• ▢ fresh baby spinach leaves
• ▢ thinly sliced onions, fresh or sautéed
• ▢ 4 sprigs fresh basil (or 12-16 leaves), optional

Instructions

 

make the pizza sauce:

• Stir together the marinara sauce, ½ teaspoon oregano, and garlic powder. Set aside for the flavours to blend while you prepare the other ingredients.

make the pizza burger patties:

• Place the ground beef, egg, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, garlic, oregano, salt, and chili flakes into a large bowl. Measure out ¼ cup (4 tablespoons/60 ml) of the prepared pizza sauce and add it to the meat ingredients. Mix everything together with your hands until it is well combined. Form the beef mixture into 4 large patties, about ¾-inch (2 cm) thick. Make an indent in the center of each patty to keep it from bulging up while cooking.
• Heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the pizza burger patties until lightly browned on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the patties, top each one with two slices of mozzarella cheese, and continue to cook them until the other side is nicely browned, the burgers are cooked through, and the cheese is just melted. If the cheese isn’t melting and the burgers are almost cooked, cover the skillet with a lid or baking sheet for the last minute or so to help melt the cheese.
• While the burger patties are cooking, heat up a second skillet, add a little bit of olive oil, and fry the pepperoni slices, in batches, until they are lightly browned and just crisping a bit at the edges. Don’t fry them too long, as they will continue to crisp up after they are cooked. You want them still nicely pliable, like bacon slices. Set them aside to keep warm.
• When the pepperoni slices are finished, add a bit more olive oil to the skillet, and fry the buns, cut-side-down, to lightly crisp them up, until they are just golden.

to assemble the pizza burgers:

• Drizzle a little bit of olive oil onto the bottom half of each grilled bun. Then spread each bottom half with about 2 tablespoons of the remaining pizza sauce.
• Pinch the stems off the spinach leaves, and layer a small handful of leaves on top of the pizza sauce.
• Lay the cheese-topped burger patty on top of the spinach.
• Arrange 4 slices of sautéed pepperoni on each burger.
• Top that with some fresh or fried onion slices and a sprig of basil (or a few large leaves).
• Spread the cut side of each top bun half with another 2 tablespoons of pizza sauce and slide it on top of the pizza burger stack.
• Pass out lots of napkins and enjoy immediately.

Notes

Alternately – you can grill the burger patties, pepperoni slices, and buns on the barbecue or grill.

Want more heat? Increase the dried chili flakes in the burgers to your taste.

Customize the pizza burger toppings to your taste: add sliced sautéed mushrooms or roasted peppers, anchovies, fresh tomato slices, lettuce, etc. Add spicy pepperoncini pickles or capers. Try different melting cheeses like fontina, havarti, or Monterey Jack.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!