If there’s something most of us humans have in common, it’s that we all love burgers and we all love caprese anything. So, why not combine these masterpieces into one amazing hot sandwich?! Seasoned beef? Yes. Cheese? You bet. A crisp, toasted bun? Uh huh. This Caprese Burger will seriously blow your mind and impress everyone at your next cookout.
There’s really nothing like a good burger. Warm, flavorful, and customizable; they’re a building block of a great day when the weather’s nice. At least here in the U.S.A., burgers represent something more than just a hot, tasty sandwich. The hamburger is part of the American tradition of friends, family, even strangers, coming together over a meal, sharing laughter and strengthening community. There’s nothing like a big family barbecue, sitting around the fire over good food as the sky darkens.
Comment below the recipe card and tell me where you’re from and what food connects your community!
What is Caprese?
The word caprese is an adjective that describes a dish of mozzarella, tomato, basil, and olive oil. Traditionally, the word caprese is attached to the word insalata, translating to caprese salad. Historically, insalata caprese was invented after World War I in Italy and was created as a tribute to the colors of the Italian flag. Indeed, this salad is simple and tastes amazing on a warm day, but over time the concept has woven itself through a variety of foods and all over the world. From caprese grilled cheese and sandwiches to caprese mac n’ cheese, the combo of cheese, herb, fruit and seasoning is a stunner.
Ingredients
- Beef
- Seasoning
- Balsamic
- Onion
- Garlic
- Tomato
- Mozzarella
- Fresh basil
- Ciabatta roll
. For the beef, I recommend 80%, meaning the meat is 80% lean muscle and 20% fat. This percentage isn’t as healthy of an option, but the burger won’t run the risk of being dry and it’ll taste better.
. This recipe calls for balsamic glaze, which is made from evaporating the water out of balsamic vinegar. The flavor is stronger and it’s quite viscous making it better for things like sandwiches. You can make your own reduction, but I recommend grabbing a glaze bottle in the condiments section of your grocery store.
. You can absolutely use shredded or dry mozzarella for this burger, but I highly recommend splurging on the fresher kind that is packaged in water. The texture is miles beyond it’s dried out counterpart.
. A regular burger bun will absolutely work for this, but ciabatta rolls are both Italian and have a lot more crunch to them, making them 10x more satisfying to bite into.
How to Make this Burger
When your meat is marinated, shape it into rounds and cook it via whatever method you prefer. The weather wasn’t ideal for barbecuing the day I made these, so I pan fried them, but you can also bake them if you’d like. You just want to make sure they’re fully cooked and browned on both sides.
Lastly, assemble your burger! Toast your buns and layer on melted mozzarella cheese, sliced tomato, fresh basil leaves, and a generous drizzle of baslamic glaze.
Begin by seasoning your beef properly. Unseasoned meat is easier but it’ll never make your heart sing. Toss the meat, seasoning, balsamic, and produce in a large bowl. With clean hands, mash it all together until combined well. I know it doesn’t sound like an appetizing venture, but I promise it’s the best and fastest way to season your ground meat. Set the meat in the fridge for at least an hour to marinate.
What to Pair with This
As you can see, I paired this burger with a fresh summer kale salad, but any light side will do. This burger is fairly high in calories and macronutrients though, so keep that in mind when choosing what will sit beside it.
Caprese Burger
Ingredients
Burger Seasoning
- 2 lb 80% ground beef
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp balsamic glaze
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, well chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, shredded or minced
Sandwich Ingredients
- mozzarella cheese, fresh in water recommended
- Tomato, sliced thin
- fresh basil leaves
- balsamic glaze, drizzled generously
Instructions
- Add beef, seasoning, vinegar, onion, and garlic to a large bowl.
- With your clean hand, mix the contents of the bowl together until well combined. Let sit at least 60 minutes.
- Either in a pan or on the grill, cook your burgers on high heat. You want them to get nice and browned on both sides while they cook.
- Assemble sandwich with a toasted ciabatta roll, melted mozzarella cheese, sliced tomato, fresh basil, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
Notes
- Macronutrients are roughly estimated since your breading and toppings will likely vary from mine.
- Fresh mozzarella melts at a fairly high temperature, so if you prefer your cheese very melty, I recommend putting it in the microwave for 15 seconds of so before adding it to the burger.