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These Pimento Cheese Burgers are thin burger patties smashed on a bed of thinly sliced onion and jalapeno, topped with our creamy homemade pimento cheese, and served on a buttery toasted bun. The ultimate smash burgers!
Between the pimento cheese, the onions and jalapeno, and juicy burger, these are sure to be a favorite.
The Ultimate Smash Burger!
We got a flat top grill a couple of years ago and it has seriously changed our backyard grilling game. We have the similar version of this one and absolutely love it.
Smash burgers on the flat top are a go-to for us, thanks to how quickly they cook, how juicy the burgers turn out to be, and how much everyone that tries one just raves about.
We did the standard slice of American cheese for a long time, but one time I had some leftover pimento cheese in the fridge and tried that. Oh my holy heck, the meltability of pimento cheese on a burger is second to none.
We also smash the patties directly on a bed of thinly sliced onion and jalapeno – this doesn’t make them spicy at all, but adds a nice flavor. Serve them up, double pattied so you have double the cheese of course, between a buttery griddled bun and it’s legit the perfect burger.
What is a Smash Burger?
Smash burgers are pretty much just what they sound like – hamburgers that are smashed thin while cooking.
You’ll use a burger press over very high heat to flatten balls of hamburger meat into a large, thin patty directly onto a screaming hot pan or griddle.
The high heat and pressure cooks the small patties (we do 2 ounces for each and double up each sandwich) very quickly and forms a flavorful “crust” on the bottom side from all the heat and pressure.
It gets flipped and finishes up from there in no time at all. These cook much faster than your typical hamburger and their small size makes them perfect for stacking! Enjoy a double, or even triple burger with these patties!
♥ What We Love About This Recipe:
- Flavor: Pimento cheese has the ultimate meltability without becoming too ‘saucy’ and messy. It’s heaven on a burger.
- Stackable: I hate feeling like I need to unhinge my jaw to eat a burger. With these smashburgers, you’ll get two thin patties on each bun and it’s the perfect sized quarter pounder.
- Speed: The first few times you make these, you might actually think they cook TOO fast. It’s a little bit of pressure to move quickly because each patty only needs about a minute per side! But when you want dinner quick, this is perfect.
Make It Next LEvel!
What I’m about to say is going to sound a little crazy, but if you want to really amp up these burgers, try drizzling some Hot Honey over the top of the cheese before you add your lettuce and tomato.
That sticky sweet spiciness pairs so well with the pimento cheese and juicy burger. This is like taking a bite outta the south, if you ask me.
Ingredient Notes:
Ground Beef – We’re starting with 80/20 ground beef or ground chuck. You can use a different blend if you’d like but we find this to be the best for making smash burgers!
Worcestershire Sauce – Our favorite way to add savory flavor to just about anything but especially to hamburgers! A little bit goes a long way to enhance the beefy flavor in the smash burgers.
Jalapeno & Onion – You’ll slice these very thinly and smash the burgers right on top! They’ll get seared into the patties for more flavor. The jalapeno is optional but it doesn’t get very spicy with the real thin slices.
Pimento Cheese – We’re using our own homemade pimento cheese for topping these smash burgers! It’s rich and creamy and perfect for topping these smash burgers!
Buns – We prefer cheaper store brand hamburger buns or potato buns over a brioche bun or something more gourmet but we do toast the buns with some butter. That makes just about any hamburger bun taste better!
Seasoning – Just some salt, cracked pepper, and garlic powder. A couple of popular seasoning mixes we sometimes use include Blackstone Cheesesteak seasoning and Kinder’s Buttery Burger seasoning. Both are amazing!
How to Make Smash Burgers with Pimento Cheese:
Season the ground beef and divide into 8 separate balls about 2 ounces each. Heat a cast iron skillet or flat top grill on very high heat.
Add thinly sliced jalapeno and onion with butter into separate piles and brown. Top each pile with a ball of beef and smash it very thin with a burger press.
Season and cook for about 45 to 60 seconds before flipping and seasoning again. Drop spoonfuls of pimento cheese on top of each burger.
Stack half of the patties on to the other half to make 4 double patties. Remove from the grill and serve the smash burgers on toasted buns with your preferred toppings!
How to Toast Hamburger Buns:
It’s really simple to toast hamburger buns and it is absolutely worth the extra time and effort! It really transforms what can be a pretty dull part of a hamburger into something much tastier.
To toast the buns heat a skillet over medium low heat and butter the insides of the buns. Toast them butter side down on the hot skillet until they’ve turned a nice golden brown or to your liking.
That’s it! It’s simple but it’ll really up your hamburger game and your guests will appreciate the effort.
Pro Tips:
- Swaps: The onion and jalapeno are completely optional but add an extra layer of flavor. Skip fo picky eaters! The pimento cheese can swapped for our beer cheese dip if you prefer that.
- Leftovers: If we’re planning on leftovers, we leave the cheese off the burgers and store them in a ziptop bag in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave until warm and then spread the cheese on top and heat for another 10 seconds or so.
- Smash ‘Em: You really want to smash those burgers into the griddle or pan. Make sure you have plenty of room for them to smash extra thin. This will give you the best crispy bottoms and flavorful burger. They should be a bit wider than your bun after smashing.
Serving Suggestions:
Make it a classic dinner with some air fryer frozen french fries, our battered french fries, or some crispy homemade onion strings!
These burgers really aren’t spicy, even with the jalapeno because we only use a few thin pieces. Up your spice by drizzling some hot honey over the top of it all. Adds a sweet spicy flavor combo that is absolutely killer.
Try these with our creamy homemade coleslaw!
For even more cheesy goodness serve these burgers with some baked mac and cheese! Cold salads like my dill pickle potato salad are winners too.
Pimento Cheese Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef 80/20
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 small jalapeno pepper
- 1/2 small onion
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon salt more to taste
- ½ teaspoon cracked pepper more to taste
- ½ cup pimento cheese
- 4 hamburger buns toasted with butter
- Shredded lettuce and sliced tomatoes for serving
Instructions
- Add the ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder to a bowl and work it together with your hands to distribute the seasoning throughout the meat, being careful not to overwork the meat.
- Portion the meat into 8 loosely packed balls, 2 ounces each.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet or flat top grill over high heat. You want this to be very, very hot before cooking the burgers.
- While the skillet or grill is heating, slice the pepper and onion into very thin slices.
- If you’re working in a skillet you’ll want to make two burgers at a time. If you’re working on a larger surface, you can make all of the burgers at once. Add a small amount of butter in each spot where you will place a burger patty and then drop a few slices of onion and jalapeno into a little pile over the butter. Let cook for 1-2 minutes to brown a bit.
- Add the balls of beef to the skillet or grill directly on top of the piles of onion and peppers. Immediately smash each one with a burger press or two large spatulas. The burgers should be smashed very thin, a bit larger in diameter than your hamburger buns as they will shrink a bit as they cook.
- Sprinkle the flattened burgers with salt and pepper.
- Let the burgers cook until the edges are browned and the tops are turning more of a gray-ish color, 45-60 seconds.
- Flip the burgers, season again with salt and pepper.
- Immediately drop spoonfuls of pimento cheese on top of each burger, working quickly. If you’re cooking on a flat top grill, you should be able to cook all the burgers at once, working quickly so as not to overcook the burgers.
- Immediately stack 4 of the burgers on top of the other 4 burgers, making 4 double patties.
- Remove from the grill and place the burgers on the toasted buns and top with thin slices of tomato and shredded lettuce. Serve immediately.
Gail Patterson says
Bless your heart, as good as this type burger is, that’s the ugliest pimento cheese I’ve ever seen!? Great recipe though! You’re right about store bought pimento cheese, there’s only one worth buying, which is Palmetto Pimento Cheese, made in Pawley’s Island, SC.
Joanne says
I am so adapting this idea into a veggie burger. No, it won’t be the SAME…but I’m hoping the pimiento and fried jalapenos will make up for any differences. 😛
Sarah says
How many servings is this?
Karly says
@Sarah,
As written, the recipe makes two burgers. You can make them as small as you’d like though.
Nicole ~ Cooking for Keeps says
My goodness those look amazing!!!
Jocelyn @BruCrew Life says
Bring on the buttery grilled buns…I’m with you on that!!! That huge burger is insane, but in a totally awesome kind of way!!!
Heather @ My Overflowing Cup says
I *heart* fried jalepenos and pepper jack cheese on my burgers. Thanks so much for the recipe! It’s like Red Robin, but better! 🙂
Lindsay Ann @ Lindsay Ann Bakes says
I just love when you sneak a savory recipe in my rss reader! That cheese spicy layer of goodness looks amazzzzing! Never had this flavor combo but am def gonna try it this weekend!
Carol at Wild Goose Tea says
I am not sure this would be the burger for me, but I know a lot of people
who would be thrilled with this.
Becca from ItsYummi! says
Ohmigerd, Karly…. I’m DYING! I need this in my face, like immediately!
Ashton says
ohmygosh. Karly! You are INSANE!!! But in such a good way. Holy cow— these look so incredible. I’m obviously going to need to stuff this in my face sometime this summer. Or, like, today.
danielle says
Oh my goodness and yes, please! These sound amazing, I love the addition of the fried jalapenos.
Stacy says
You just combined my three favorite things – burgers, jalapeños & pimento cheese! Holy smokes this sounds delicious! Love all of your recipes – you are a girl after my own heart! ????
Tara @ Rovin' Rambler says
…would adding bacon be overkill? Seriously, though, these look so yummy!
Karly says
@Tara @ Rovin’ Rambler,
Bacon could never be overkill!
Chloe @ foodlikecake says
These seriously sound like the best burgers ever!