These Goat Cheese Burgers are piled high with creamy goat cheese crumbles, sultry caramelized onions, and a delicious red wine glaze. It's a restaurant quality burger you can make at home!
Pub Style Goat Cheese Burgers
It’s amazing how much a different cheese can change the taste of a burger. We’ve loved experimenting with different cheese and flavor combos, from thick sliced Mozzarella Burgers to rich and meaty Mushroom Swiss Burgers.
I’d never thought to put goat cheese on a burger until I spotted it on a restaurant menu. It was one of those hip gastropubs that specializes in bougie bar food.
I was both wary and intrigued. Sure, I loved goat cheese tossed in an Autumn Salad or sprinkled over Balsamic Grilled Vegetables, but on a burger? I wasn't sure, but I had to try it.
I supposed I shouldn't have been surprised to discover goat cheese is FABULOUS on a burger. And why wouldn’t it be? Tart, earthy, and creamy goat cheese melds perfectly with a big juicy burger.
When we got home I knew I wanted to recreate the goat cheese burger with some of our own over-the-top additions. We tempered the tangy goat cheese with sweet, sultry caramelized onions and a rich red wine reduction to make a burger worthy of any restaurant menu.
Why We Love Burgers with Goat Cheese
- They’re unique. Tired of lettuce, tomato, and onion? Had your fill of Double Bacon Cheeseburgers? Goat Cheese Burgers are a unique burger recipe you’ll love.
- They’re easy to make. The caramelized onions and red wine take some time, but no special skills are required. And both elements can be made ahead of time!
- They plate really beautifully. I love making these burgers for company, because they look and taste so fancy! These elevated burgers are perfect for dinner parties.
Key Ingredients
- Dry red wine- A pinot noir, syrah, or merlot are all great choices. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on wine, but I always recommend cooking with a wine you wouldn’t mind drinking.
- Onions- You can caramelize yellow or red onion for this recipe.
- Ground beef - I always recommend using a fattier (80/20) beef for the juiciest burgers. You’ll need a pound and a half of beef for 4-5 burgers. You can use the remaining half pound of beef in one of these 25 Leftover Ground Beef Recipes.
- Goat cheese- The star of the show! If you really don’t like goat cheese, you can substitute feta, or perhaps these Avocado and Feta Burgers would be more your style.
- Hamburger buns - Pretzel buns and brioche buns are my favorites for this burger, but if you can’t get your hands on them, regular buns will work too.
How to Make Goat Cheese Burgers
- Make the wine reduction. Place wine and sugar in a saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a gentle boil. Lower the heat and keep the mixture at a gentle boil until it is reduced to about ¾ cup and thickened to the consistency of honey. This will take 25-35 minutes. Once reduced, remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Meanwhile, make the caramelized onions. Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan over medium low heat and add the onions. Cook, stirring often, until onions are a golden caramel color and very sweet. If the onions start to get dark or crispy on the edges, add a few tablespoons of water to the pan. This will take about 30 minutes. Once onions are caramelized, sprinkle with salt, remove from heat, and set aside.
- Prepare the patties. Form the beef into 5 equal sized balls, then use your palm to press into patties. Use your thumb to make an indent in the center of each burger to keep it from doming while cooking. Sprinkle each side of the patties with Kosher salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Fry the burgers. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat and add just enough vegetable oil to coat. When the oil shimmers, place the patties in the skillet. Fry about 3 minutes or until liquid starts to pool on the top of the burgers, then flip and fry an additional 2-3 minutes or until internal temperature reaches desired doneness (see temperature guide below). Remove the burgers to a plate, top with goat cheese, and loosely tent with foil.
- Alternatively, grill the burgers. Preheat a grill over medium high heat. Place patties on the grill and grill for 3-4 minutes per side or until cooked to your liking. Do not press down on the burgers, and flip only once. Remove to a plate, top with goat cheese, and tent loosely with foil.
- To serve, place the burgers on split buns. Top with greens (if desired), caramelized onions, and wine sauce.
Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
- The red wine reduction and the caramelized onions can both be made up to 3 days in advance. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
- The patties can be assembled up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated.
- Leftover goat cheese burgers should be refrigerated in an airtight container and consumed within 4 days.
FAQs
What temperature to cook burgers?
Burgers should be cooked to 140-145 F for medium, 150-155 F for medium well, or 160+ F for well done.
Should cheese go on the top or bottom of the burger?
The goat cheese should go on the top of your burger after the meat is fully cooked.
Do you put seasoning on both sides of burgers?
Yes. I always season both sides of our burger meat. If you want, you can just season the top then flip it into the skillet seasoned side down, and then add seasoning to the other side.
If you want to know more about why we season the outside of the burgers rather than mix it into the meat itself, check out this post on Burger Seasoning. We tested both ways and found seasoning the outside of the burger gives it more flavor!
Can I grill a burger with goat cheese?
Absolutely! If you’d prefer to grill these burgers, check out our guide: How to Grill Burgers.
You can also air fry these! Check out our full instructions for Air Fryer Burgers here.
How to Toast Buns for Burgers
A toasted bun is an easy way to level up your burger. Brush sliced buns lightly with butter and pop them in a hot skillet until golden brown.
More Unique Burger Recipes
If you want to branch out even more, here are my favorite unique burger recipes:
📖 Recipe
Goat Cheese Burgers
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry red wine (such as pinot noir)
- 3 Tablespoons sugar
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion (sliced)
- 1 ½ lbs. ground beef (80/20 preferred)
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 6 oz. goat cheese log (crumbled)
- Greens (such as arugula or leaf lettuce, optional)
- Hamburger buns (pretzel or brioche preferred)
Instructions
- Make the wine reduction. Place wine and sugar in a saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a gentle boil. Lower the heat and keep the mixture at a gentle boil until it is reduced to about ¾ cup and thickened to the consistency of honey. This will take 25-35 minutes. Once reduced, remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Meanwhile, caramelize the onions. Heat oil in a pan over medium low heat and add the onions. Cook, stirring often, until onions are a golden caramel color and very sweet. If the onions start to get dark or crispy on the edges, add a few tablespoons of water to the pan. This will take about 25-30 minutes. Once onions are caramelized, sprinkle with salt, remove from heat, and set aside.
- Prepare the patties. Form the beef into 5 equal sized balls, then use your palm to press into patties. Use your thumb to make an indent in the center of each burger to keep it from doming while cooking. Sprinkle each side of the patties with Kosher salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Fry the burgers. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat and add just enough vegetable oil to coat. When the oil shimmers, place the patties in the skillet. Fry about 3 minutes or until liquid starts to pool on the top of the burgers, then flip and fry an additional 2-3 minutes or until internal temperature reaches desired doneness (see temperature guide below). Remove the burgers to a plate, top with goat cheese, and loosely tent with foil.
- Alternatively, grill the burgers. Preheat a grill over medium high heat. Place patties on the grill and grill for 3-4 minutes per side or until cooked to your liking. Do not press down on the burgers, and flip only once. Remove to a plate, top with goat cheese, and tent loosely with foil.
- To serve, place the burgers on split buns. Top with greens (if desired), caramelized onions, and wine sauce.
