Best 8 Pesto Hamburgers Recipes

CAPRESE BURGERS

Steps:

• For the burgers: Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Combine the beef, pesto, Parmesan, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Form the mixture into eight 4-inch-diameter patties, each about 3/4-inch thick. Grill for 5 minutes. Turn the burgers over and place a slice of mozzarella on top. Cook for about 5 minutes longer until the burgers are cooked through and the cheese is slightly melted. Allow the burgers to rest for 5 minutes.
• For the pesto mayonnaise: In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise and pesto until smooth.
• To assemble the burgers: Drizzle the cut side of the bread with olive oil and grill until lightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Spread the pesto mayonnaise over the bottom halves of the grilled bread. Place the burgers on top and add 2 tomato slices. Add the top halves of the bread and serve.
• Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven until lightly toasted, 6 to 8 minutes. Cool completely before using. Combine the basil, Parmesan, pine nuts, salt, pepper and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil until the mixture forms a smooth paste.

PESTO HAMBURGERS

Steps:

• Shape beef into four 3/4-in.-thick patties. Season with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, cook patties over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes on each side. , Top each burger with a slice of cheese, 2 tablespoons pesto and pepper strips. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until cheese is melted, about 2 minutes. Serve on buns.

PRESTO PESTO HAMBURGER MAC

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, 8 minutes. Drain.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; drain and discard grease. Stir pesto and sour cream into ground beef until warmed; add macaroni and mix well.

PESTO BURGERS

Steps:

• Combine beef, pesto, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, salt and pepper. Mix together thoroughly and shape into 6 patties.
• Grill burgers to desired doneness. Top with cheese slices just before burgers finish cooking.
• Serve burgers on onion rolls with the mayonnaise, tomatoes and onion.

PESTO CHICKEN BURGERS

Steps:

• In a food processor, puree basil, spinach, garlic, walnuts, oil, and 1 tablespoon water. Season pesto with salt and pepper.
• Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Combine 1 tablespoon pesto, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and chicken and form into 4 patties. Clean and lightly oil hot grill. Brush tomatoes with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill patties, covered, 4 minutes. Flip patties and top with cheese. Add tomatoes to grill and cook, flipping once, until tomatoes are lightly charred and burgers are opaque throughout, 4 minutes.
• Assemble sandwiches in focaccia with pesto, burgers, and tomatoes.

PESTO TURKEY BURGERS

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat.
• Mix together ground turkey, pesto, garlic, feta cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt, and breadcrumbs in a bowl until evenly blended. Form into 4 patties.
• Grill pesto burgers until no longer pink in the center, about 5 minutes per side. Sprinkle with seasoned salt halfway through cooking.

PESTO BURGERS (LIGHT)

Steps:

• Mix the beef, bread crumbs, green onion, basil, 1/4 cup of pesto, egg and garlic by hand and shape into 5 burgers.
• Grill or sauté until done, about 7 minutes per side.
• Serve the burgers with the remaining 1/4 cup of pesto.

PESTO-STUFFED PORTOBELLO BURGERS

Steps:

• Carefully remove the stems from the portobellos and scoop out the gills using a spoon. In a large bowl, toss the portobellos with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper, crushed garlic and chopped basil. Marinate for 30 minutes.
• Heat remaining oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the portobellos (in batches if necessary), rounded side down, and cook 7 minutes. Flip the mushrooms over and cook another 5 to 7 minutes. The mushrooms should be releasing liquid. Flip over again so the cavity is up, and spread a heaped tablespoon of pesto in each cavity. Cook another 2 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and juicy and the pesto is warm. The mushrooms will release more liquid into the pan, then the liquid will evaporate. Serve on hamburger buns if desired.