Grilled Italian Meatball Burgers Recipes

ITALIAN MEATBALL BURGER

Steps:

• Prepare grill.
• Remove casings from sausage. Combine sausage, oregano, basil, salt, fennel seeds, and ground sirloin. Divide beef mixture into 6 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2 inch patty.
• Place patties on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes. Turn patties over; grill 2 minutes. Divide fresh mozzarella cheese evenly over patties, and grill an additional 5 minutes or until a thermometer registers 165 degrees. Remove from grill; let stand 5 minutes.
• Place rolls, cut side down on grill rack; grill 1 minute or until toasted. Place 1 patty on bottom half, top with 2 tablespoons of sauce, and top with other half of roll.
• Raw burgers freeze well.

GRILLED ITALIAN BURGERS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 1/2 cup cheese and seasonings. Add beef; mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape into four 1/2-in.-thick patties., Grill burgers, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from heat until a thermometer reads 160°, 4-5 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; grill, covered, until cheese is melted, 1-2 minutes longer. Serve with marinara sauce.

JUICY LUCY MEATBALL BURGER

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler.
• Mix the meatball mix, parsley, Parmesan, fennel, 2 of the garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons salt and a generous amount of pepper in a large bowl. Divide the mixture into 4 equal balls. Working with one ball at a time, divide it in half and flatten to make 2 patties about 5 inches in diameter. Fold 2 slices of mozzarella into quarters and place into the center of the patty. Top with the other patty and press the meat together very tightly, forming a large patty shape with the cheese secured inside. Repeat with the remaining balls and 6 of the cheese slices. (At this point, you can freeze the burgers. Thaw in the refrigerator before cooking.)
• Cook the pancetta in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, flipping once, until the fat has released and it's crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate. Add the burgers to the pan and cook, flipping once and topping each patty with 1 slice of the remaining cheese with 1 minute of cooking time left. Cook until nicely golden brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 150 degrees F for medium, 4 to 5 minutes per side.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl and stir in the remaining garlic. Place the hamburger buns onto a baking sheet and brush both sides with the garlic butter. Broil until toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons marinara sauce on each bottom half of the buns. Place a burger patty on top of the bottom half of the bun. Then top each burger with a spoonful of marinara, 2 pieces of pancetta, a sprinkle of Parmesan and the top half of the bun.