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Summer Caprese Burger on a plate with a side of fries.

Summer Caprese Burgers with Pesto Mayo

Combine Caprese salad with juicy char-grilled burgers! Heat up the grill, pluck ingredients from your garden, and enjoy this summer's ultimate hookup.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Refrigerating time:: 20 minutes
Total Time: 38 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Author: Dana Sandonato

Equipment

  • Grill
  • Parchment paper (optional)

Ingredients

Summer Caprese Burgers.

  • 1 lb ground chuck preferably grass fed
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated or minced
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 tsp dried oregano or dried Italian herbs
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
  • 1 TBSP tomato paste
  • 1 tsp balsamic glaze See notes*
  • 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 4 Hamburger buns
  • 8 oz fresh mozzarella ball, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices.
  • 1 large tomato, sliced
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • Balsamic glaze *See notes

Pesto Mayo.

  • 4 TBSP mayonnaise
  • 2 TBSP basil pesto

Instructions

Summer Caprese Burgers.

  • Place all of the burger patty ingredients, from the ground chuck through to the panko bread crumbs, into a large mixing bowl. With your bare clean hands, mix the ingredients until combined.
  • Prepare a baking sheet or large plate by placing a sheet of parchment paper over top. Form four even patties from the meat mixture and place them onto the parchment-covered surface. Make an indent/thumbprint in the center of the patties with your thumb. This will prevent the patties from shrinking while being cooked. Place the patties in the fridge for about 20 minutes or until ready to grill.
  • Heat the grill to high. Make sure your grill is clean. Brush the grates with a bit of oil (use and oil with a high smoke point, like olive, avocado, canola oil, etc.)
  • Place the patties onto the grill. For medium-rare burgers that are about an inch thick, cook for 4 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 130-135°; for a medium cook, aim for an internal temperature of 140-145º F.
  • When done, place the patties onto a burger bun and top with a slice of fresh mozzarella, a drizzle of balsamic glaze, a slice of tomato, and some fresh basil leaves. Smear some pesto mayo on the inside of your top bun, and enjoy.

Pesto mayo.

  • In a small bowl, mix together 4 tablespoons of mayo with 2 tablespoons of basil pesto until well combined.

Notes

*Balsamic Glaze is not the same thing as balsamic vinegar. Balsamic vinegar is much more runny, tart, and less sweet. If you don't have balsamic glaze, you can easily make it with balsamic vinegar. Simply bring 1 cup of balsamic vinegar to a boil over the stovetop, and let it simmer until the mixture has reduced to 1/4 cup. The liquid will now be much thicker and have a stickier consistency.