HELLO, best pimento cheese sandwich meets pimento cheese grilled cheese meets a perfectly seasoned smashburger! This easy burger with pimento cheese is SO good and perfect for indoor cast iron skillet burgers or outdoor grilling. I love to make pimento cheeseburger and fries plates, but these are also really yummy with homemade potato chips!
Ok, so where do we stand on grill vs indoor for burger cooking? I'll be honest: I LOVE a burger on the grill, but I'm also super partial to the consistency of indoor cooking (a nice way to say that I'm a control freak). Weather concerns, gas running out, regular "life happens" kinds of things can derail a great burger night plan, and when I want a burger I want a burger.
Enter: Cast Iron Skillet Burgers. They're by far my favorite way to make burgers indoors. Super simple, seasoned just with kosher salt, a delicious crust from a very hot pan. THEN, we top the whole mess with spicy homemade pimento cheese for a creamy, cool, sharp contrast to the salty beef.
Let's just....SAY YES to the phrase salty beef. You know?
Recipe Notes
This is one of my absolute favorite ways to eat burgers - we make homemade pimento cheese all the time, and I love doing things with it besides just serving it with crackers or on sandwiches.
The method here is super simple: sear some beef patties in a very hot cast iron skillet, then top them with a scoop of pimento cheese once they are flipped. Top them however you'd like, then eat!
I make my own homemade pimento cheese without cream cheese for this recipe in particular because I find that some storebought versions have too much mayo and get a little drippy on the burger. My version has more cheese, less mayo, but that's just my personal preference. These burgers work perfectly with any pimento cheese that is your favorite!
Ingredients
Super simple stuff here! Pimento cheese, beef and salt, buns and toppings. That's IT! The simplicity is so magic here, and why it's extra important to pick a pimento cheese that you really like - it adds a lot of the flavor to this recipe.
Step By Step Instructions
The main thing to keep in mind here is timing: all the steps for these burgers are very simple as long as everything is where you need it to be and prepped!
- First, I make sure that the pimento cheese is on hand or made, if I'm making it myself. If you're making pimento cheese from scratch, give it at least 15 minutes to sit once it's all stirred together.
- Next, form patties with your beef. I make 4 thin patties, about ¼ pound each, in a shape slightly larger than the buns to allow for a little shrinking when they cook in the skillet.
- While the pimento cheese and burger patties are resting, gather up buns and any toppings you'd like for your burgers. Then, it's time to cook!
Cast Iron Skillet Burgers
Now that we're prepped and ready, all that's left to do is sear the burgers, add the pimento cheese, and eat!
- To start, preheat a cast iron skillet to medium heat (they get hot, just give it time!) with a drizzle of olive oil.
- When the skillet is HOT, add the burger patties and sprinkle them with salt if you haven't already. We want the beef to be very flavorful, so don't skip this step.
- Let the burgers sear without messing with them for about 4 minutes. Check one burger; it's ready to flip when there is a nice dark crust on the first side.
- When the burgers are browned on the first side, flip them. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of pimento cheese on each burger, then let the burgers finish cooking for just another minute or two while the pimento cheese melts and softens slightly.
- Build your hamburger with pimento cheese, top it however you'd like, and eat!
Pro Tip: If you'd like, toast the buns in some butter in the skillet before starting the burgers, then sear the burgers in the remaining butter. YUM.
My favorite toppings are lettuce and bread and butter pickles because I think the sweet pickles go so well with the salty burger and cheese. But, sky's the limit - use any burger toppings you love here!
Of course, if you prefer to grill your burgers do that! I just love this cast iron skillet burger method.
Make Ahead and Storing Leftovers
These are 100% best served immediately. To prep, I like to make the pimento cheese and form the burger patties in advance, then bring the meal together in about 20 minutes.
Leftovers store best WITHOUT being assembled. Keep the pimento cheese, burgers, and buns all separate if you think you won't eat them all when you're making them.
What To Serve with Pimento Cheeseburgers
- Classic pimento cheeseburger and fries, make some frozen French fries to make life really easy. They'll be done in almost the same amount of time it takes to make the burgers!
- Homemade potato chips are really special as a side dish too.
- OR loaded potato salad that you can make in advance.
- For something fresh, strawberry cucumber salad is absolutely delicious in the summer!
I hope you love these! They are so delicious for a holiday weekend or a weeknight burger night at home. Pimento cheese burgers are the best!
A Very Good Pimento Cheese Burger
Ingredients
Homemade Pimento Cheese
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese freshly grated
- 4 ounces one small chopped jarred pimentos, drained
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce Texas Pete, Frank’s, Sriracha, anything you like
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Pimento Cheese Burgers
- 1 pound ground beef 80/20 or similar
- Salt for seasoning
- 2 tablespoons butter for cooking plus more for buns
- 4 burger buns or large rolls
- 8 tablespoons cold pimento cheese
- Lettuce and pickles for serving
Instructions
Pimento Cheese
- Combine all the ingredients gently, then taste. Add more hot sauce or even a sprinkle of cayenne pepper if you'd like.
- I make this pimento cheese a few days in advance as meal prep if I know I'm going to have these burgers during the week!
Pimento Cheese Burgers
- Gently form the ground beef into 4 even patties, just slightly larger than the buns you are using. Sprinkle the burger patties all over generously with salt.
- Preheat a large cast iron skillet to medium heat. If you’d like (this is optional), spread the insides of the burger buns with butter and lightly toast them in the skillet before cooking the burgers, then set aside.
- When all toppings, buns, and any side dishes are ready, cook the burgers. Add the butter to the skill and sear the burgers for about 4 minutes on the first side, then flip once browned. As soon as the burgers are flipped, top each with about two tablespoons of pimento cheese, allowing it to soften slightly while the burger finishes cooking.
- Continue to cook the burger just for another minute or two on the second side (don’t flip it again once the pimento cheese is there) until the burger is cooked to your preference.
- Layer the burger buns with lettuce, pickles, and a pimento cheeseburger. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
I can never resist a good burger - delicious!
Such a great looking burger. I have added it to my weekly meal plan.
This burger was really yummy. Will make it again!
this burger turned out so good! loved it!
We used to eat pimento cheese on bologna sandwiches. It’s even better on a burger a!
So did we! I love all things that can be done with pimento cheese.
Wow, wow, wow. I never thought of putting pimento cheese on a burger but my whole family loves this recipe.
i loved the slight heat from the pimentos. MAkes the burgers interesting!
I'm so glad you like them!
These burgers are fantastic and I am making them again for the holiday tomorrow. I love that the homemade pimento cheese is cream cheese free. I would have never thought to use pimento cheese on burgers, so thank you for the idea!
Made the cheese burgers for the family and it was such a hit! Definitely making it again!
I love pimento cheese! I never thought of adding it to a burger! Cant wait to try!
Hi Lindsay-
So I was looking for a recipe for wings and one from you popped up. It was delish, by the way! Then I realized, wait, I know that girl (well, not really, just from being on your email list!) And then I realized, I don't get emails from you anymore! Did you stop sending them out? Did I get kicked of the subscription list? Did I miss something?
Thanks-
Stacey
Oh no, I hate that! You should still be getting emails when I publish new posts, but I'll check to be sure!