Caramelized Pear & Brie Burger
A beef burger with caramelized pears, melted Brie, and peppery arugula, finished with balsamic glaze.
- Prep
- 15min
- Cook
- 12min
- Total
- 27min
- Serves
- 4
- Calories
- 950per serving, est.
By Time for Burgers, updated
Pick pears that are ripe but still firm when pressed near the stem; soft ones collapse in the butter before they brown. Bosc and Anjou hold their shape well. Cook the slices over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, turning them only now and then so they take on color.
Brie goes on in the last minute under a lid, and it melts fast, so stay close. Leave the rind on: it's edible and helps the slices hold together on the patty. Arugula underneath and a drizzle of balsamic glaze on top keep the sweet fruit and rich cheese from tasting heavy.
Caramelized Pear & Brie Burger
Prep 15 min, cook 12 min, total 27 min. About 950 calories per serving.
timeforburgers.com/recipes/caramelized-pear-brie-burger
Serves 4.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Season ground beef with salt and pepper, then form into 4 equal patties, making a slight indentation in the center of each.
Melt 1 oz butter in a skillet over medium heat, add pear slices, and cook for 6-8 minutes until golden and caramelized, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat and cook patties for 4-5 minutes per side, until an instant-read thermometer in the center of a patty reads 160°F (71°C).
During the last minute of cooking, top each patty with sliced Brie and cover to melt the cheese.
Toast brioche buns until golden, then assemble burgers: place arugula on bottom buns, add beef patties with melted Brie, top with caramelized pears, drizzle with 2 tbsp balsamic glaze, and crown with top buns.
Tips
- Slice the pears about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick and lay them flat in one layer. Crowded slices steam and turn mushy instead of browning.
- Put the Brie in the freezer for 15 minutes before slicing. Cold Brie cuts cleanly instead of smearing on the knife.
- Drizzle the balsamic glaze over the pears, not onto the bun, so the toasted bread stays crisp.
Substitutions
- Firm apples such as Honeycrisp instead of pears: they need a couple of extra minutes to soften.
- Camembert instead of Brie: earthier and stronger, and it melts the same way.
- Honey and cracked black pepper instead of balsamic glaze: lighter, with a little bite.
- Gluten-free: use a gluten-free bun; nothing else in the recipe needs changing.
Make ahead & storage
Caramelized pears keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge; rewarm them in a skillet with a little butter. Cooked patties keep 3 to 4 days; reheat to 165°F (74°C) and add fresh Brie at the end, since chilled melted Brie doesn't remelt well.
