Juicy and full of flavor, this blue cheese burger recipe is Cowboy approved and burgers are mouthwateringly delicious. Adding Cholula, Worcestershire and blue cheese to ground beef before cooking truly elevates your burger game.
If you love unique burger recipes, don’t miss this one for Steak Sauce Burgers. A little heat from diced jalapeno and a savory kick from A-1 steak sauce is a wonderful combo of flavors for an exciting burger.
About this recipe and why it works
This blue cheese burger recipe comes from one of our prized Junior League of Denver cookbooks, Colorado Classique. It’s one of a series of seven cookbooks that I covet and refer to often for recipes that showcase our Western culinary culture.
The name of the recipe bears the namesake Silver Spur Ranch, but without a hint of why.
Turning to Google I found that Silver Spur Ranch is a huge cattle operation with ranches in New Mexico, Wyoming, Northern Colorado and Central Colorado And the 4th largest cattle operation in the United States.
I have no doubt these cowboys know their “burgers”
These blue cheese burgers are SO good that about two bites in I asked Hubs, “Am I just starving or are these things delicious?” Hubs answered, “These things are delicious!”
These blue cheese burgers start with the humble 80/20 blend of hamburger meat, preferably grass fed, to which hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and dry mustard is added to kick up the flavor.
With the perfect amount of blue cheese added in as to not over-power that beefy flavor, you’ve got yourself a mighty fine tasting hamburger.
Let’s take a look:
Ingredients You’ll Need
As far as the ingredients for these recipe, let’s just say this lineup makes for one of the most mouthwatering burgers you’ll ever taste.
- 80-20 blend ground beef: Fat equals flavor. It may sound like a high fat content, but most of the fat renders out during the cooking process. 20% fat content will give you a moist juicy hamburger. And grass fed beef is always a healthier option. (source Webmd) Ground Chuck is also a very popular choice for any burger.
- Blue Cheese: With a texture like butter and rich in aroma and flavor, blue cheese adds a spicy piquancy to ground beef. It’s a delicious combination.
- Hot Sauce: Adds just enough spice to get your attention, but not to over power. Use your favorite. I like Cholula, a rich, bold and medium heat sauce. Tabasco sauce would also be a good choice here.
- Worcestershire Sauce: My very favorite ingredient in this recipe. Savory, sweet and with a distinct tang, it really ramps up the flavor.
- Dry Mustard: My 2nd favorite ingredient in this recipe. Dry mustard adds a tangy heat. Clean with a fresh aroma and sharp flavor, it’s a perfect partner for ground beef.
- Chives: (optional) Chives are related to onion and the flavor is evident. In a very delicate way. They add just a perfect hint of onion flavor.
- Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper To taste.
- Hamburger Buns: Choose your favorite. Sesame buns are always a good choice.
What’s the best blue cheese for burgers?
Blue cheese can be slow to melt, so how do you choose the best blue cheese burgers? Let’s talk creamy. Purchasing blue cheese in a plastic container that’s already been crumbled can result in a dry textured blue cheese. A cheese that won’t blend well with the hamburger meat.
Purchase a wedge of blue cheese in the gourmet cheese section at your store. Here are some creamy blue cheese options.
- Award Winning Point Reyes Blue Cheese is my absolute favorite blue cheese on earth. Creamy and bold in flavor, it’s perfect for melting into these burgers.
- Maytag blue cheese is also a quality choice. Maytag blue cheese is produced in Iowa and is a cow’s milk cheese with exceptional blue cheese flavor and creamy texture.
- Stilton Cheese: Stilton is an English semi-soft, crumbly and creamy. With a bold rich flavor it will bring a more intense and complex flavor to these burgers.
Step by Step Instructions, It’s Easy!
Let’s get started.
- Step 1: Grab your favorite large bowl and add all of the ingredients to make the patties. Use your (very clean) hands to blend the ground beef with the seasonings. Using a spoon or other large utensil will simply smash the ingredients together and will cause the burgers to become too dense and mushy in texture. Hands are your best tool here.
- Step 2: Form the meat into burger patties. Using your hands, gently form the meat mixture into six 6-ounce patties. Don’t over-work the meat, you want them to be just firm enough to hold together. We like ⅓ pound burgers, so due to the extra ingredients, each burger will weigh just over 6 ounces. I used a kitchen scale to weigh each chunk of meat before forming into patties. Cover the patties with plastic wrap and let them rest in the refrigerator for 2 hours or even over-night.
- Step 3: Cook the hamburgers. Using either an outdoor grill or cast iron skillet. Cook time for the burgers is 5-6 minutes per side. Get the cooking surface nice and hot then add the hamburgers. After there’s a good sear on one side of the burger, turn heat down and cook 5 – 6 minutes. Only turning once, cook the other side of the burger for the same amount of time. Use a instant-read thermometer to insure the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Remove from heat, keep the burgers warm while you toast the burger buns.
- Step 4: Toast the buns. Butter each bun and cook butter side down until the buns are nice and toasty. Serve immediately.
Toppings for Blue Cheese Burgers
These blue cheese burgers are so full of flavor it really doesn’t need much in the way of toppings, but here are some suggestions if you’re looking to jazz things up.
- Onions: Thin sliced rings of sweet onions or red onions work well here. And if you’re looking for some tangy spice, top these burgers with Pickled Red Onions.
- Greens: Curly green leaf lettuce always makes a nice show on any burger, but don’t forget about peppery arugula for a different flavor profile.
- Tomatoes: When in season, a slice of sweet fresh tomato is always a treat.
- Bacon: Add slices of cooked bacon on top and make these into bacon blue cheese burgers – no one can resist bacon. Yes please!
According to the USDA, the minimum safe temperature to serve ground beef is an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Though not recommended, 120-125 degrees for rare, 130 – 135 degrees, medium rare, 150 – 155 degrees for medium well, and well done = 160 – 165 degrees.
Yes! I always do and the recipe calls for making these at least two hours ahead of time. Simply mix ingredients and then shape the patties. Place them on a plate and cover with plastic wrap until ready to cook. You can do this the morning of, or even the day before.
Grilling a burger, and cooking a burger stove top is a pretty easy task. You can also cook these burgers in the oven under a broiler. Using a broiling pan, fitted with a wire rack, place the patties on the rack. Set oven to broil, and move the oven rack to the upper middle position. Broil burgers for 5 minutes per side or until an instant read thermometer indicates the internal temperature to be 160 degrees.
“Bleu” is simply the French spelling for blue. If you want to make official Bleu Cheese Burgers, choose a French blue cheese. I can readily find it at my local Kroeger grocery store under the Murray’s Brand. I find it to be a softer bleu cheese with incredible flavor. It’s also more expensive.
Storage
Did you cook too many burgers? I do on purpose, so I can have one for lunch the next day. Store the cooked patties in an air tight container in the refrigerator, or wrapped in plastic wrap. Store toppings and buns separately. When ready to reheat, place the cooked burger meat in the microwave and heat in 30 second increments until hot. Then build your burger.
Silver Spur Ranch Blue Cheese Burgers
Grilled or pan fried, these blue cheese burgers are irresistibly amazing.
Sides Suggestions:
What immediately comes to mind as a perfect partner for any cheeseburger? Fries! I’ve used frozen crinkle fries in this photo, but my homemade Smoked Paprika Oven Fries are a fine choice to serve with these burgers. Here’s some more seasonal recipes:
- Pineapple Coleslaw with Buttermilk with Jalapeno Buttermilk Dressing Creamy, sweet and spicy it’s a perfect side dish for any Summer BBQ and you’ll be amazed at how many people will ask you for the recipe.
- Old Fashioned Classic Potato Salad: Creamy with mayonnaise, tangy with mustard, crunchy with celery and onion, and with a surprise of green olives, this is an old-fashioned classic potato salad recipe.
- Calico Beans. Nourishing, satisfying and the best pot of beans you’ll ever tango with.
And don’t forget about baked beans, a perfect side for any burger. Take a look at my recipe for BBQ Baked Beans On The Grill.
Beef lover? You won’t want to miss my Beef Category. Lots of beefy goodness to browse.
The most popular being my lineup of 31 Best Burger Recipes for Father’s Day. Check it out.
More Burger Recipes
- Rosemary Garlic Burgers with Smoked Gruyere Ground beef seasoned with fresh rosemary and garlic, and topped with wine caramelized red onions.
- Bobby Flay Texas Burger Juicy, delicious, topped with slaw and BBQ Sauce. Perfect crowd pleasing burger for your next back yard cookout.
- Buffalo Bill Burger A buffalo burger recipe using ground bison and Mexican chorizo. The burgers are seasoned with Southwestern flavors and then topped with a smoky BBQ cream sauce.
- Colorado Burger with Jalapeno Aioli: Prime beef topped with a slice of tomato, bacon, avocado and a dollop of jalapeno aioli.
- Steakhouse Burger with Fry Sauce. This classic steakhouse burger made easy in your own kitchen is fully loaded with flavor using a special mix of seasonings.
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Silver Spur Ranch Blue Cheese Burgers
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef 80-20 blend
- 3 ounces blue cheese crumbled
- ½ Cup chives fresh, diced
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce I like Cholula here
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 6 Hamburger buns toasted
Instructions
- In a large bowl, using very clean hands, gently mix ground beef, blue cheese, chives, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ground black pepper, salt and mustard.
- Form into 6 patties. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.
- Preheat grill, broiler or cast iron skillet. Cook burgers 5 – 6 minutes per side or until cooked to desired doneness. Serve on buttered and toasted buns.
Notes
- Award Winning Point Reyes Blue Cheese is my absolute favorite blue cheese on earth. Creamy and bold in flavor, it’s perfect for melting into these burgers.
- Maytag blue cheese is also a quality choice. Maytag blue cheese is produced in Iowa and is a cow’s milk cheese with exceptional blue cheese flavor and creamy texture.
- Stilton Cheese: Turn this blue cheese burger into a Stilton Burger. Stilton is an English semi-soft, crumbly and creamy. With a bold rich flavor it will bring a more intense and complex flavor to these burgers.
Nutrition
Blue Cheese Burgers … It’s what’s for Dinner
This recipe was first published February 2012 and republished February 2021 to include step by step instructions.
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
Oh, my that does sound wonderful. And here I am… should be in the kitchen starting dinner and nothing I’m going to make tonite is going to be as good as that hamburger. Love bleu cheese!
That burger was great Karen. You’re such a good cook, I’m sure what ever you whip up will be delicious. 🙂
I was thinking to myself “Lea Ann certainly can’t be grilling” and then you answered my thoughts. I sometimes like a burger that has been cooked in a skillet. It adds a certain taste that brings back memories of some great burgers that I have had in a diner. I’ll try Maytag on the next burger. Mine will have to be in a skillet as well.
We had 10 more inches of snow a couple of days ago, I probably won’t be grilling until April.
Karen, my cast iron seers a really nice burger. But I do prefer grilling weather. 🙂
That is one delicious looking plate!
Thanks Mary
Thanks Mary.
I can never really tell the difference between blue cheese and gorgonzola…but I bet either would be delicious in these burgers! THey sound pretty awesome.
Seems like the brands of gorgonzola I’ve had have a stronger flavor than blue cheese. Maybe because I always pick up Maytag, which is a mild blue.
I’ve made them with Stilton and loved them….so I bet these would be excellent. Maytag is a tad less strong than Stilton, but still sounds wonderful.
I remember having my first blue cheese type burger back in Michigan in the 60’s…believe it or not….in an funky little burger joint that was in in a railroad station and had trains circling the ceiling.
That’s amazing Barbara. Maybe one of the guys back in the 60’s used to work on the Silver Spur Ranch. 🙂
I like all your posts, Lea Ann, but this one really hit me in my sweet spot. I need to make these!
Thanks Drew. 🙂
I love blue cheeseburgers and this one looks delicious. What caught my eye, though was the sauce extravaganza sitting in the background. Those ingredients are some of my favorite flavors. Now I can’t wait to sprinkle Aleppo on some Meyer Lemon Aioli . . . just can’t get enough of those salty little pepper flakes! (thanks for sharing those) LOL about the Arctic Circle. Dog Days of Winter up here, too.
I really liked that sauce Vickie. Seemed perfect with those fries. I’m in love with that aleppo. Yes, salty and so rich in color and flavor.
Love blue cheese burgers and wow! Yours look and sound so good.
Are we sure it’s not bleu ?
::::wadding up a little foil Dove candy wrapper and bouncing it off your head. 🙂
WOW! I’ve never mixed blue cheese in the meat. I bet they taste amazing with the addition of the spices and the marinading time. Will definitely be trying this recipe on our next hamburger night. And I LOVE sweet potato fries. YUM!
Yvette, going forward this is my go-to burger recipe.
I’ve never met a burger I didn’t love!!! YUM!
I sometimes think that too Jenn. 🙂
I love a good burger and these have my mouth wateing. There is nothing like the salty tang of blue cheese with a little heat from some hot sauce. Love this combination.
I’ve had a couple of blue cheeseburgers and some I thought were wonderful and others I thought were too rich and tasted fatty. I bet it had to do with what kind of blue cheese they used. I’m so glad you brought that up. It explains it.
Love your presentation. I’ll have to look into the fries. I clicked over to see more and they sound very interesting. I’m going to keep my eye out for them.
Sam
The two blue cheeseburgers I’ve had were pre-made patties from Whole Foods. Didn’t like them, I’ll have to ask next time I’m in there what kind of cheese they use. Those fries are really good Sam. Yesterday, I bought three more of their products.
Lea Ann that is a really good looking burger!
Thanks Bo
Wow! These look incredible. I love blue cheese and to mix it all and the sauce and fries… we will be doing these soon and I will let you know what we think! Love it!
Thanks RaeDi. Hope you enjoy them.
Chris, I did jump on that plate and devour! 🙂 After this, I’m a blue cheese burger cheerleader.
Lean Ann! That looks ridiculously great! I want to jump on that plate and devour the burger. The only blue cheese burgers that I haven’t liked is when the cheese is only put on top as crumbles. When it is stuffed inside or added to the burger mix, I love it.
While your picture is very good, as always, it doesn’t seem to do justice to a meal with this name – Blue cheese burgers with Spicy Chipotle Sweet Potato fries, Meyer lemon and Cholula Aoili, and sprinkled with lemon zest and Aleppo pepper. I love all these and will definitely have to try them all. Have some burger thawing as I write.
Wow, makes me hungry just reading your comment! 🙂 I agree, these are a few of my favorite things. The burger was so good it needed no condiment. Maybe a pretty leaf of lettuce might have spruced it up, but really not needed. And those smeared in butter and toasted buns! OMG
I’m on the Aleppo pepper bandwagon lately. I swear it gets sprinkled onto anything that isn’t moving! As always, enjoy your comments Larry.
Yum! I don’t know that I have had a blue cheese burger before, but they sound amazing! I also love Alexia fries … especially the sweet potato ones!
I’ve only had a couple and didn’t like them until this one. Thanks Jane, and let me know if you try it.
I own this cookbook, too and always put blue cheese on my burger. Guess what’s for dinner tonight? Thanks, Lea Ann!
I have to admit, the only blue cheese burgers I’ve had have been pre-made patties from Whole Foods. I just think they must really over due it on the blue cheese, and it turned me off. After having these, I’ll be putting blue cheese in every single burger I make! Loved them.
Oh yeah. Seriously? My mouth is totally watering just looking at the photo. They sound amazing. We’re due for a burger night around here…and I’m totally making these.
I haven’t had a burger since probably October, man were these good!