9 Best Cheeses To Stuff In Your Burger

Cheese and hamburgers are culinary best friends, going hand in hand, with the latter seemingly naked without the former. A good burger can be taken to new heights with the right cheese on top, and there are a ton of pairings to indulge in, from standard American to Blue cheese and more — but how about stuffing cheese into your burger? This almost over-the-top burger style ensures every bite is rife with gooey, melty, cheesy goodness, as evidenced by the legendary "Juicy Lucy" of Matt's Bar fame in Minneapolis (though its origins are indeed contested). This type of burger is not for the faint of heart, with exceedingly high calories and richness, but can be made at home relatively easily. Integrating cheese into the burger meat before cooking is a fun way to experiment with different cheese blends, ratios, and condiment and topping pairings as well.

Here, we explore the best cheeses for this burger style. Consider this a chance to linger in the cheese section at your local deli on your next grocery run, or better yet, a trip to your local cheese monger. From the tangy and sharp to the earthy and umami-forward, there are cheese options for all tastes. We reached out to a chef and cheese expert for advice and to co-sign on this list, so read on for tips on how to wow guests at your next barbecue.

This option is playing the obvious card, and might be a no-brainer when it comes to making a "Juicy Lucy." However, sourcing American cheese couldn't be easier and cheaper, and it's a safe bet when cooking for a wide variety of palates, surely not one to scare off guests. This cheese is renowned for its meltability and classic pairing with beef, coming together in a holy union as the cheeseburger for almost a hundred years now. To make sure we weren't jumping the shark, we wanted to confirm that this was indeed one of the best options to integrate into a beef patty with this burger style.

We spoke to Mark Crane, executive chef of The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, on cheese pairings, and he confirmed that American cheese is indeed a safe bet. "This works great, it's a classic choice because of its incredible meltability and smooth texture," he says. No surprise here, but always nice to have a professional confirm what we know to be a stone-cold classic combo. Consider this the foundation of a cheese-stuffed burger and the baseline to which you can compare and contrast others, as its flavor is more subdued, allowing for the beefy flavor of the burger to shine. To wit, if you have a fancy meat blend — perhaps something special like a ground, dry-aged patty to cook up — it might be best to go with an American cheese to avoid overshadowing that prized, bold beef flavor.

Sharp cheddar appeals to many home cooks as it's not too funky, not too acidic, and not too intense for most people's tastes. Unlike American cheese, which is primarily for texture and creaminess, sharp cheddar will stand up to meaty flavors while complementing them nicely. For those who might be unfamiliar, or if you're wondering what "sharp" means here, it encompasses a particular flavor profile of cheddar cheeses with considerable aging. This means the cheese has matured for at least two months, sometimes as long as one year. As the cheese ages, it becomes sharper. The flavor gets a bit tangy and more complex as it matures, with some nuttiness going on as well. The texture is crumbly and it melts well, but not quite as well as its American counterpart. Lastly, while typically presenting as a yellowish cream color, it is sometimes orange, too.

Chef Mark Crane is fond of sharp cheddar for this style of hamburger, also enjoys an even sharper aged cheese. "[It's] one of my favorites, especially extra sharp cheddar, it adds a bold, rich flavor that pairs well with beef," he tells us. When incorporated into a beef patty, expect magic to happen. Just make sure to have a few napkins on hand.

Blue cheese is no stranger to burgers, with a track record of pairing well on top of your favorite burger patty. Integrating this very crumbly and semi-soft cheese into your patty might prove difficult, though. Making a pocket in the middle of the beef patty for the cheese helps. In this manner, you can then seal in the cheese by folding the ground meat over and around it. Chef Mark Crane advises considering a few factors here. "Proper sealing ties back to cooking technique and timing," he says. "You also need to test the melting point of the cheese you're using — understanding how it behaves under heat helps prevent leaks." With a melting point of around 113 degrees Fahrenheit, Blue has a pretty average meltability.

With those technical details out of the way, it's also nice to hear about how this cheese delivers in the flavor department. "Blue cheese delivers a rich, tangy punch," says Chef Mark Crane. This was also corroborated by Dominic Lapointe, a cheese monger of 18 years at Montreal's renowned Fromagerie Atwater, a cheese shop with hundreds of artisanal cheeses on offer. Dominic is a huge fan of Blue cheese, especially in this context. "Any blue cheese, I would say that in the meat, it's something special," he says. We think this cheese combo will win over any foodie you invite for dinner, and generally speaking, won't break the bank, either.

This type of cheese is the spicy cousin to Monterey Jack, featuring, you guessed it, peppers. Much like Monterey Jack, pepper Jack is a semi-firm cheese that is made with cow's milk, with a relatively mild flavor due to its shorter aging process. Monterey Jack has roots in California, going back a few hundred years, where it now seems inevitable that the addition of some spice via hot chili peppers was bound to happen. Jalapeños, herbs, sweet peppers, and even garlic are sometimes added to give pepper Jack its bold personality. As such, this cheese works well with those who like a bit of heat, in addition to standing up to — and complementing — a rich beef flavor. The pepper might even help to balance out the savoriness of the patty, providing some sweetness and floral notes as a counterpoint to all that fat.

Chef Mark Crane co-signs for pepper Jack as one of the better cheeses for this burger style. "[Pepper Jack is] a fantastic option if you want to introduce a little heat; it melts well and brings a subtle spice that enhances the burger," he says. Acid, heat, sweetness, fat, saltiness, umami — it's all there when these two ingredients come together. All you need to do now is find some killer toppings.

Topping a burger with goat cheese is really something. This is perhaps not for all audiences, but with the right taste tester, it's usually a knockout. Also known as chèvre, this type of cheese has a very distinctive flavor that could be construed as divisive, and likely doesn't come to mind when one thinks about cheeseburgers. "[It's] a less popular choice but adds creaminess and a unique flavor that can be further enhanced with fresh herbs or truffles," Chef Mark Crane says. If you're already on board and like to experiment in the kitchen, adding some goat cheese to your stuffed burgers should prove tasty and fun. It's over-the-top rich and adds an unctuous and creamy coating to the palate, in addition to a signature tangy aftertaste. This cheese will stand up against the taste of the meat, creating a bold marriage of flavors and textures.

Given how rich goat cheese can be, though, you would be wise to take some advice from Chef Mark Crane here when it comes to balancing everything. "It's important to maintain a solid meat-to-bun ratio, especially with a rich, stuffed burger," he says. "A sturdy brioche bun or a soft potato roll works well — they hold up nicely without overpowering the burger itself."

This may seem like an obvious choice when considering a cheese to stuff into your burger patty. Provolone just does so much heavy lifting in your favorite sandwiches, and with good reason. It's very easy to come by — you don't have to make a special trip to your local artisan cheese shop to find it. The ubiquity and accessibility of provolone, in addition to its relatively mild flavor, have made it a staple for so many home cooks over the years.

This semi-hard cow's milk cheese has roots in Italy, widely made stateside by cheesemakers for generations now. It has a mellow sharpness, almost no funk, with a nice nuttiness and buttery flavor rounding it out. It is often compared to mozzarella for its similar meltability and can be substituted in a pinch. Chef Mark Crane chimes in on provolone: "Another great choice, it has a mild, delicate flavor with good meltability, making it a solid complement without overpowering the burger," he says. As far as cheese preparation for this burger style, Chef Mark Crane tells us, "I've used shredded, cubed, and sliced cheese — the key is matching the format to the cheese's melting behavior to get the best result." Given how easily provolone melts, you could get away with a faster cook time and thinner patty here, searing off the burger to get a nice crust and lacy edges. Yum.

With roots predominantly in Switzerland, Raclette is maybe one of the more unique cheeses in our list, as it's not often associated with hamburgers. Unless you're a through-and-through foodie, that is. If you're not familiar, it is a semi-soft cheese, made of cow's milk (likely from some very happy Alpine cows), meant to be heated and eaten in that melted, gooey state. Raclette has a fruity and tangy profile, traditionally served with potatoes. While you could consider stand-ins for this cheese, such as Gruyère, nothing beats the real thing. It should also be noted that the cheese is also made in France, too, with the French variant being a bit milder.

It could almost be considered a cheese nerd favorite; Dominic is very partial to this wonderful style. "What I prefer the most is the Raclette cheese, the Raclette Brézain is a smoked raclette, from France, it's very good, it's very rich and creamy and flavorful, the smoky side is amazing," he says. If you can find it, this Brézain smoked style of the cheese Dominic loves so much, would pair well with a smoky barbecued burger. Considering how enthusiastic a cheesemonger is at the notion of a Raclette-infused burger, you might want to give it a whirl yourself.

Young Gouda is not a rapper. This is a Dutch cheese that is exactly what it sounds like: relatively new to the world. A younger cheese simply means less complexity, which is why older, aged cheeses are generally deeper in flavor. Think about Parmesan cheese — this process can't be rushed. But in some cases with certain cheeses, you can rush it and have some really tasty results in a matter of weeks rather than waiting years. Young Gouda is typically aged between four weeks to upwards of nine months (while its older sibling, aged Gouda, can mature for two to even four years).

The flavor profile of young Gouda is sweet — almost fudgy — and not overly assertive, as it has some softness and pliability, texture-wise, with a relatively high moisture content. Meltability is a critical factor when it comes to cheese-stuffed burgers. "Young Gouda is good because when it's young, it's still possible to melt very easily," says Dominic, allaying any concerns that the pairing won't work. While it is a Dutch cheese in terms of its origin, there are many great cheesemakers here crafting it, notably in Wisconsin — no surprise there. This makes it easy to come by and relatively easy on the wallet. Win-win.

A cheese-stuffed burger can be as fancy as you want it to be, and using cheese like Gruyère definitely sounds indulgent. This cheese may not be as easily accessible in your local market, depending on where you live, but it certainly is worth seeking out. To the unfamiliar, it is of Swiss origin, coming from a protected region, with the classification of "Swiss-type" or Alpine cheese. The flavors are incredible and nuanced, with nutty attributes while also being a bit sweet, salty, and creamy. It has a pale, yellowish tinge with those distinctive holes we all associate with Swiss cheese, used to great effect in every cartoon ever.

For this application, it couldn't be better as it won't overpower the tasty beef flavors we all crave in a burger, yet has a backbone, while being able to melt really well. When asked about this burger flavor combination, Dominic unreservedly tells us, "I think it's very good with a slice of Gruyère." The possibilities of toppings with this type of burger are endless, however, you may find a piece (or bite) of heaven with some caramelized onions here. It's a combo that is known to work well, with the task of making caramelizing onions paying dividends.