Burger Toppings Get Sloppy — Grab A Mason Jar For A Mess-Free Trick

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

"What do you want on your burger?" It's an innocent enough question that leads to stacking onions, pickles, bacon, and other toppings atop melted cheese. Then, when you bite into it, half those ingredients spill out the other side, making a gooey mess. Maybe there are just too many burger toppings, but one ingenious solution involves creating a pocket in the raw meat using a Mason jar or beverage can. Toppings sit neatly inside the burger, reducing the mess when you're ready to eat.

Often called beer can burgers, you can use canning jars, smaller pickle jars, sturdy drinking glasses, or anything else (non-toxic) with a circumference smaller than the burger patty. The idea is simple: Make a thick patty, then press the bottom of a jar or can down in the center, creating a cylindrical pocket. Fill the pocket with cheese, onions, and other goodies and cook. Since you can't flip these burgers, the trick works best on a grill with the lid closed.

There's a wide range of cooking styles for these burgers, so you may need to experiment a bit. Some recipes set raw, stuffed burgers right on the grill or smoker for the full cook, while others start them on a cast iron skillet, then transfer burgers to indirect heat on the top grill to finish. Still others employ only indirect heat at a low temperature (about 275 degrees Fahrenheit), letting heat and smoke do their job. Cook times vary, but expect between 30 minutes directly on the grill or in an oven, and a full hour using indirect heat. Since you're dealing with raw meat making contact with other foods, a full cook is crucial. Use something like the Meater Plus smart thermometer, which can stay in the grill and features a connected tracking app, ensuring your burger's internal temperature hits 160 F to 165 F.

Though this is a simple hack, there are plenty of ways to misstep. You'll want to avoid common burger mistakes here, like using partly frozen meat or not heating your grill in advance. Note that this technique does not work for smash burgers, and that you'll need a higher fat content (like 80/20 or 85/15) so everything holds together and compacts nicely to create a deep pocket. Many recipes recommend wrapping burgers in a slice or two of bacon, both for hold and flavor. You won't need the Mason jar lid for this technique — save that to make homemade Egg McMuffin clones. And, of course, when you're forming your burger cups, be careful to leave enough meat at the base to hold together and not punch through, which could allow ingredients to leak.

When it comes to the ingredients, fragile toppings — like lettuce or avocado — shouldn't go in the pocket, since they'll just wilt and not taste good. But anything sturdier, or that's normally cooked, can be added. Some people line the interior with a slice or chunks of cheese (or grated cheese). Mushrooms, onions, diced tomatoes, jalapeños, more cheese, and cooked pulled pork can all go in the burger pocket. Since the temperature doesn't get all that high (especially if you're smoking rather than grilling), caramelize onions and sauté mushrooms before adding them for the best results. You can top the whole thing with another slice of cheese, which will help contain your fillings even more.