Blueberry Lemon Goat Cheese Burger

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This burger was inspired by blueberry lemon goat cheese for a deliciously sweet and decadent, yet surprisingly fresh, twist on a classic dinner.

A burger on a brioche bun topped with blueberry preserves, lemon zest, goat cheese, and arugula

We may not be doing Burger of the Month this year, but that hasn’t kept us from creating new and unique burger recipes! This week we’re sharing a deliciously sweet and decadent burger recipe based on one of Alex’s favorite cheeses: the Blueberry Lemon Goat Cheese Burger.

That’s right – we slathered blueberry jam and goat cheese all over this burger, then topped it off with some lemon zest and arugula for a fresh and punchy flavor. The result is a surprisingly light, sweet and savory combo that almost tastes like dessert. 

Inspired by blueberry lemon goat cheese, this burger recipe kind of happened by chance. A few months ago, we were going shopping for a goat cheese and tomato gnocchi recipe and realized we probably wouldn’t need the whole pack of goat cheese. Never ones to let food go to waste, we knew we could do something creative with it.

We’d never tried putting goat cheese on a burger – but Alex had always wanted to. So on a whim, we figured why not? Thinking about what would pair well with goat cheese, we headed to the jam aisle. Inspiration struck when we spotted a jar of blueberry preserves, and the rest is history.

So if you’ve ever wondered, does goat cheese go on a burger? The answer is yes – absolutely, as long as you pair it with the right ingredients.

A blueberry lemon goat cheese burger served on a wooden stump

Blueberry Lemon Goat Cheese Burger Ingredients

Our blueberry burger has a sophisticated and complex flavor, thanks to only 6 simple ingredients. It seems counterintuitive, but you don’t need a ton of ingredients to achieve rich flavor! Here’s what goes into this burger recipe:

  • Brioche bun – A soft and sweet bakery bun elevates this burger and soaks up the blueberry preserves beautifully
  • Classic burger patty – Our original burger patty recipe is just the right amount of smokey and savory to balance out the sweet and tangy toppings
  • Goat cheese – Melting a slab of goat cheese onto the burger patty while it cooks gives it a creamy texture
  • Blueberry preserves – Jammy, sweet Bonne Maman Wild Blueberry Preserves infuse perfectly into the warm goat cheese
  • Lemon zest – Zesty lemon complements the tangy goat cheese and contrasts the blueberry preserves for a balanced flavor
  • Baby arugula – Arugula adds some much-needed crunch and freshness to this otherwise decadent burger
Two halves of a blueberry lemon goat cheese burger stacked on top of each other

As we’ve learned from the many MasterClass lessons we’ve taken, the quality of your ingredients can make or break a dish. This is especially important for a burger like this one, where you have vastly different flavors and textures interacting. Sourcing fresh, high-quality ingredients ensures the elements of this burger come together in perfect harmony. 

Here are some tips for finding the best ingredients while grocery shopping:

  • Look for brioche buns in the bakery section – these will be the freshest. We love these ones from Whole Foods!
  • We like to use 80% or 90% lean pasture-raised ground beef for our burger patties. It’s not quite as expensive as grass-fed, organic beef but we think it tastes just as good! Pro tip: If you make burgers often, buy a few pounds of ground beef when it’s on sale and freeze right away, or make a batch of burger patties and freeze them individually for quick and easy dinners.
  • If you can find local goat cheese, use it! The closer you are to your ingredients geographically, the fresher they’ll taste. Plus, you’ll be supporting local farms.
  • When selecting jams and jellies, look for brands that use only a few ingredients – and if they’re all-natural, that’s even better! This way you get to experience the true flavor of the fruit. That’s why we use Bonne Maman preserves.

How To Make Our Blueberry Lemon Goat Cheese Burger

Our goat cheese burger recipe is super simple. Here’s how to make it in just 5 steps:

  1. Cook the burger patties according to your preferred method, topping with a slab of goat cheese just after flipping. We cook all our burgers on our trusty cast iron grill pan since we don’t have our own grill yet, and it works great every time!
  2. Transfer the cooked patties to brioche buns.
  3. Top each burger with about 1 to 2 tablespoons of blueberry preserves, depending on your preference. We like to go a little heavy (closer to 2 tablespoons) and let the bun soak up some of that delicious flavor.
  4. Sprinkle lemon zest on top of the blueberry preserves. Tip: Use the finest option on a cheese grater if you don’t have a zester. If you don’t have a cheese grater or a zester, take a vegetable peeler to the lemon and then finely chop the peels into smaller shreds – this works fine in a pinch! 
  5. Finally, top each burger with a handful of fresh arugula. Serve immediately and enjoy!
A burger on brioche topped with blueberry preserves and arugula

Serving Suggestions

There are tons of sides and drinks that go great with any burger, but here’s our suggestion for this particular blueberry burger: sweet potato fries and a blueberry beer. These two things round out this sweet and savory burger into a full dinner, fit for a date night in! Last time we had this burger, we made Alexia sweet potato fries in our air fryer and cracked open two cans of our favorite local beer, and it was the perfect meal.

Even better, this goat cheese burger is a great way to show off your culinary skills and introduce a whole new flavor profile to your palate – even if you’ve had blueberry lemon goat cheese before. Deconstructing a flavored cheese and slathering it on top of a savory burger patty was like nothing we’d ever tasted before, and we couldn’t get enough! This burger will definitely be in our regular rotation for years to come.

I mean, how can you resist these layers?

Two halves of a burger stacked to show layers of goat cheese, blueberry preserves, and arugula

Our blueberry lemon goat cheese burger proves that the craziest, most spontaneous ideas can turn out great – sometimes, even better than expected! So next time you’re wondering how to use goat cheese, here’s the best answer: on a sweet, sophisticated, blueberry jam burger with lemon zest and arugula. 

Try the recipe below and let us know what you think of this unique combination in the comments!

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A burger on a brioche bun topped with blueberry preserves, lemon zest, goat cheese, and arugula

Blueberry Lemon Goat Cheese Burger

Nicole
This burger was inspired by blueberry lemon goat cheese for a deliciously sweet and decadent, yet surprisingly fresh, twist on a classic dinner.
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Dinner, Main, Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 2 burgers
Calories 717 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
 
 

Instructions
 

  • Preheat grill or cast iron grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook burger patties for about 4 to 5 minutes, then flip and top each patty with a slab of goat cheese. Cook until burgers are medium and cheese is warmed, about 3 to 4 more minutes.
  • Transfer patties to brioche buns. Top each burger with 1 to 2 tbsp wild blueberry preserves, a pinch of lemon zest, and a handful of baby arugula.
  • Serve burgers immediately with a side of sweet potato fries.

Notes

Classic burger patties: Get our original burger patty recipe here, along with detailed cooking instructions for various methods.
Wild blueberry preserves: We love to use Bonne Maman wild blueberry preserves for this recipe! It’s just the right amount of sweet and the perfect texture for a burger.
Serving suggestions: This burger pairs well with a side of sweet potato fries and a blueberry beer!

Nutrition

Calories: 717kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 38gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 140mgSodium: 610mgPotassium: 751mgFiber: 4gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 827IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 166mgIron: 5mg
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Keyword arugula, blueberry preserves, brioche, burger, goat cheese, ground beef, lemon zest, summer
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Join the Conversation

  1. 5 stars
    This sounds like an elaborate scheme to work a blueberry beer into dinner plans! I can’t wait to try it – finding a good beer to pair it with first, of course!

    1. Nicole Author says:

      Haha – you caught us! We hope you love it. You’ll have to let us know what you think, and what beer you choose!

5 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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