9 Best Cheeses for Burgers

By Food & Wine
Updated August 06, 2020
Victor Protasio

Sometimes, nothing beats a savory, melty cheeseburger. And if you’re going to make one, we’ve found that these cheeses are some of the best to use. American cheese is a melty classic; smoked gouda is delicious on burgers with barbecue sauce. You can’t forget cheddar, either, which works with everything from pickled slaw and fried shallots to tarragon Russian dressing. Read on for recipes using those cheeses, and more of the best cheeses for burgers.

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American Cheese

Victor Protasio

Melty American cheese is a match made in heaven with burgers. Pair it with Hatch chile salsa in a “queso-like moment” in these spicy smash burgers. We also love American on these bacon-and-kimchi burgers from Wesley Genovart, and Edward Lee’s fried green tomato double cheeseburgers.

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Brie

Photo © John Kernick

Ultra-gooey, creamy Brie can take your burger to the next level. Try it melted on top of these bacon burgers or stuffed into scallion-flecked burgers. (The scallion paste adds “incredible flavor” when worked into the meat, and Brie adds a luxurious touch.)

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Cheddar

© Quentin Bacon

Another classic burger topping, cheddar cheese is one of the starring ingredients in these BLT burgers with tarragon Russian dressing. (Tip:  if you want to pair it with wine, we suggest a firm Cabernet.) You can also stuff cheddar into the patty, like in these cheddar-stuffed burgers with pickled slaw and fried shallots, or use it to give burgers a breakfast-sandwich spin in Michael Symon’s Lola burgers. Big fan of turkey burgers? Cheddar works on those, too, like Dan Kluger’s next-level turkey burgers paired with lemon aioli and barbecue sauce. For a simple cheeseburger, try this “perfect burger,” topped with cheddar cheese, butter lettuce, red onion, mayo, and ketchup.

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Goat Cheese

Bobby Flay pairs tangy goat cheese with mango chutney-coated bacon and charred poblano chile in his green-chile bacon burgers with goat cheese. The cheese is also matched with chiles (in this case, a grilled chile relish) in these double-decker burgers from Grace Parisi.

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Monterey Jack

One of the best cheeses for melting, Monterey Jack is perfect for a super-gooey cheese sauce like the one on Bobby Flay’s nacho burgers. Thanks to its robust but relatively mild taste, Monterey Jack can also stand up to bold flavors like those in Michael Symon’s 50/50 burgers made with hot Italian sausage and ground chuck.

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Pepper Jack

© John Kernick

Michael Symon’s atomic chile jack cheeseburgers combine pepper jack cheese with ghost chile powder, and it all gets rounded out with mayonnaise, sliced red onion, pickled jalapeños, and cilantro for fixings. 

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Provolone

Top these sausage burgers—made with your choice of sweet or hot Italian sausages, or even a combination of the two—with provolone, sun-dried-tomato pesto, and silky spinach flavored with anchovy paste and garlic. 

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Smoked Gouda

Smoked Gouda and smoky barbecue sauce are a perfect match—try the pairing on these patty melt-style burgers. It’s also a tasty complement to spicy horseradish on these flavorful turkey burgers.

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Stilton

Pungent, salty Stilton is perfect for big, bold burgers like these umami burgers from Adam Fleischman, topped with a port reduction and (optional) Umami dust. Or try Stilton in small doses, like on these mini cheeseburgers topped with onion jam.

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