Red Wine Burgers are a decadent treat for your summer BBQ. Seasoned with a red wine-shallot reduction, topped with melted cheese and served simply with a thick slice of tomato and lettuce. Yum!
OK – You all know I’m a girl who likes her wine… Give me a rich bold Cabernet, a bright tangy Rosé or a butter bomb of a Chardonnay and you’ve basically won my heart. I don’t discriminate – I like all wine, but I typically shy away from the heavy red wines in the summertime – Instead, reaching for a Viognier, Riesling or Pinot Gris.
So, what’s a girl to do in the summertime when she has a lot of red wine on her hands but doesn’t want to drink it until rainy-October makes its way back around?
Red Wine Burgers
She makes red wine burgers. That’s what! Of course, I’m not talking break open your prized bottle of Cabernet. No… There’s no fancy wine needed here. I actually used a Cabernet-Merlot blend from one of those jumbo bottles that you find in the grocery store… And then I made Sangria from the rest of it. Note – That’s a great plan of attack… Sangria pairs perfectly with a backyard BBQ and these red wine burgers. I made a blackberry sangria loosely based off of this recipe. Talk about a perfect pairing.
In order to get a great red wine flavor infused into the burgers, I created a red wine reduction. It’s simple to do by simmering your wine for 20-30 minutes until it thickens up a bit and becomes concentrated. I also threw some shallot into the mix to give it even more flavor. When it got nice and reduced (by about half), I melted some butter and brown sugar into that mixture to add even more depth and make it extra rich. Some of that red wine reduction will get mixed into your burger patties before they go on the grill, the rest will be used to baste the burgers as they cook away. When they’re finished, they’re the most beautiful color and SO flavorful.
Because I wanted that red wine burger flavor to really shine through, I kept the toppings on these burgers minimal – Adding a slice of cheese to each patty as they came off the grill and then simply topping each with a thick slice of tomato and a few leaves of lettuce. Of course, you can get as creative as you’d like with your burger toppings. You really can’t go wrong here… These would be fantastic with a bit of blue cheese and caramelized onions, or try them with a garlic aioli and swiss cheese… The possibilities are endless.
How would you top your red wine burgers? Would you keep things simple, like I did? Or, would you really dress them up? I’d love to hear in the comments below!
Wine Pairings for Red Wine Burgers:
- Syrah
- Cabernet
- Zinfandel
Burger Recipes:
- Veggie Burgers with Pickled Cabbage & Tahini Sauce
- Cheeseburger Salad with Special Sauce
- Green Chile Cheeseburger Recipe
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Red Wine Burger Recipe
Red Wine Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb ground beef
- 1 ½ cups red wine
- 1 shallot (minced)
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 Burger buns
- 4 slices of your favorite cheese
- 8 large tomato slices
- Lettuce (for topping)
Instructions
- Boil wine and shallots in medium saucepan until reduced by half, 20-30 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon butter and brown sugar; whisk until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Mix remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Set aside.
- Prepare grill for medium-high heat. Mix beef, Worcestershire, salt, pepper and 1/4 cup wine-shallot mixture in bowl. Form meat into four burger patties. Grill burgers until brown on bottom, about 3 minutes. Turn burgers and brush with additional wine-shallot mixture. Continue grilling burgers until cooked to desired doneness, turning and brushing occasionally with wine-shallot mixture, about 4 minutes longer for medium-rare. Top with a slice of cheese and remove from grill.
- Grill the buns, cut sides down, until lightly browned. Top bottom buns with burgers, then tomato slices and lettuce. Cover with top buns and serve immediately.
This recipe really takes burgers to the next level!
You had my at red wine! In the burger, with the burger, I’m all in for that!
I prefer my wine in the original liquid form, but I’ll take it in a burger too. And wash it down with wine.
Right there with you Peter – I’d definitely have a glass (or two) of wine alongside this burger!
Ooh I actually love red wine during the summer. I’m an all-year, all-weather red wine kind of gal 😉 These burgers look yummy!
I love a simple classic burger like this! I also buy the jumbo bottles of cheap red wine for sangria, so this is such a good idea!
Wow looks great, I’m vegan but I just know my husband would love this and his birthday is coming up. Thanks for the inspiration.
Glad I could inspire Sam!
Hm Yummy! Slurp…….I can not keep my mouth shut! Thaks Erin for this fantastic burger recipe!
I had a hard time waiting to eat this burger, the aroma was so tantalizing, and the burger was divine! I too live in the Willamette Valley so it was a little chilly for grilling, but a big ol’ cast iron pan did the trick, leaving a nice crusty carmelization on the exterior. Thanks Erin for sharing this outstanding recipe!
You’re so welcome Anne! I’m glad you enjoyed it. Cheers!