“Meatball” Burgers with Fresh Mozzarella
Elevated Dinners, Impressively Easy
- Milk
- Eggs
- Soy
- Wheat
- Tree Nuts
We know the “burgers or meatballs” question can make for a tough choice when it comes to ground beef. So here’s what we thought: What if you combined the two into one perfectly delicious and speedy dinner idea? Then we did it—we made a meatball burger! We top this garlicky Italian-seasoned patty with tangy marinara and fresh mozzarella, then load it into a soft potato bun that’s toasted with garlic herb butter. It’s served with an Italian-style side salad sprinkled with crisp, nutty almonds—all in 15 minutes!
Ingredients
4 ounce
Shredded Carrots
1.5 ounce
Italian Dressing
(Contains: Milk)
1 tablespoon
Italian Seasoning
4 ounce
Grape Tomatoes
2 tablespoon
Mayonnaise
(Contains: Eggs)
2 tablespoon
Garlic Herb Butter
(Contains: Milk)
10 ounce
Ground Beef
2 unit
Potato Buns
(Contains: Soy, Wheat)
4 ounce
Mixed Greens
1 teaspoon
Garlic Powder
4 ounce
Fresh Mozzarella
(Contains: Milk)
½ ounce
Sliced Almonds
(Contains: Tree Nuts)
5 ounce
Marinara Sauce
Not included in your delivery
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
1 teaspoon (tsp)
Cooking Oil
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Halve and toast buns. • Cut mozzarella into ½-inch slices; set aside four slices (eight slices for 4) and dice remaining mozzarella into pieces. • In a bowl, whisk together mayonnaise and dressing. Season with salt and pepper.
• In a second bowl, combine beef*, garlic powder, 1 tsp Italian Seasoning (2 tsp for 4), salt (we used ½ tsp; 1 tsp for 4), and pepper. Form into two patties (four patties for 4), each slightly wider than a burger bun. • Drizzle oil in a hot pan. Add patties and cook to desired doneness, 3-5 minutes per side. • In the last 1-2 minutes of cooking, top each patty with as much marinara as you like (reserve any remaining marinara for serving) and mozzarella slices; cover pan to melt cheese. TIP: Be careful when adding the marinara—there may be some splattering in the pan!
• Wash and dry produce. • To bowl with dressing mixture, add mixed greens, tomatoes, carrots, almonds, and diced mozzarella; toss to combine. TIP: Plate salad as soon as you finish this step.
• Spread toasted buns with as much garlic herb butter as you like. • Fill buns with cheese-topped patties. Divide burgers between plates; serve with salad and any remaining marinara on the side.
Ground beef is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 160°.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many loved the Italian-inspired twist, praising the marinara and mozzarella combo for a tasty, flavorful burger 🍔.
- Ease of prep: Quick and simple to make, though some found it took longer than the stated 15 minutes.
- Suggestions: Consider reducing garlic butter for less intensity; some preferred adding bacon for extra flavor.
- Portions: A few wanted more mozzarella to adequately cover both the burger and salad.
- Salad: Mixed reviews; some enjoyed the fresh side, while others found it underwhelming or would have preferred a different vegetable.
Reviews from our home cooks
This meal was FABULOUS. I will say for how big the burgers are, there was quite a bit of salad for two people but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. This recipe will be made again for sure.
Delicious burger, the fresh mozzarella and marinara sauce gives a nice change. Liked that the side was a salad since the burger is kind of heavy.
So different!! We loved the marinara sauce on the burger. It gave it a true Italian meatball flavor!!
It tastes just like homemade meatballs on a bun! This is one of mine and my husbands favorite dishes. Will definitely be ordering this meal again!
Fast, easy & delicious! The portion is good, & the MB Burger was juicy.
The burger itself was a bit greasy but was delicious, and maybe it was cause it was frozen before hand but the salad was extremely watery even after drying it. Still very good over all
We thought this was plant-based burger based on the use of quotes ("Meatball" Burgers), so we're disappointed that it was beef since we're pescatarian. But we gave the ground beef away and subbed with Impossible veggie ground (two 12-oz pack made 5 burgers). It was DELICIOUS! I hope you add the veggie burger swap with burger recipes in the future. This would give families like ours more options.
These turned out great and I love the meatball burger idea. Very tasty and I would order again.
This was good. It didn't wow us. However, picky eaters just had plain burgers. So nice that I could adjust for picky eaters. I can use extra mozzarella for leftover salad from another meal.
Food was great, but it NOT 15 mins box to table. Let's just be realistic. I think people would still be happy if you called it a 30-min meal. I set a timer and it was 32 minutes. Great recipe!
