Dinner Meat Dishes Beef Main Course Hamburgers Caprese Burgers In this play on the classic Italian salad, Grace Parisi mixes a bold basil pesto into the ground beef, and tops the burgers with tomato and mozzarella. By Grace Parisi Grace Parisi Grace Parisi a former senior test kitchen editor for Food & Wine, where she wrote several successful monthly columns: Food & Wine Handbook, Tasting & Testing, Flavor of the Month, Power Pantry, and Chefs Recipes Made Easy. Parisi has also been published in McCall’s, Redbook, and The New York Times, has written five hit cookbooks, and has appeared numerous times on national television. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on August 30, 2026 Save Rate PRINT Share Close Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Jason Donnelly / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling by Joseph Wanek Total Time: 30 mins Servings: 6 Jump to recipe Classic Caprese salad is reimagined as a burger with fresh mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, and basil pesto.A portion of the homemade basil pesto is gently kneaded into the beef, seasoning the burgers from the inside out.Melted mozzarella adds a creamy contrast to the herbaceous, pesto-infused burgers. All-day cookouts and fresh produce are perhaps two of our favorite things about summertime. Is there anything better than the smoky aromas emanating from a hot grill, and farmers markets filled with the heady fragrance of basil and piles of tomatoes? This recipe by Grace Parisi combines both of those pleasures into one delicious burger. The key ingredient here is a homemade basil pesto with some clever variations: Instead of pine nuts and Parmesan cheese, the recipe uses salted roasted almonds and Pecorino Romano. This gives the pesto a grainier texture and a more assertive flavor, ensuring it doesn’t get lost when mixed into the chuck-sirloin beef mixture. As for the fixings, slices of fresh mozzarella and ripe tomatoes complete the Caprese tribute. The pesto features again as a final topping, this time with a punchier raw flavor. The colors of the Caprese The iconic Caprese salad is believed to come from the island of Capri in southern Italy, reportedly invented by a stonemason in the years immediately after World War I. Mirroring the colors of the Italian flag, the salad was intended as a patriotic gesture and a celebration of local produce. According to food writer Janet Fletcher, the salad gained worldwide popularity thanks to Capri’s status as a resort for the elite. She also stresses that the traditional version does not and should not feature balsamic vinegar, only a drizzle of olive oil. Balsamic vinegar, she argues, overpowers the milky taste of the mozzarella and muddies the salad’s bright colors. The many kinds of pesto When we think of pesto, we’re almost always imagining the traditional pesto alla Genovese, which is the heart of Ligurian cuisine and features basil, olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, garlic, and pine nuts. But there is also the pesto rosso, a family of southern Italian variations usually made with fresh or sun-dried tomatoes, almonds, and even chile peppers. In contemporary cooking, pesto has become an umbrella term for dozens of oil-and-herb-based condiments, including nuts such as almonds, walnuts, and pistachios, and greens such as kale, parsley, and arugula. The Foolproof Formula for Any Kind of Pesto Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen You could substitute low-moisture mozzarella for the fresh mozzarella, but the texture and flavor will be different. Low-moisture mozzarella browns more easily — which could be great if you like that flavor — and has a chewy rather than creamy texture. Suggested pairing Go with a juicy, medium-bodied Italian red. Keep Screen Awake Ingredients 1/2x 1x 2x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. This recipe was developed at its original yield. Ingredient amounts are automatically adjusted, but cooking times and steps remain unchanged. Note that not all recipes scale perfectly. Original recipe (1X) yields 6 servings 2 cups basil leaves 1/4 cup salted roasted almonds 1 garlic clove 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 pound ground beef chuck 1 pound ground beef sirloin 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 6 slices 6 brioche hamburger buns, split 2 tomatoes, sliced Directions In a food processor, combine the basil with the almonds and garlic; pulse until the almonds are finely chopped. Add the 1/2 cup of olive oil and process to a paste. Add the grated pecorino and pulse to combine. Season the pesto with salt and pepper. You should have about 1 cup. Transfer 1/4 cup of the pesto to a bowl. Add the ground chuck, ground sirloin, and a pinch of salt and gently knead to blend. Form the mixture into six 4-inch patties, about 3/4-inch thick. Brush the burger patties lightly with olive oil. Light a grill and oil the grates. Grill the burgers over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Flip the burgers, top them with the mozzarella slices, and close the grill. Cook for 3 minutes longer for medium-rare burgers. Grill the buns until lightly toasted, then spread some of the pesto on the bottoms. Top with the burgers, the tomatoes, and the remaining pesto. Close the burgers and serve right away. Make ahead The pesto can be refrigerated for up to three days. Bring to room temperature before proceeding. Originally appeared: August 2012 Cook this recipe and more in the MyRecipes app. Get the App Save Rate Print Loading shell for RecipesUgcThreaded1 Vue component in Globe.