Blueberry Basil Gourmet Burger recipe

My Blueberry Basil Gourmet burger recipe combines incredible flavors to create a burger taste that’s truly above and beyond. Save this recipe so you can make it the next time you want to level up your summer burgers. 

Happy Summer, friends! So technically it isn’t summer yet because it’s May 31 but this is my kids’ last week of school, Memorial Day has passed and it’s 90 degrees. I feel confident in declaring summer has arrived in the upper Midwest. With the arrival of all this unseasonably warm weather and no more school on Monday’s I’ve been dreaming about weekend barbecues were we can stay up late and roast s’mores after enjoying some big, juicy burgers. 

My Blueberry Basil Gourmet Burger is one of those that I am planning to enjoy a few more times this summer – especially as blueberry season approaches in West Michigan. It may combine a few flavors that seem incompatible, but somehow the savory elements and the sweet components mix together to make magic. 

What makes it magical?

In a lot of my recipes I love to layer in the flavors and my Blueberry Basil Gourmet Burger recipe is no exception. This burger recipe includes arugula, a steak burger cooked to perfection, Cream Havarti Cheese, a sweet Blueberry Balsamic Thyme sauce, savory bacon and a Basil Garlic Aioli on a brioche bun. Lots of flavor and a handful of layers.

The combination of the Blueberry Thyme Balsamic Sauce and the Basil Garlic Aioli is  what really makes this recipe a standout though. The two sauces don’t immediately seem like something that might go together, but I promise there is some kind of harmony in these flavors.

Blueberry Balsamic Thyme

The Blueberry Balsamic Thyme sauce that’s dripping down the sides of the burgers in the photos and you could say it has the biggest flavor impact on the gourmet burger recipe itself. Made with fresh or frozen blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, a bit of Balsamic and some fresh thyme leaves this sauce really ticks all the boxes for your taste buds. Perhaps the best thing about this is that you make it the day prior to making the burger and will have leftovers to use on other things, like waffles and chicken and bread. It goes well on all of those. 

You can save this sauce for up to 7 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. 

Basil Garlic Aioli

This sauce for the Blueberry Basil gourmet burger recipe includes mayonnaise, fresh basil (fresh here is a must!), garlic, extra virgin olive oil and a little lemon juice. It’s also one of those sauces or spreads that you can use on other things and you will have leftovers from making it. I spread this on the top part of my bun and then smash it onto the burger. This sauce is also something you can make ahead of time or make just before cooking the burgers. 

If you decide to make it ahead of time store it in an air tight container in the refrigerator. Remove it about 15 minutes before you want to use it so the olive oil can come back to room temperature.  

The burger patty

We used a filet mignon ground burger patty for these burgers from Omaha Steaks. You don’t have to go with that specific brand but I do recommend getting the burger patty from a butcher or at least the butcher section of the grocery store so you have thicker, juicier patties. Using the best burger patties you can find really sets the stage for making the best burgers.

I don’t recommend using frozen burgers from the freezer section for this gourmet burger recipe. They don’t start with enough flavoring because the quality just isn’t as good. If you do use a service like Omaha or something else then the burgers will come to you frozen. However, the difference is in the quality of the meat before it was frozen. That’s the important part. 

Tips for making my Blueberry Basil Gourmet Burger recipe

• Making a gourmet burger recipe requires the use of gourmet ingredients. Make sure to use the best extra virgin olive oil you can find for the aioli, sea salt when seasoning the burger, fresh basil and fresh thyme for the sauces and fresh squeezed lemon juice. This also goes for the burger itself.
• Remember to season the burger well. Just because we are adding all these elements to the Blueberry Basil Gourmet Burger recipe is no reason to get lazy when it comes to seasoning the meat. It is still a huge part of this meal. Season it well with sea salt and fresh ground pepper and then if you want to you can also add a little onion powder, garlic salt and paprika too.
• If you’re not adversed to turning on the oven during the summer, I recommend making the bacon for this gourmet burger recipe in the oven. Preheat it to 350 and then give it 15-20 minutes. Check it at the 15 minute mark and decide if you want to add more time. 
• I used Cream Havarti cheese in this Blueberry Basil gourmet burger recipe but you can also use Provolone or even Munster. Cream Havarti is made by Boar’s Head and I’ve found it is not sold everywhere. 
• I use a food processor to make the aioli. This is the one {HERE} that I love and use all the time for these sauces and for dips. It a workhorse for my kitchen. 

Looking for more summer recipes? 

If you’re looking for more summer recipes or summer side dishes, try these!

• Kielbasa Skewers {HERE}
• Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon {HERE}
• English Pea Salad {HERE}
• French Potato Salad {HERE}
• Rotini Pasta Salad {HERE}
• Elote Corn {HERE}
• Blueberry Pie Ice Cream {HERE}
• Red White and Blue Trifle {HERE}

Thank you so much for stopping by, friends! I hope that you love this Blueberry Basil Gourmet Burger recipe and I hope that you come back again! You can find the full recipe for the burger build below.
 


 

Blueberry Basil Gourmet Burger Recipe

My Blueberry Basil Gourmet burger recipe combines incredible flavors to create a burger taste that's truly above and beyond. Save this recipe so you can make it the next time you want to level up your summer burgers. 

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Servings: 4

Author: Rachel

Ingredients

Ingredients for the Blueberry Basil Gourmet Burger Recipe

• 4 high quality burger patties
• 4 Brioche buns
• 1-2 pieces of Cream Havarti Cheese or Provolone cheese per burger
• 1/2 cup arugula
• 1-2 pieces of bacon per burger, fully cooked 8-9 pieces total
• Sea salt, fresh cracked pepper and a little garlic salt and onion powder to flavor the patties Think about 1/4 of each ingredient per patty and 1/8 of the fresh cracked pepper. You can mix it together in a bowl ahead of time and then sprinkle it on both sides or eyeball it.

Ingredients for the Blueberry Balsamic Thyme Sauce

• 2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. Thyme leaves, fresh
• Juice from 1/2 a lemon About 1 1/2 Tbsp.

Ingredients for the Basil Garlic Aioli

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 3/4 cup fresh basil
• 2 large cloves of garlic
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Juice from half a lemon About 1 1/2 Tbsp.

Instructions

Instructions for the blueberry sauce

• Combine the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, balsamic and thyme leaves in a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir continuously until the sugar melts and the mix starts to bubble.
• Turn the heat to low and then let it simmer for 15 minutes.
• Let cool completely and then chill in the refrigerator.

Instructions for the Basil Garlic Aioli

• Combine all the ingredients in a food processor. Blend well until the basil has been chopped and everything is well combined. Chill in the refrigerator until needed.
• Tip: If you're making this just before you cook the burgers, make the bacon now too.

Instructions for the burger build

• Layer on the arugula, then the burger with the cheese. Next add on the blueberry sauce and the bacon. Finally spread the Basil garlic Aioli on the bun top and top off.