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Pizza Burgers

Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the Meat Filling
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
  • 1 pound ground turkey ground chicken, or Italian sausage
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt or less if using seasoned Italian sausage
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped pepperoncini optional
For the Pizza Burgers
  • 6 –8 English muffin halves
  • 1/2 cup salted butter melted
  • 1 garlic clove finely grated, or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Method
 

  1. Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground turkey, chicken, or Italian sausage and cook until browned and fully cooked, breaking it apart with a spoon as it cooks.
  2. Sprinkle in the onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt. Stir well, then pour in the marinara sauce. Let everything simmer for a few minutes so the flavors come together.
  3. Take the skillet off the heat and stir in 1/2 cup mozzarella until melted and incorporated. If you're using pepperoncini, fold them in at this stage.
  4. Mix the melted butter with the grated garlic. Arrange the English muffin halves cut-side up on a baking sheet and brush each one generously with the garlic butter. This simple step gives the muffins a golden, garlicky base that makes the finished pizza burgers even more delicious.
  5. Spoon the warm meat mixture over each English muffin half. Don't worry if they look generously loaded—that's exactly what you want. Sprinkle mozzarella over the top, followed by a little Parmesan. The combination creates a bubbly, golden cheese layer when baked.
  6. Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the pizza burgers for about 5–7 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the edges are lightly crisp.
  7. For a more deeply browned, bubbly top, switch to the broiler for about 1–2 minutes at the end. Keep a close eye on them because cheese can go from beautifully golden to burned surprisingly quickly.
  8. Prefer using an air fryer? Place the assembled pizza burgers in the basket without overcrowding and cook at 350°F (175°C) for about 4–5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the edges are crisp. Depending on your air fryer, you may need to work in batches.