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Pizza Burger

Pizza burger with golden, cheesy edges and a quick stovetop-to-bun build that delivers a classic pizza-meets-hamburger bite. Juicy burger patties get topped with marinara and melted cheese for vibrant, comforting flavors.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 340
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pizza burger patties
  • 1 lb ground beef 80/20 works best for juiciness.
  • 1 salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Pizza toppings
  • 0.5 cup marinara sauce Use pizza-style or marinara; reserve a little for serving if desired.
  • 6 oz mozzarella cheese Shred for best melt.
  • 0.5 cup pepperoni slices Optional; swap with sliced sausage or mushrooms.
  • 0.5 cup bell pepper Diced; color adds visual appeal.
  • 0.5 cup onion Diced or thinly sliced.
To serve
  • 4 burger buns Toast for extra structure and crunch.
  • 2 tbsp olive oil For sautéing onion and peppers (or lightly oil the skillet).

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prep the patties and toppings
  1. Season the ground beef with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning until evenly mixed, then shape into 4 patties about bun-size.
  2. Dice the onion and bell pepper, measure the marinara, and shred the mozzarella so everything is ready to top quickly.
Sauté and build pizza-style toppings
  1. Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, then cook the onion and bell pepper for 4-6 minutes until softened with light browning (visual cue: glossy, slightly charred edges).
  2. Spread marinara over the cooked topping mix and keep warm over low heat for 1-2 minutes so the sauce loosens (visual cue: bubbling gently, not boiling).
Cook the burgers
  1. Cook the burger patties in the same skillet over medium-high heat for 4-6 minutes per side until browned with a crisp edge (visual cue: a browned crust and juices pooling on top).
  2. Top each patty with mozzarella, then cover the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is fully melted and glossy (visual cue: cheese strings and melts across the surface).
  3. Add pepperoni on top and cook uncovered for 30-60 seconds so it warms through without drying out (visual cue: pepperoni edges darken slightly).
Assemble and serve
  1. Toast burger buns in the hot skillet or a dry pan for 30-60 seconds until lightly golden (visual cue: toasty edges).
  2. Spoon the warm marinara-onion-pepper mixture over the melted cheese, place patties on buns, and serve immediately.

Notes

Pro tip: prep the onion/pepper mixture while the patties are forming so assembly is fast—pizza burgers cool quickly once built. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through. Freezing is not recommended for best cheese texture. For a lighter option, swap ground beef for ground turkey and use part-skim mozzarella to reduce calories.