Monster Burgers Recipe

These monster burgers are an easy Halloween dinner that turns regular burgers into cute little monsters with cheddar teeth, pickle tongues and mozzarella-and-olive eyes. They look like a lot of fun, but they’re surprisingly simple to put together and ready in about 35 minutes.

They’re a fun way to make Halloween dinner feel special without food coloring or a bunch of unusual ingredients. Kids can help assemble their own monster faces once everything is prepared, and you can easily make the burgers gluten-free by using gluten-free hamburger buns.

And they’re not just for Halloween. These would also be really cute for a kid’s birthday party or monster-themed party any time of year.

Ingredient Notes

Please scroll down for the full recipe. These are just notes on select ingredients.

• Ground beef – I use 80/20 ground beef for juicy burgers. The recipe makes four 5-ounce (140-gram) patties, but you can adjust the size to suit your kids and hamburger buns.
• Salt – regular salt works, but I especially like smoked hickory sea salt on these burgers.
• Cheddar cheese – orange cheddar gives the monsters nice bright teeth. Choose sliced cheese that’s flexible enough to bend slightly rather than a very firm cheese that cracks when bent.
• Pickles – long pickle slices work especially well because they can hang out of the burgers like monster tongues.
• Mozzarella and black olives – bocconcini or other mini mozzarella balls and medium black olives make the monster eyes. The mozzarella balls used here are a little over 1 ounce (28 grams) each.
• Hamburger buns – any hamburger buns work. La Boulangère brioche burger buns from Safeway were used in the photos. Look for buns that aren’t squashed so your finished monster faces hold their shape nicely. Use gluten-free hamburger buns if needed.

If you’d rather use turkey, these Air Fryer Turkey Burgers work well in place of the beef patties. For a meatless version, use your favorite veggie burger patties.

How to Make Monster Burgers

The monster faces look elaborate, but they’re easy to put together.

1. Form four 5-ounce (140-gram) beef patties, making each one about 1 inch wider than its hamburger bun.
2. Press a shallow indentation into the center of each patty with your thumb to help prevent the burgers from puffing up in the middle as they cook.
3. Season both sides with salt and pepper and cook the burgers using your preferred method.
4. While the patties cook, prepare the mozzarella-and-olive eyes, tomato slices, pickle tongues and cheddar teeth.
5. Let the burgers cool for a few minutes before assembling them so the hot patties don’t melt the cheddar teeth.
6. Add lettuce to the bottom bun, followed by the burger patty, two tomato slices, a pickle tongue and the cheddar teeth.
7. Add the top bun and two monster eyes.
8. Remove the toothpicks before eating, especially when serving children.

How Long Does It Take to Cook the Patties?

It’s best to cook burgers according to internal temperature rather than time. Any cooking times given here are general estimates.

The USDA recommends cooking ground beef to a minimum internal temperature of 160 °F (71 °C), measured with a food thermometer.

If you intentionally prefer a medium burger, an internal temperature of about 145 °F (63 °C) will generally leave a little pink in the center. Keep in mind that this is below the USDA-recommended safe minimum temperature for ground beef and therefore carries a greater food-safety risk.

Also, don’t judge a burger’s doneness by color alone. Ground beef can still be pink after reaching 160 °F (71 °C), or it can turn brown before it reaches a safe temperature. A food thermometer is the most reliable way to check.

How to Cook the Burger Patties

You can cook the patties however you’d like. These times are estimates, so use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature.

• Pan-fry – heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add a little oil to prevent sticking. Cook for about 5 to 6 minutes on the first side, flip once and continue cooking until the burgers reach your desired doneness.
• Grill – heat the grill to 400 °F (204 °C). Place the patties over direct heat and sear for 5 to 6 minutes. Flip once and grill for another 4 to 5 minutes, or until they reach your desired internal temperature. Don’t overcrowd the grill or the patties may not cook evenly.
• Air fryer – set the air fryer to 375 °F (190 °C) and place the patties in a single layer with space around each one. Flip after 6 minutes and cook for a few more minutes, or until they reach your desired internal temperature.
• Smoker – smoking takes longer, but the flavor is incredible. Follow my Smoked Burgers recipe for the patties, then add the monster toppings after cooking.

If you’re following USDA food-safety guidance, make sure ground beef reaches 160 °F (71 °C) before removing it from the heat rather than relying on carryover cooking to bring it to that temperature.

How to Assemble the Monster Faces

For the eyes, cut each black olive in half and place an olive half on top of a mini mozzarella ball with the little “star” side facing up. Secure the olive and mozzarella together with a toothpick.

Cut 8 tomato slices from about 2 tomatoes. They should be thick enough to hold their shape without being thin and floppy, but not so thick that they’re awkward to eat. Place them on a paper towel and pat them dry.

For the teeth, cut small triangles from one edge of each cheddar slice. Don’t cut away too much cheese because you want the pointed teeth to hang out from under the top bun.

To assemble each monster, start with the bottom bun and add a piece of lettuce. Place the cooked burger patty on top, followed by two tomato slices next to each other and a pickle slice in the middle for the tongue. Add the cheddar with the teeth pointing outward, then finish with the top bun and the two mozzarella-and-olive eyes.

You can even add Homemade Ketchup if you’d like some gory monsters.

And here are the individual photos in case that GIF moves a little too quickly. 😆

You can, of course, assemble the burgers in any order you like. Add onions, burger sauce or whatever other toppings your family enjoys. Just keep the pickle tongue and cheddar teeth visible so your monster still has a face. 🙂

Storage

Store leftover cooked burger patties in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Keep the buns and fresh toppings separate for the best texture. Reheat cooked patties until they reach 165 °F (74 °C).

What to Serve with Monster Burgers

This Halloween Fruit Salad would be my top pick. It’s fun, healthy and perfect for little ones.

This Halloween Mac and Cheese is another really fun choice. Mac and cheese isn’t an everyday burger side, but it’s Halloween. 😉

More Halloween Recipes

• Frankenstein Cupcakes
• Eyeball Cupcakes for Halloween
• Ghost Meringues
• Non-Alcoholic Halloween Punch
• Halloween Punch with Eyeballs

I hope you’ll enjoy these monster burgers for Halloween! If you make them, I’d love to hear how they turned out. 🙂