This Peanut Butter & Jelly Burger is not a dare nor is it the late-night creation of a Boulder college student.

It’s a real thing and inspired by one of the best burger joints in Denver, The Cherry Cricket. The Cricket is a Denver burger institution and stays relevant even in the world of high-end, $15 burgers. One of their claims to fame is that they will top your burger with pretty much anything.

The toppings list they provide is completely intimidating for a first-time Cricketer. If you ask your server for suggestions you’ll frequently get a few interesting answers, but Peanut Butter and Jelly is one that most people hear and then never order.

People are very wrong.

Read on and learn about this magnificent burger combination.

Why you should be putting PB&J on your burger

Peanut butter and jelly with a few fresh jalapeños might actually be the most perfect burger topping out there. For starters, it’s dead simple. There’s no cooking involved. If you can cook a burger, you can make this happen.

More importantly for me though, it just tastes delicious. The peanut butter is creamy and adds some fat to the burger and the sweetness of the jelly cuts through the richness. It’s out of control.

I like the jalapeños on it which add some heat and crunch, but you could leave them off. They are extra at the Cricket, but free at home.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Burger Basics

A few things are needed for this burger. Not surprisingly…

Peanut Butter Jelly in bowls for burger toppings.
Burger Basics.

My advice is to use creamy peanut butter, but try to find peanut butter without added sugar. You want just the real stuff here. If you all you can find is sugar-added PB, you can use it, but just straight peanut butter is best.

Natural creamy peanut butter
Creamy please!

Some Burger Basics

When it comes to shaping the burgers, start with a ground beef mix of at least 10% fat. To be honest, I prefer a 20% fat ground beef, but that can be hard to find these days. You can sometimes ask your butcher to grind a few chuck roasts for you if you are buying enough.

For sizing these burgers, I think 1/3 pound burger is best. While I prefer thinner burgers if I’m making a smash burger, 1/3 pound burger is big enough to make a meal out of without being ridiculous.

Loosely shape your burgers and season them really well with kosher salt and pepper. Make a big dimple in the center of each burger. As it cooks the burger will shrink in a bit and take up this space in the center.

This is the trick that will prevent the classic “football-shaped burger” known on amateur grills throughout the country.

Burger basics.
Burger Dimples.

Cooking the Peanut Butter & Jelly Burgers

Toss these burgers on a medium-high grill for about 4-5 minutes per side for a medium burger. Try not to fuss with them too much. I always like to lightly oil my grates before cooking burgers so I can toast my buns and know that nothing will stick to the grates.

Peanut butter jelly burgers.
Hot grill!

After about five minutes, give the burgers a flip. You will hopefully have some nice grill marks and a good crust developing on the burger.

Burger flipped with sear marks.
Nice.

When to add the PB&J to the burgers

When your burger is almost done, do like you would if you were making a cheeseburger.

Pile on about a tablespoon of creamy peanut butter and let it heat up on the burger for a minute or two. It may sound crazy but warm peanut butter and warm cheese have a very similar texture which, as you may know, works very well on burgers.

If you add the peanut butter TOO early, it’ll just melt all over your grill.

Peanut butter scooped onto burger on the grill.
Peanut butter = Cheese.

Serve these bad boys with a big dollop of grape jelly and a few sliced jalapeños on toasted buns. The jalapeños are optional, but I like their crispness and heat on the burger.

Oh, and you’ll need napkins. Obviously.

This burger is no joke, people. Try it the next time you’re making burgers.

Close up of spicy PB&J Burger

Spicy Peanut Butter & Jelly Butter

4 from 5 votes
Author: Nick Evans
Servings: 6 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
These spicy peanut butter & Jelly burgers are no joke. They are the perfect mix of savory and sweet in burger form and easy to make!

Ingredients 

  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 6 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
  • 6 tablespoons grape jelly
  • 2 fresh jalapenos, sliced thin
  • 6 Hamburger buns
  • Kosher Salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Shape ground beef into six 1/3 pound patties. Don’t press the beef too much. Gently shape it into rounds and use your thumb to press a dimple into the center of each burger (will prevent the football burger). Season burgers well with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.
  • Grill burgers over medium hight heat for about 4-5 minutes per side for medium burgers. About a minute before the burgers are done, add 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter to each burger (sort of like cheese).
  • Let burgers rest for a few minutes when they come off the grill.
  • Serve burgers with a dollop of grape jelly and topped with fresh sliced jalapenos (optional). Serve on toasted buns.

Nutrition

Serving: 1burger | Calories: 985kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 60g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 26g | Trans Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 161mg | Sodium: 583mg | Potassium: 867mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 76IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 152mg | Iron: 7mg
Course: Main Dishes, Sandwiches
Cuisine: American

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