A recipe for Marsala Burgers! These grilled beef patties are layered in a brioche bun with a creamy Marsala mushroom sauce and lettuce.
I first came across the inspiration for these Marsala Burgers over on Everyday Annie (and she was inspired by Smells Like Home). They are such a fun variation for summer grilling with the addition of a decadent Marsala mushroom sauce.
Simply grill seasoned ground beef patties until golden on each side, top with a slice or two of Provolone cheese and finish with a creamy Marsala mushroom sauce. Add lettuce leaves as I did and/or other toppings as desired.
Serve the Marsala Burgers immediately after assembling while the patties and sauce are still warm.
A Few Marsala Burger Tips
Make the beef patties slightly wider than the size of the buns. They will shrink a little as they cook. Pressing your thumb in the center to make a small indentation will help them stay an even thickness and retain their shape. Have a favorite ground chicken patty recipe? The sauce would also pair well with those.
I personally use dry Marsala for this recipe. You can swap for sweet Marsala if you want more of a blend between sweet and savory or even a combination of both.
If the sauce is too thin, simmer the wine for a little longer. As a last resort, mix a half tablespoon of cornstarch with a half tablespoon of water and whisk in for a couple of minutes to thicken. If the sauce is too thick, whisk in a splash or so of beef stock or water. Adjust seasonings as needed.
I topped each burger with a slice of Provolone during the last minute or so of cooking. If your Provolone slices are extra thin or you just really like cheese, you may want to bump it up to two slices. Don’t love Provolone? Simply swap for Cheddar, Swiss, or another favorite.
For a bit of a light contrast between the juicy beef patties and creamy sauce, I opted to add a couple of lettuce leaves. You could also add tomato slices or other popular toppings.
I especially love brioche burger buns as the base for these Marsala Burgers. Bigger Bolder Baking has a recipe for Brioche Hamburger Buns if you want to try homemade. For another fun option, Tara of Smells Like Home arranged them on baguette slices.
If you happen to have any leftover Marsala sauce, I like to refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to two days and toss with some al dente pasta with a couple of splashes of the pasta cooking water.
Looking for more burger recipes?
Try:
This recipe was originally posted in July 2013 and updated in July 2026 with slight adjustments to the recipe and new photos.
Marsala Burgers Recipe
Adapted from Everyday Annie
Marsala Burgers
Ingredients
Burgers:
- 1 pound (450 grams) ground beef I use 85/15
- 1 clove garlic peeled and minced
- 1/4 yellow onion peeled and very finely chopped or grated
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
To Assemble:
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) olive oil
- 3/4 yellow onion peeled and thinly sliced
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 tablespoon (15 grams) tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon (8 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) Marsala wine I use dry
- 1/3 cup (80 milliliters) heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons (5 grams) finely chopped fresh parsley
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme woody stems discarded
- 4-8 slices Provolone cheese
- 4-8 green lettuce leaves
- 4 brioche hamburger buns
Instructions
To form the patties:
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, garlic, finely chopped onion, salt, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper until evenly blended.
- Divide the beef mixture into four equal portions and shape into round patties slightly larger than the diameter of the hamburger buns.
- Place the patties on a large plate and use your thumb to make a small indentation in the center of each patty.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.
To assemble:
- In a wide pot or saucepan, melt together the butter and olive oil over medium heat.
- Once the butter is melted, add the sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden and caramelized, about 30 minutes. Adjust heat between medium and low as needed to caramelize the onions without burning.
- When the onions are nearly caramelized, remove the beef patties from the refrigerator and set aside.
- Add the mushrooms to the pan with the onions and continue to stir until golden and any liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated. If the pan is too dry, drizzle a little more olive oil.
- Stir in garlic and cook until just fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Stir in tomato paste, then the flour.
- Slowly pour in the Marsala, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits.
- Bring the wine to a simmer, stirring often, until the liquid reduces by half and the mixture starts to thicken.
- Reduce heat to low, then stir in the cream, parsley, thyme, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of ground black pepper. Adjust flavors to taste and keep over very low heat, stirring occasionally, while the burgers cook.
- Heat a grill or cast-iron frying pan over medium-high heat.
- If using an indoor grill or cast iron pan, drizzle with a very thin layer of olive oil.
- Arrange the ground beef patties in the heated pan or grill, making sure they aren't touching (cook in batches if needed). Grill until browned and the thickest part of the interior is at least 160˚F (71˚C), about 3-4 minutes per side.
- During the last 1-2 minutes of cooking, place a provolone slice or two on each burger to gently melt.
- Remove the patties from the grill and set aside for 5 minutes to rest briefly before assembling.
- If desired, place the burger buns, cut side down, on the grill to toast until golden.
- Arrange one or two lettuce slices along the bottom of a burger bun. Top with a cooked patty, then a generous couple of spoonfuls of the warm Marsala mushroom sauce.
- Cover with the top half of the burger bun and repeat with the remaining buns and patties.
- Serve immediately after assembling.
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