The Best Cheese for Burgers: How to Crown Your Patty Like a Pro

A cheeseburger lives or dies on the melt. Get it right & the cheese drapes over the patty like a warm blanket. Get it wrong & you have a cold, rubbery slab sitting on top of your dinner.

The classic move is a slice of American, & there is nothing wrong with that. But if you want a burger that makes people stop talking mid-sentence, it is time to upgrade the cheese. Here are the best cheeses to melt on a burger this summer, & how to get that perfect gooey drape every time.

Cheesy Takeaways

• The best burger cheese melts fast & drapes over the patty.

• Match the cheese to the burger: smoky, spicy, sharp, or creamy.

• Smoked & bacon cheeses add built-in flavor with zero extra effort.

• Tent the burger or add a splash of water to steam the cheese into a perfect melt.

• Shred or thinly slice off the block for the cleanest melt.

What Makes a Great Burger Cheese

A burger asks three things of its cheese. It has to melt fast, since the patty is only hot for a minute. It has to drape, hugging the patty instead of sitting on top in a stiff square. And it has to bring flavor that can stand up to a rich, savory beef patty without getting lost.

That points you toward cheeses with good moisture & a smooth melt, ideally with some real flavor behind them. Mild melters give you the drape, & bolder cheeses give you the flavor. The best burger cheeses do both, & a few of ours were practically built for the job.

The Best Cheeses to Melt on a Burger

Holey-Smoked Swiss & Cheddar

Our Holey-Smoked Swiss & Cheddar might be the ultimate burger cheese. It melts smooth & creamy, & the natural hickory smoke gives your burger a wood-fired flavor without touching a smoker. Nutty, smoky, & meltable is a hard combination to beat.

Buffalo Wing Cheese

Our Buffalo Wing Cheese is a best seller for a reason. It is creamy, melts beautifully, & carries a mild buffalo tang that is not actually spicy, so it brings big flavor that the whole family can handle. Incredible on a burger.

Smokin' Hot Pepper Jack

For heat seekers, our Smokin' Hot Pepper Jack melts into a creamy, spicy drape with real jalapeno & habanero kick. It is the move for anyone who thinks a plain cheeseburger is a little boring.

Smokey Bacon Cheddar & Blue Marble Jack

Our Smokey Bacon Cheddar melts with built-in smoky bacon flavor, & our creamy Blue Marble Jack brings a tamed blue-cheese bite that is a natural on a bacon burger. Add a spoonful of our Hot Pepper Bacon Jam as a topping & you have a gourmet burger that took five extra minutes.

Match the Cheese to the Burger

Different burgers call for different cheese. Here is the quick matchmaker.

For a bold, tangy hit, our 8-Year Super-Sharp Cheddar works great sliced thin, since a little goes a long way & the sharpness cuts through the rich beef.

Grill or Griddle Your Cheeseburger?

Grill or griddle, the cheese behaves a little differently on each, so it helps to know the quirks. On a grill, the open flame gives you smoke & char, but the cheese can start to slide before the patty is ready, so add it late & tent it with a lid or foil. On a flat griddle or cast iron, you get an unbeatable crusty sear & the easiest steam-melt going, since a lid & a splash of water melt the cheese in seconds.

Whichever you choose, the cheese rules hold: slice it thin, add it in the final minute, & use steam to finish the melt. And remember that most cheese would melt right through grill grates on its own, which is exactly why it belongs on top of the patty, not on the bars. A thin, even layer drapes fastest & most evenly.

How much cheese?

Resist the urge to pile it on. One thick slice or a small handful of shreds is plenty for a single patty. Too much cheese just means the outside melts while the middle stays cold & stubborn. Even coverage beats a mountain every time, & it gives you that clean, gooey drape instead of a greasy overflow down the sides.

How to Get the Perfect Burger Melt

1. Slice or shred the cheese thin so it melts before the patty overcooks.

2. Add the cheese in the last minute of cooking, once you flip to the final side.

3. Tent the patty with a lid or foil, or add a splash of water to the pan or grill & cover, so steam melts the cheese into a full drape.

4. Let the burger rest a minute so the cheese sets into place.

5. Build it while everything is hot, since cheese firms up fast as it cools.

That steam trick is the secret restaurants use, & it turns a stubborn slice into a molten blanket in seconds. Planning to grill the whole spread? Our guide to what cheese you can actually grill covers which cheeses handle direct heat & which belong on top of the patty instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best cheese for burgers?

The best burger cheese melts fast & drapes well. Our Holey-Smoked Swiss & Cheddar is a top pick for its smooth melt & smoky flavor, while Buffalo Wing Cheese, pepper jack, & smokey bacon cheddar all bring big flavor with a great melt.

What cheese melts best on a burger?

Smooth, higher-moisture cheeses melt best, like jack cheeses, smoked swiss, & younger cheddars. Slice them thin & steam the patty under a lid for a full, gooey drape.

How do you melt cheese on a burger perfectly?

Add thin cheese in the last minute of cooking, then tent the burger or add a splash of water & cover so steam melts it into a complete drape. Let it rest a moment before building.

Is pepper jack good on burgers?

Very. Pepper jack melts creamy & adds a spicy kick that stands up to rich beef. Our Smokin' Hot Pepper Jack is a great choice for a burger with some heat.

What cheese do restaurants use on burgers?

Many use American for its melt, but great burger spots reach for smoked, sharp, or specialty melting cheeses for more flavor. Cheeses like our Holey-Smoked Swiss & Cheddar deliver that upgrade at home.

Give Your Burger the Cheese It Deserves

A great cheeseburger is really a great melt. Pick a cheese that drapes & delivers flavor, slice it thin, steam it into place, & you have upgraded burger night with almost no extra work.

Start with our smoky, meltable Holey-Smoked Swiss & Cheddar or a best-selling Buffalo Wing Cheese, add a jar of Hot Pepper Bacon Jam for the topping, & browse our cheese blocks to stock the summer grill.