Dutch Nutmeg-Spiced Beef Burger with Old Amsterdam Cheese

About This Recipe

Burgers have no roots in Dutch cuisine, but this recipe takes real Dutch pantry seasoning — the nutmeg-and-allspice blend used in gehaktballen — and applies it honestly to a beef patty, rather than pretending this is some historic Amsterdam street food. The result tastes distinctly different from a standard burger: warmer, slightly sweet-spiced, closer to a meatball than a diner patty, which is exactly the point. A slice of bread soaked in milk is worked into the meat, the same trick used to keep Dutch meatballs moist, and the patties are topped with a thick slice of aged Old Amsterdam cheese, a genuinely Dutch product known for its intense, almost Parmesan-like sharpness that stands up well against the warm spice in the meat. A quick pickled red onion on top adds acidity to cut the richness, finishing a burger that borrows honestly from Dutch flavor rather than claiming false history.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 700 gground beef
• 1 slicewhite bread(crust removed, soaked in milk)
• 1 smallonion(finely minced, for the patties)
• 0.5 tspground nutmeg
• 0.25 tspground allspice
• 1.5 tspfine sea salt
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 1 smallred onion(thinly sliced, for pickling)
• 0.25 cupwhite wine vinegar
• 1 tbspsugar
• 4 thick slicesOld Amsterdam cheese(or aged Gouda)
• 4burger buns
• 2 tbspDutch mustard

Instructions

1. 1

   Quick-pickle the onion

   Warm the vinegar and sugar together until dissolved, pour over the sliced red onion, and let sit at least 20 minutes while you prepare everything else.

2. 2

   Mix the patties

   Combine ground beef, soaked bread, minced onion, nutmeg, allspice, salt and pepper. Mix gently and form into 4 patties.

3. 3

   Sear the patties

   Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the patties 3-4 minutes per side until well browned and the internal temperature reaches 71C.

4. 4

   Melt the cheese

   In the last minute of cooking, place a thick slice of Old Amsterdam cheese on each patty and cover the pan briefly to let it melt.

5. 5

   Toast the buns

   Toast the cut sides of the buns in the same pan for 30-60 seconds until golden.

6. 6

   Assemble

   Spread Dutch mustard on the bun, add the cheesy patty, and top with drained pickled red onion before serving.

Variations

• •

  Extra Dutch: add a thin layer of Dutch mustard mixed with a touch of mayonnaise for a fritessaus-style spread.

• •

  Pork blend: use half ground pork for a closer flavor match to traditional gehaktballen.

• •

  Open-faced: skip the top bun and serve the patty over a slice of toasted rye with the onions piled high.

Storage

Refrigerate cooked patties up to 3 days; store pickled onions separately in their liquid, where they'll keep up to a week. Reheat patties gently in a skillet over medium-low heat.

Frequently Asked Questions