Smoky Beer Burgers with Gouda & Mustard-Horseradish Aioli

Oh, hi there, gorgeous beefy burgers with beer, cheese, and mustard. Could you be any more glorious?

(Beefy. That was awkward.)

These burgers are my dream summer grilled food (Aside from the bread. Give me all the grilled bread. Preferably sourdough). Are you guys in full-blown grilling mode yet? I am. Of course. As soon as the temperatures hit 80, I temporarily break up with indoor cooking. The grill is where it’s at, people. We’ve been grilling just about every meal around here for the past couple weeks. Except when we don’t feel like turning on any heat source at all. In those cases, we are eating this caprese salad. Like woah. So good.

All the other times, though? The grill is ON. In fact, most of the recipes I’ve shared lately (or will be sharing soon) involve the grill in some way. It’s real life, people. It was forced upon me last summer, as you might recall, as we underwent a huge and unexpected kitchen remodel which forced me to use the grill for EVERYTHING. Even cookies. Yup. I made it work.

These burgers. Swoon! I’m bringing back the epic combo of beer, cheese, and mustard with these babies. You can’t go wrong. It’s like a cheat recipe because it’s automatically going to be good with those ingredients. They are the triple threat. In my world, anyway.

Usually with beef burgers, I keep things simple. Salt, pepper, Worcestershire, and maybe some onion or garlic mixed in. These stray slightly from my usual recipe in the way of smoky spices and beer. Smoked paprika and cumin, two of my most-used spices, give these burgers an interesting and slightly more exotic taste. Their smoky flavor pairs wonderfully with the beer that also goes into the mix. And the gouda cheese that gets melted on top. Double swoon!

I LOVE gouda. I think it occasionally gets overshadowed by other cheeses. It’s super creamy and almost buttery in texture and has such great flavor. I love it on burgers like these. It adds a cheesy, creamy element without overpowering the flavor of the burgers themselves. It’s a match made in heaven.

I think I’m going to have to come up with more ways of enjoying gouda with beer. Gouda beer queso? YES. That is so happening.

And then there’s the aioli. Dare I say, “triple swoon!”? Yes. Yes, I dare. This stuff is so good. I want to dive right in there and drink my way out. It’s tangy and a little sharp, but creamy and decadent and delish. It’s perfect for tying all the flavors together.

I may have used it as a dipping sauce for my fries, too. It was glorious.

Aioli adapted from here.