Recipe for South Philly Ground Pork Burgers

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Recipe for Ground Pork Burgers (South Philly Style) with garlic spinach, provolone and Pepperoncini mayo! Like a roast pork, but in burger form! A fun take on a South Philly staple sandwich, these burgers are bursting with Italian flavors. This seasoned pork burger recipe is grilled to juicy perfection, for all the flavors of South Philly in the comfort of your own backyard!

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Looking for a recipe that’ll have your BBQ guests saying “Bada Bing! That IS a tasty burger?!” Look no further than these South Philly Pork Burgers with garlic spinach and Pepperoncini mayo.

The be-all, end-all South Philly style pork sandwich, as delicious groundpork burgers

Inspired by the classic, quintessential Philly sandwich (yeah, I said it), and my own crockpot version (South Philly Style Slow Cooker Italian Shredded Pork), these South Philly Pork Burgers bring a little Italian flair, and A LOT of Philly flavor to any cookout.

I know, I know- Philly is also VERY well known for cheesesteaks. It’s true! But if you’re visiting, do yourself a favor and visit John’s Roast Pork and get yourself the real Philly favorite. Their Roast Pork sandwich is life-changing. And while your there- grab a cheesesteak. I say it’s the best in Philly! Come at me! Not up for a trip to Philly? Try my easy Crockpot South Philly Pork!

Recipe for the ground pork burgers

To make my South Philly Pork Burgers with garlic spinach and Pepperoncini mayo, you will need:

• Ground pork
• A bit of chopped shallot
• Some minced garlic
• Salt and pepper 
• Dried oregano, basil and red pepper flakes
• Some grated parmesan cheese
• Sliced provolone cheese
• Burger buns (I am partial to Brioche buns)
• Olive oil
• Fresh spinach, baby or adult- your choice!
• Mayo
• A touch of tangy horseradish
• A couple of whole jarred Pepperoncini peppers

These burgers are incredibly easy to make- a perfect, quick and easy crowd pleaser for your next BBQ that’ll be ready in under 30 minutes.

Prep first, grill later

To make things really easy, I always like to get the prep out of the way, so when it’s time to grill, the grill’s got my full attention. I whip the mayo up in a food processor and throw it in the fridge, and cook up the garlic spinach and set it aside. Next up, I preheat my grill, and go ahead and start the burger mixture.

Making the seasoned pork burger recipe

To make the burgers, you’ll simply mix the pork, shallot, garlic, spices and parmesan together with your hands. Mix just well enough to incorporate it, careful not to over mix so the burgers aren’t tough. After it’s well mixed, form the mixture into 4 equal patties, about 1/4″ thick. You could do this hours to a day in advance.

Once the burgers are formed, get the hot grill situated by setting one side to medium heat, and one side to low heat.

Next, you’ll grill the burgers on the medium side, and toast the buns on the low side closer to the end of the burger’s cooking time.

Layering and finishing the seasoned pork burger recipe

After the burgers are grilled, and the buns are toasted- you will assemble your masterpieces!

Lastly, layer on a generous dollop of mayo on each bottom bun, top with the cheesy burgers, and finish off with a healthy portion of garlic spinach.

If you make my South Philly Pork Burgers with garlic spinach and Pepperoncini mayo, please be sure to leave me a comment! I would love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Lastly, if you make the recipe and love it, please tag me on Instagram! I love to see your photos!

Looking for more delicious recipes? Why not try my Schnitzel Burgers with Muenster Cheese on Pretzel Buns, Thai Burger Sliders with Green Curry Mayo, Juicy Pesto Chicken Burgers, or Marinated Pork Chop Bánh mì Ciabatta Sandwiches?!

Print Recipe

South Philly Pork Burgers with garlic spinach and Pepperoncini mayo

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Dinner, lunch

Keyword: burger, Italian pork, provolone, spinach

Equipment

• Food Processor
• gas grill

Ingredients

Burgers:

• 1 lb ground pork
• 2 tbsp finely chopped shallot*
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese*
• 4 slices of provolone cheese*
• 4 broche buns, toasted*

Garlic spinach:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cups fresh spinach, rough chopped*
• 2 tsp minced garlic 
• salt and pepper to taste

Pepperoncini Mayo:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp horseradish
• 2 whole Pepperoncini peppers, jarred

Instructions

• Make the mayo: Add mayo, Pepperoncini and horseradish to a food processor, and blend until smooth- pushing down the sides with a rubber staler as needed to make sure all ingredients are well blended. Transfer to an airtight container and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

  2. Make the spinach: In a medium non-stick frying pan, heat the olive oil and garlic over medium heat until just fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chopped spinach and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2-3 minutes until wilted. Turn off heat and set aside.

  3. Get the grill ready: Heat a gas grill on high heat for 15-20 minutes prior to placing the burgers on the grill to get it nice and hot.

  4. Make the burger patties: Add ground pork, chopped shallot, minced garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes and parmesan cheese to a medium mixing bowl. Mix with hands until just combined, careful not to over mix the meat. Form into 4 equal patties, about 1/4” thick.

  5. Adjust the heat: When you are ready to cook, turn one side of the grill to low heat, and one to medium and place burgers on the medium side. Cook the first side 5-7 minutes, then flip, add a slice of provolone to each burger, and cook another 5 minutes.

  6. Grilling the buns: In the last 2 minutes of the burgers’ cooking time, place buns cut side down on the grill on the low side, and grill about 2 minutes, until just charred and crisp, checking frequently to prevent burning.

  7. Assembly: Once burgers are grilled and buns are toasted, assemble the burgers. Dollop equal portions of the mayo on each bottom bun, place the burgers on top, and top each burger with the garlic spinach. Serve hot!

Notes/Substitutions:

If you don’t have shallot on hand, you could sub in onion or scallions.

You could also use grated sharp provolone or a Parmesan/Romano blend cheese for the burger mixture.

Sliced provolone is great on these, but you could also use Muenster or sliced mozzarella.

I love the buttery taste of Brioche, and their even toasting, but any of your favorite burger bus are great for this recipe!

I used plain old spinach from the garden and rough chopped it, but fresh baby spinach would also be great on these.

© Jawns I Cooked. All images & content are the sole property of Jawns I Cooked. Please ask permission prior to using my photos. If you would like to share one of my recipes, please link back to this post and re-write the instructions in your own words.