French Onion Burger

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The height of decadence in the burger world may very well be a French Onion Burger. The rich, powerful flavors that come with biting into a perfectly made French Onion Burger is one of the best culinary experiences I think you can enjoy. Indeed, this is up there as one of my all-time favorite burgers. Every component in this delicious burger is so tasty, and the combination of flavors together is a total flavor bomb. So, lets show you how to make this simply wonderful burger

Making a French Onion Burger is so easy

There’s not a lot of ingredients in this burger, so it’s really an easy dish to make. The priority ingredient, however, may surprise you, as it’s not the burger. Instead, it’s the Onions! Perfectly cooked, Caramelized Onions are the true secret to this dish and pack in that rich, indulgent flavor that makes this burger truly special

How to make perfectly Caramelized Onions

There are a few techniques to perfect Caramelized Onions. In fact, we’ve dedicated an entire recipe to it here. Really though, it comes down to two methods of cooking, both of which are on the stove top. The first is to cook them at a high heat and fast. The second, which is our preferred method for this dish, is low and slow

Cooking the Onions slowly over a low heat will help to break them down into silky, tender strands of Onions. Over time they will ultimately caramelize, but it will take about 30 – 40 minutes. You can crank the heat and get a caramelization quicker; however, the texture will be crunchy and charred at points

For a French Onion Burger, the Onions should be a beautiful, silky texture. So, give them a longer cook at a low temperature to achieve this. For added luxury we also include Butter and a touch of Sugar in the Onions. This is by no means necessary, but adding the Butter and Sugar bring an added richness to their flavor

Yellow or Spanish Onions are the best choice for a French Onion Burger

We’ve tried this dish with many types of Onions, and they will all work, however we’ve found that Yellow, Spanish, or Sweet Onions yield the best result. These Onions are slightly sweeter than the Red and White variety, and lend themselves exceptionally well to a slow caramelization

The best way to prepare the Onions is to cut the two ends off (where the stalky bits are), and then cut the Onion straight in half. Peel the skin away and then make cuts along the natural grain lines of the Onion

Cutting the Onion in this way will ensure the Onion slices stay together during the cooking process. This will ultimately yield longer strands of Onions which look beautiful and create a nicer texture in the Burger

Yes, cooking the Burger is also super important too!

Now that those Onions are delicious and caramelized you can set them aside while you prepare the Burger. The Onions can just be reheated right before building your burger and they’ll be good to go. For the Burger, it is critical that you use ground beef with a high fat percentage. We recommend anywhere between 20 – 30%. As it is well documented in the food world, fat equals flavor! So a high fat ground beef will result in so much more flavor in your Burger

There’s no need to go crazy with seasoning for the Burger either. I’ve seen some recipes that add all kinds of crazy spices to the Burger, and it simply doesn’t need it. Simply form the Ground Beef into a large and compact burger shape then hit it with a generous amount of Salt. That’s all you need

A little trick is to try and get the Burger patty the same size as your buns. Unlike our Smash Burger recipe, there is no squashing the beef once it hits the pan. So, shape your burgers large enough that they’ll fit snuggly into the shape of the Burger Buns

Also, it is worth noting the Burger will condense as it cooks, so we recommend shaping the burger slightly larger than your Bun. Once it cooks it’ll condense into a shape that will hopefully be the same size as your bun

Brioche Buns are the only way to go when making a French Onion Burger

There are loads of different bun options to use, however we recommend Brioche for this dish. The sugary sweetness that is loaded into the Brioche helps to continue the decadent flavor in the dish. This is not a burger that is done in half measures, every element has the flavor dialed up to 100%, so that should include the burger

Good quality Brioche buns will retain their form during the eating process too. The last thing you want is your bun to break up after 2 bites, leaving Onions and meat dripping all over the place. I’ve had this happen with Brioche in the past, so all I can suggest is to try a few different buns from the store until you find the ones that work well for you

This Burger is modelled off the classic French Onion Soup, so you know there’s cheese involved!

The only cheese of choice for a French Onion Burger is Swiss Cheese. The gooey, melty, and ridiculously flavorful cheese is a cornerstone ingredient in French Onion Soup, and a welcome addition to our burger. Swiss Cheese is a ‘catch all’ name for a particular variety of cheese, so there are a few types that will work great in this dish

You can either use Emmentaler, Gruyere, Raclette, or Jarlsberg. There’s plenty more Swiss Cheeses to choose from, but there are the most common once you’ll be able to find in the grocery store. Add the Cheese slice to your burger as it’s cooking so it starts to melt and get all gooey for the best result!

The final ingredient is the Sauce

Unlike a typical burger, there is no Ketchup in a French Onion burger. Instead, the traditional sauce used is Mayonnaise or Aioli. We recommend just buying some good quality store bought Mayo or Aioli and using that. We used Japanese Kewpie Mayo in this dish as it has a sweeter flavor than typical Mayo – perfect for the French Onion Burger

An optional step, but one we highly recommend is to add a few drops of White Vinegar into your Mayo and mix it through before adding to your Burger. The Vinegar is a much-needed sharpness of acidity which will help to cut through the richness of the Burger. It’s not necessary, but you’ll find the Vinegar adds a wonderful depth of flavor to the end result

French Onion Burger Recipe

Ingredients

• 20 oz / 600g Ground Beef (20 – 30% fat content)
• 4 Brioche Buns
• 4 Large Yellow or Spanish Onions
• 4 slices of Swiss Cheese (eg: Gruyere, Raclette, Jarlsberg, or Emmentaler Cheese)
• 2 tbsp. Mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. Sugar
• 2 tbsp. Unsalted Butter
• Salt
  
  

Instructions

1. Slice the Onions into long, thin strands and then place into a large saucepan over medium / low heat along with the Butter and 1 tsp. of Salt. Cook for 30 – 40 minutes, stirring occasionally until caramelized. Once cooked, remove from heat and set aside
2. Shape the Ground Beef into 4 evenly sized Burger Patties. Try to shape them slightly wider than your Burger Buns and keep them about ¾-inch thick. Season well with Salt
3. Heat a large frying pan or Cast-Iron Skillet over medium / high heat. Once hot, add the Burgers and slightly press down (do not squash them like a Smash Burger however). Cook for 5 minutes, then flip and add a slice of Cheese onto each Burger
4. Continue to cook for 3 – 4 minutes until the Cheese has melted. You can cover the pan with a lid to help the Cheese melt. Once cooked, set aside
5. Place the buns cut-side-down onto the Pan to soak up some of the juices and slightly char (about 30 seconds)
6. In a separate bowl, mix the Mayonnaise and White Vinegar to form the sauce. Add the sauce to the base of the Burger Buns, then place the Burger directly on top. Finish with a generous portion of Caramelized Onions and place the bun on top. Serve immediately
   
   

Recipe Notes

• For a sweet sauce, we recommend using Japanese Kewpie Mayonnaise instead of regular Mayo
• An optional step is to place the buns cut-side-down onto the hot pan once the Burger have been cooked to soak up some of the juices and slightly char (about 30 seconds)
  
  

We guarantee this luscious French Onion Burger will be a hit with the whole family. It’s rich, decadent flavor is a great way to mix up burger night and we just know you’re going to love it!

For more delicious recipes inspired by fast food, check out some of these amazing dishes:

• In N Out Animal Style Fries
• NY Style Pizza
• Homemade Smash Burgers
• Nacho Fries
  
  

Happy Cooking!